Month: November 2020

West Law Today (Reuters) – Lawyers for Chamber, Trump administration spar over need for H-1B restrictions

The U.S. Department of Justice building is bathed in morning light at sunrise in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2020. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert

(Reuters) – A lawyer for the Trump administration on Monday told a federal judge in California that the “unprecedented economic emergency” triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic justified the adoption of rules limiting the H-1B visa program without first calling for public input.

At a hearing conducted via Zoom, Alexandra Saslaw of the U.S. Department of Justice told U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland that the administration believed the restrictions on foreign labor would make it easier for American workers left unemployed amid the pandemic to find new jobs.
And that provides the “good cause” necessary to circumvent the Administrative Procedure Act’s requirement that agencies solicit and review public comments before adopting final rules, Saslaw said.

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Maria Ramos Participates in AILA University’s “Ask BIRT: AILA’s Business Immigration Response Team Addresses Members’ Most Pressing Questions – Live”

Tampa Partner Maria Ramos participated as a discussion leader in this past week’s AILA University. Maria and members of AILA’s Business Immigration Response Team (BIRT) addressed AILA members’ most pressing business immigration questions.

Topics covered include:

  • What tips can the discussion leaders provide regarding filing EB-2 to EB-3 downgrades?
  • Please comment on DOL’s new prevailing wages and provide recent experiences/advice using private wage surveys.
  • How should I respond to a USCIS RFE that requests a Form I-944 that was not legally required at the time the adjustment of status was filed?
  • An O-1 visa holder stuck in London since the travel restrictions were imposed by PP 9996 has an urgent need to obtain a National Interest Exception. What are the O-1 visa holder’s options?