The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee this past month approved on a 13-to-5 vote broad legislation that would completely redefine the country's policies on immigration. This appears to be the most significant immigration policy revision in decades to be sent to the full Senate Debate is anticipated to start in this month.
Continue Reading...The immigration laws of the United States require companies to employ only people who are able to work in the United States legally. This can be as U.S. citizens or foreign citizens who have the appropriate and necessary authorization. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that is tasked with overseeing lawful immigration to the United States. USCIS manages the process that permits individuals from other countries to work in the United States. Some of these opportunities can be short-term, while others provide a path to a green card (permanent residency).
Continue Reading...April 1st was the first day employers in the United States are permitted to submit H-1B visa applications to the federal government for fiscal year 2014. These visas cover October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014.
Continue Reading...April 1st is the earliest that employers are permitted to file an H1B petition for the following fiscal year, which starts October 1st. An employer cannot file an H1B petition earlier than six months before the date of the actual start of the individual's sponsored services.
Continue Reading...Did you know that April 1st is the earliest that employers are permitted to file an H1B petition for the following fiscal year, which starts October 1st. An employer cannot file an H1B petition earlier than six months before the date of the actual start of the individual's (beneficiary) services.
U.S. mainland, as well as Virgin Islands businesses have used the H1B program to employ foreign workers in specialized positions that require technical expertise in fields like science, engineering, and computer programming. This program provides foreign nationals an opportunity to be employed on a temporary basis in the United States and provide needed services for an employer in a pre-determined professional position. These jobs are required to be in a specialty occupation and require the minimum education of a bachelor's degree to participate.
Continue Reading...The Obama administration has intensified a crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants, notifying over 1,000 companies recently that the government plans to inspect their hiring records. Employers of all sizes were notified they must hand over I-9 employment-eligibility forms, which contain Social Security numbers, dates of birth and statements by employees of their citizenship status.
Continue Reading...I have found that there is a great deal of bad information floating around the web and people’s work places about H-1 visas. Hopefully this will help. What are the requirements for H-1B?
The L-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa available to qualifying intra-company transferees (employees) coming to the U.S. to continue to work for the same, related or affiliated company (employer). Three types of employees may be sponsored for L-1 visas, Managers, Executives and those possessing Specialized Knowledge.
Continue Reading...Federal authorities in New Jersey recently announced the disruption of an international smuggling ring that prosecutors said brought hundreds of illegal immigrants to the United States, including many young women who worked as dancers at strip clubs to repay their passage.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said four people from New Jersey, one from Massachusetts, and one from Texas are each charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal immigrants into the United States through the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Continue Reading...The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has reached an agreement that establishes a long-lasting framework for the technical coordination of the Internet’s domain name and addressing system (DNS).
ICANN and NTIA executed a new Affirmation of Commitments that completes the transition of the technical management of the DNS to a multi-stakeholder, private-sector-led model. The Affirmation ensures accountability and transparency in ICANN’s decision-making with the goal of protecting the interests of global Internet users. The Affirmation also establishes mechanisms to address the security, stability, and resiliency of the Internet DNS as well as promote competition, consumer trust, and consumer choice.
Continue Reading...American Counsel Association President Tom Bolt welcomed the delegates to the European Circuit Annual Conference in Rome at opening reception at the Hotel de la Ville. Bolt with Gerard McDermott, Q.C., President of the European Circuit of England and Wales, and Andrew Colvin of Studio Coggiatti, the co-sponsor of the opening reception.
In opening remarks, ACA President Bolt noted that each of the delegates were a part of history in the first meeting of the American Counsel Association, the oldest association of independent law firms, and the European Circuit. "I pledged to build bridges throughout the legal community upon entering office as President of the ACA, and building bridges is what we are doing," Bolt said.
Continue Reading...Tom Bolt, Managing Attorney of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands law firm of Tom Bolt & Associates, P.C. addressed the Association of European Attorneys (AEA) at their Annual Meeting in Paris on Friday. Citing the need to adhere to rule of law, Bolt said that "it is incumbent upon attorneys throughout the world to speak out against transgessions to law. If the lawyers of the world do not speak out then who? " Bolt said.
Almost 200 persons were in attendance at the 2nd Annual Meeting of AEA. Currently AEA has representatives from over 180 countries throughout the world. Bolt, who is the President of the American Counsel Association, the world's oldest association of independent law firms, invited the participants at the AEA Annual Meeting to join the ACA.
Continue Reading...Tom Bolt, Managing Attorney of the St. Thomas law firm of Tom Bolt & Associates, P.C. and President of the American Counsel Association met Thurday evening in Paris with representatives of the Association of European Attorneys (AEA) at the opening dinner of the AEA's Annual Meeting.
"It was unbelievable the diversity in the room," Bolt said. "At my table alone there were attorneys from Belgium, Cyprus, France, Japan, Lebanon and Spain. Our Belgian dinner partner, Dominique Grissay, has been an active member of the legal team at the trial of former Iraqi President Sadaam Hussein. It is evident to all that lawyers throughout the world need to speak out in favor of the rule of law. No one is above the law, not Sadaam Hussein...nor George W. Bush. Lawyers are our last hope for advocacy in favor of rule of law"
Continue Reading...As an unincorporated territory of the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not conduct its own foreign affairs. The United States Congress is the only body that has the authority to engage in international agreements and treaties on behalf of the Territory.
Not many U.S. treaties are applicable to the United States Virgin Islands and those that are applicable have for the most part, only been informally confirmed as applicable to the Territory. For example, these include the bilateral investment treaties and treaties of friendship, commerce and navigation and other international conventions dealing with international commerce. Their application to the United States Virgin Islands has been confirmed through informal correspondence between officials of the U.S. State Department and members of the Virgin Islands Bar. This informal practice raises uncertainties among global corporations, which are reluctant to do business in the U.S. Virgin Islands and would rather do business in a foreign country where the rules are clear and, potentially, more beneficial.
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