The Compass® Immigration News to help Employers, Families and Individuals navigate the legal system to successfully achieve their immigration goals.
Happy New Year from David Swaim & Associates!
Happy New Year! As we begin to move past the historically bad year that was 2020, we can look forward with optimism that this new year will bring a return to normality, and positive changes and progress. The legal and political environment of U.S. immigration law is ever-changing. However, over the past four years, the […]
5 Things to Look for in a Dallas Immigration Lawyer
Finding the best immigration attorney for your needs can be a daunting task, especially knowing where to start. It’s important to know what to look for in order to improve your odds of success, and how to ask the right questions before hiring and placing your future in his or her hands. We strongly recommend […]
Key Takeaways From Order Reinstating DACA
For the first time since September 2017, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program has been fully reinstated. The Obama-era program offers protection from deportation and grants employment authorization to individuals that arrived in the U.S. prior to their 16th birthday and have lived in the U.S. consecutively since 2007. In September 2017, the […]
DHS Proposed Rule to Modify the H-1B Cap Selection Process
Continuing our discussion of the sweeping changes which are being made and proposed for the H-1B visa program, we will now look at the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) titled “Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitions Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions” on November 2, 2020. 85 Fed. […]
The Intersection Between Maintaining Permanent Residence and Remaining Eligible for Naturalization
Maintaining Permanent Residence Many people believe there are actual time periods when they cannot leave the US or stay out of the US. In fact, to keep a green card, there really is no rule. The law requires permanent residence to prove that they intend to live permanently in the US on a specific date […]
New DHS Rule Defining “Specialty Occupation” for H-1B Visas
As one part of the recent changes made to the H-1B regulations, the Department of Homeland Security issued the Interim Final Rule titled “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program” at 8 CFR Part 214 on October 8, 2020. As previously mentioned, this Interim Final Rule changes the definition of “specialty occupation” at 8 CFR […]
An Overview of Significant H-1B Regulatory Changes
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have taken steps to drastically and fundamentally change the H-1B visa program, making it more difficult for U.S. employers and their employees to meet the requirements. Over the next few weeks, we will be going over these changes to the H-1B regulations […]
Prevailing Wages: An Alternative to the New Wages Announced by the Department of Labor
Recently, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced new wages for the Labor Condition Application (LCA) for the H-1 visa category as well as the Labor Certification process for permanent residence based on employment (the EB-2 and EB-3 categories). The new wages are significantly higher than the supposed “market” wages that DOL just issued this summer […]
Don’t Let Travel Outside The U.S. Jeopardize Your Permanent Residency Status
Individuals who obtain status as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) often still have family in other countries, or simply a desire to travel. One of the most common questions they have is whether they can travel abroad and retain their status. The short answer is, “it depends.” It is important to first understand the difference […]