The U.S. Supreme Court held last week in a 7-2 decision that defense counsel must inform a non-citizen client whether his/her plea carries a risk of deportation, a failure to do so violates the Constitution’s Sixth Amendment guarantee of the right to counsel in...
Immigration Team News
H-1B updates
Ports of Entry and H-1B If you are an H-1B holder (or holder of another employment-based visa) or if you employ H-1B employees ensure that you, or your employee, keep evidence of current immigration status and employment verification documents on hand when traveling...
DOS announces increased fees
A new fee structure has been announced by the Department of State for cases that are processed at U.S. embassies and consulates. The current fee is a flat rate of $355 per person plus a machine readable visa fee of $45 (for a total of $400) for employment or...
Identity fraud may be difficult with E-Verify
USCIS released an overview of an independent party's analysis of the E-Verify system. Key findings in the survey and study, conducted by a third party (Westat), are listed below. One of the major key findings was that identity fraud detection may be difficult with...
Audit notices served to 180 businesses
Businesses in five states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee) have been issued Notices of Inspection (NOIs) by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These notices preface an inspection by ICE to determine if each business is complying...
Intending to visit Mexico for business or work? Read on…
As of May 1, 2010, Mexico will institute new processing requirements for each immigration category. Some of the most relevant changes include: All migratory forms for tourists, business visitors and technical visitors with lucrative activities, who intend to stay in...