News

Seth Leech to present at the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas at the University of Miami Roundtable:  Immigration Policies for a New Era:   Challenges and Promises on Wednesday, March 3.  Seth is a Partner with the Immigration Practice Group at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna and will focus his presentation on: Employment-Based Immigration and International Travel During the Biden Administration:  Current Actions and Prospects.   To find out more [...]

From the USCIS on Friday, April 3:On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) temporarily closed our offices to the public and cancelled all appointments, interviews, and ceremonies to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). That temporary closure is currently in effect through May 3, and may be extended. Our employees continue to work and are performing mission-essential functions that do not involve face-to-face contact with the public.During this time, USCIS will provide [...]

Just after 5:00 PM (EST) on December 6, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it will implement an H-1B registration process for fiscal year 2021 cap-subject petitions. The initial registration period will run from March 1 – March 20, 2020 and upends longstanding government practice for what many have referred to as “H-1B season” from January through early April each year. There are more questions than answers at this writing, but [...]

Whiteman Osterman & Hanna partners Scott Fein and Seth Leech were contributing authors to the Albany Law School and the New York State Bar Association's recently published comprehensive 19-chapter book detailing current immigration law and policy at the local, state, and national levels. The book, Is America Fulfilling Its Promise? Safeguarding the Legal Protections of Immigrants, provides a comprehensive view of immigration enforcement and reform in the United States. Fein was also a [...]

Certain Israeli nationals who are lawfully present in the United States will soon be able to request a change of status to the E-2 treaty investor classification. Beginning May 1, eligible Israeli nationals already in the United States in a lawful nonimmigrant status can file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, to request a change of status to E-2 classification, or a qualifying employer can file the petition on their behalf. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of [...]