In the case of The United States vs. Josue Osmaro Garcia-Ochoa, the 4th District Court of Appeals recently affirmed the conviction of Josue Osmaro Garcia-Ochoa for falsely claiming to be a citizen of the United States when completing I-9 forms. Garcia-Ochoa, a...
Immigration Team News
E-Verify Updates
A recent meeting between immigration lawyers and representatives of the USCIS Verification Division provided some important updates on the E-Verify system.The Office of Special Counsel and E-Verify have signed an MOU to formalize information sharing between the two...
New Fees in Effect for Some H1-B and L Visas
Petitioning employers who employ 50 or more workers in the United States with more than half of those employees being H1-B or L visa holders are now having to pay higher filing fees of $2,000 for H1-B petitions and $2,500 for L visa petitions.The fee increase is part...
New Rules for I-9 Forms
The Department of Homeland Security has made some changes to the rules relating to creation and retention of electronic I-9s. The new rules clarify some employers’ concerns and could make the use of electronic I-9s more efficient. The rule, scheduled to take effect...
ICE and FDLE New Partnership
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) are sharing a new fingerprint database to identify foreign nationals, documented or otherwise, taken into custody in Florida. Previously, fingerprints taken from...
United States v. Arizona
Citing violations of the Constitution's Supremacy Clause (which prohibits states from interfering with the federal government's authority to set national policy), the Department of Justice has filed suit to challenge the state of Arizona's immigration law, SB...
President Obama on Immigration Reform
President Obama’s recent speech on immigration reform called for bipartisan cooperation in overhauling the current immigration system. He re-stated the need for comprehensive reform and outlined a plan including: Stronger border security, Stronger interior...
E-Verify Makes Significant Changes
The DHS has announced that ongoing changes are in the works for the agency’s E-Verify system. E-Verify is an internet based employment verification program used by employers and administered by the Department of Homeland Security in conjunction with the Social...