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☆ Uncle Sam just overhauled the H-1B visa lottery, and that's good news for startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA new reform to the US H-1B visa program aims to ring out some of the uncertainty for migrant workers and employers. Each year, tens of thousands of foreign nationals wind up at venture-backed companies through the employment-based visa program. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. Data shows much of the increase was due to a record-breaking number of employers submitting multiple H-1B registrations for the same person. "This led to many individuals being entered into the lottery multiple times, through different companies, and ultimately decreasing the odds of being selected in the lottery," Finkelman said.

Persons: —, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman, USCIS, Sophie Alcorn, Alcorn Organizations: Service, Immigration Services, Business, Tech Locations: Austin, Hyderabad, Beijing, Silicon Valley

WASHINGTON (AP) — To his supporters, Alejandro Mayorkas is a thoughtful, driven secretary — a “Boy Scout” — who brings a prosecutor's tenacity and his personal understanding of the immigrant experience in America to running his sprawling agency. But it is the department’s role in immigration that has made Mayorkas a target of impeachment. Mayorkas said his immigrant and refugee background mean that he brings an intense patriotism to the job. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Mayorkas put in place a program giving protection from deportation to migrants brought to the border as children. Since taking the job as DHS secretary, Mayorkas has been subject to often hostile rhetoric over the administration's handling of the border and immigration.

Persons: —, Alejandro Mayorkas, Ali, he’ll, Tom Warrick, ” Warrick, Joe Biden, Biden, Mayorkas, Donald Trump, “, ”, didn’t, Cecilia Munoz, Obama, Munoz, Barack Obama, “ He’s, Mark Green of, impeaching, William Belknap, Ulysses Grant, Brandon Judd, Trump, Judd, Ahilan Arulanantham, Arulanantham, Angela Kelley Organizations: WASHINGTON, Department of Homeland Security, Republicans, Atlantic Council, “, DHS, Republican, Associated Press, Mayorkas, White, . Citizenship, Immigration Service, Democratic, Trump, House Homeland Security, National Border Patrol Council, Security, Border Patrol, Biden, Center for Immigration Law, UCLA School of Law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Congress Locations: America, U.S, Mexico, United States, Washington, Ukraine, California, Cuba, Los Angeles, Miami, Mark Green of Tennessee

☆ Here are the 25 startups that sponsor the most H-1B visas for immigrants looking for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Melia Russell | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The H-1B visa has served as a prominent pathway for skilled foreign labor into the American job market. The H-1B visa program is the nation's largest temporary work visa program, with over 600,000 workers across 50,000 employers. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. According to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the 2024 H-1B visa lottery saw applications rise to a record-breaking 780,000. Using recent data from the US Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Business Insider put together this ranking of the top H-1B startup employers between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.

Persons: USCIS, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman Organizations: Business, Citizenship, Immigration Services, White, Information, Regulatory Affairs, of Foreign Labor Locations: Hyderabad, Beijing

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — In New York, migrants at a city-run shelter grumble that relatives who settled before them refuse to offer a bed. In South Florida, some immigrants complain that people who came later get work permits that are out of reach for them. Across the country, mayors, governors and others have been forceful advocates for newly arrived migrants seeking shelter and work permits. The administration said in September that it would work to reduce wait times for work permits to 30 days for those using the new pathways. The Washington rally reflected an effort by advocates to push for work permits for all, regardless of when they came.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, “ Chuy ” Garcia, José Guerrero, ” Guerrero, “, Angel Hernandez, Hernandez, Adriana Trino, “ We're, Diego Torres, Santiago Marquez, hasn't, –, They’ve, ” Lawrence Benito, ___ Tareen, J, Elliot Spagat, Erik Verduzco Organizations: U.S, Rep, Chicago Democrat, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, Biden, Latin American Coalition, American Association, Washington, Illinois Coalition, Immigrant, Refugee Rights, Chicago, Associated Press, Rico Locations: Fla, New York, Chicago, South Florida, Washington, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Homestead , Florida, Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, U.S, Venezuelan, Panama’s, Darien, Colombia, United States, Midtown Manhattan, Charlotte , North Carolina, In Atlanta, Homestead, Atlanta

☆ The U.S. has lost thousands of tech workers to Canada — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As of last month, the Canadian government says more than 6,000 U.S. H-1B visa holders had arrived in Canada so far this year. That's after massive layoffs left high-skilled foreign H-1B holders in limbo. The H-1B program targets highly educated and specialized foreign workers in fields such as tech and health care. The study also shows that Canada now has 1.1 million tech workers, and Toronto and Vancouver ranked among the top 10 tech cities in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about how Canada is targeting H-1B visa holders, watch the video.

Persons: Annie Beaudoin, Harnoor Singh, Frederick Anokye, Kubeir Kamal, I'm, Marc Miller wasn't Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, Micron, College of Immigration, Citizenship, Canada's Tech, Vancouver, Canadian Locations: Canada, Canadian, U.S, India, Ghana, Toronto

The agreement currently applies to some 3,900 children separated from their parents during Trump's presidency from 2017-2021, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents separated families in a lawsuit first filed in 2018. An estimated 500-1,000 children remain separated and the number covered by the settlement will likely expand, the ACLU said. Trump, the frontrunner to become the Republican nominee for president in 2024, has criticized Biden's handling of border security and pledged to implement hardline immigration policies if reelected. As part of the settlement, separated families will have access to temporary housing support for one year, according to court documents. The Biden administration in 2021 broke off class-wide settlement talks that would have provided monetary compensation to separated families.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, Lee Gelernt, Biden, Ted Hesson, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Firms American Civil Liberties Union Follow WASHINGTON, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Joe Biden's Democratic, Government watchdogs, Republican, Homeland, Biden, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Rio Bravo, Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, U.S, Washington

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment and the office of Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, has made it a priority to defend DACA, which was created in 2012 under former President Barack Obama when Biden was vice president. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Hanen's ruling against DACA, but sent the case back to him for reconsideration in light of Biden's regulation formalizing the program. Some 81% of DACA enrollees are from Mexico, followed by those from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to U.S. About 164,000 live in California, which supports the legal efforts to defend the DACA program, while Texas is home to 95,000.

Persons: Dreamer, Joe Biden's, Andrew Hanen, Hanen, Greg Abbott, Thomas Saenz, Biden, Barack Obama, Hanen's, Donald Trump, Ted Hesson, Leslie Adler, Mica Rosenberg, David Gregorio, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Capitol, Republican, Democratic, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, U.S . Department of Justice, Texas Republican, Mexican American Legal Defense, Educational Fund, DACA, Circuit, U.S, Supreme, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, Thomson Locations: Texas, U.S, Washington, United States, Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, California

“He risked his life to get the information out for me when I was in the prison in Iran. He met White in 2018 after one such arrest when Vatankhah faced accusations of spreading propaganda against Tehran's government. Though Vatankhah was later released, he was arrested again, this time winding up in the same cell as White in Iran's Mashhad prison. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it does not discuss individual humanitarian parole cases. Vatankhah said his humanitarian parole is good for one year, but he already has applied for asylum, which would allow him to remain in the U.S.

Persons: — Michael White, White, Mahdi Vatankhah, “, ” White, Vatankhah, Jonathan Franks, White's, —, Qassem Soleimani, Paris Etemadi Scott, “ Mahdi, ”, He's, Eric Tucker Organizations: WASHINGTON, Navy, AP, U.S, Iranian, Quds Force, Revolutionary Guard, Citizenship, Immigration Services, State Department, Twitter Locations: Iranian, White, United States, Los Angeles, Iran, U.S, Southern California, Iran's Mashhad, American, Turkey, Paris, California, San Diego

☆ Talal Ansari — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Talal AnsariTalal Ansari is a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, covering U.S. news. He covers the news of the day while also working on exclusives and deeply reported stories. Prior to joining the Journal, Talal was a reporter for BuzzFeed News in New York City for four years, working on the investigative reporting team before moving to breaking news, covering everything from hate crimes to hurricanes. After leaving, Talal went into journalism and has worked at organizations such as Al Jazeera, the Los Angeles Daily News, and The Indian Express. Talal has a master's degree in long-form investigative journalism from the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Persons: Talal Ansari Talal Ansari, Talal, Adnan Syed’s, Jameis Winston, Al Jazeera Organizations: Wall Street, BuzzFeed News, NFL, FBI, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, American Mosaic Journalism, Knight Media, American, Los Angeles Daily News, Indian, University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University Locations: Baltimore, America, Covid, New York City, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Fact Check-Illinois bill only allows certain non-citizens to become police officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Illinois House Bill 3751 only allows non-citizens who are eligible to work in the U.S. and are authorized to possess firearms under federal law to become police officers. Contrary to confusion on social media, the bill does not extend this right to all non-citizens or those who are not legally allowed to work in the country. The text in one Facebook post (here) reads: “Illinois Governor signs bill allowing illegals to become police officers. They CAN’T!”“Illinois Governor signs bill allowing illegal aliens to become police officers and arrest US citizens,” reads another post (here). Illinois House Bill 3751 allows non-citizens who are eligible to work in the U.S. under federal law to become police officers.

Persons: Bill, Olivia Kuncio, Illinois Governor J.B, Pritzker, That’s, “ DACA, ”, Lauren Aronson, “, Kuncio, ” Aronson, Read Organizations: Illinois Governor, Reuters, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, federal, University of Illinois College of Law, Illinois Locations: Illinois, U.S, “ Illinois, United States, California

☆ Biden's new asylum policy strands some migrants at Mexico border
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Daniel Becerril | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Officials said the regulation and other Biden immigration policies are reducing illegal border crossings that have hit record highs in recent years. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum screenings, down to 46% for single adults from an average of 83% from 2014 to 2019, according to government data contained in a court filing. * A sharp rise in time spent in Border Patrol custody, according to previously unreported U.S. government data obtained by Reuters. A senior Biden administration official told Reuters the policy was working. Government figures show the number of migrants caught crossing illegally has dropped by 69 percent in one month.

Persons: ”, “, Pena Organizations: Biden, Citizenship, Immigration Services, . Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Patrol, Reuters, Customs and Border Locations: U.S, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico

☆ Opinion: It’s time to bring these US military veterans home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Opinion Saúl Ramírez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Bartolomé, a US military veteran, has spent the last 15 Fourth of July holidays in Mexico. “It’s a stab in the back.”Between 2013 and 2018, 250 US military veterans were placed in removal proceedings and 92 were deported. Unfortunately, an accurate count of deported veterans is nonexistent, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not keep a comprehensive record of removed US veterans. Veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge are entitled to a military burial in the United States. As a result, the urgency in addressing noncitizen military members’ precarious situation is particularly palpable now.

Persons: CNN —, he’s, Saúl Ramírez Christopher Smith Bartolomé, ” Bartolomé, ”, “, Joe Biden, Mark Takano, Sen, Alex Padilla, “ I’m, I’m, ‘ I’m, ’, Bartolomé, ‘ Don’t, they’ve Organizations: Harvard University, CNN, US Armed Forces, Pew Research Center, United States, Judiciary, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, Immigration Services, Department of Defense, Immigration Systems, New, of State, Department of Justice, DHS, of Homeland Security, Committee, Veterans Affairs, Veterans, Los, Twitter, Facebook, Bartolomé Locations: Mexico, United States, Los Angeles

☆ Uncle Sam wants migrants. Facing shortages, military recruiters trade citizenship for service.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The biggest challenges have been identifying geographic pockets of immigrant populations, finding ways to reach them and helping any of those interested navigate the complex military recruiting applications and procedures. The Air Force effort began this year, and the first group of 14 graduated from basic training and were sworn in as new citizens in April. As of mid-May there were about 100 in basic training who had begun the citizenship process and about 40 who had completed it. Thomas said the program required changes to Air Force policy, coordination with U.S. By the time Air Force recruits finish their seven weeks of training, the process is complete and they are sworn in as American citizens.

Persons: —, Bidari, Kalden Lama, Ed Thomas, Thomas, Natalia Laziuk, I've, Christine Wormuth Organizations: US Army, Navy, Service, U.S . Army Reserves, Army, Air Force, Army Staff, Dallas, Marine Corp, Defense, . Citizenship, Immigration Services Locations: Nepal, Dallas, U.S, America, American, United States, Cameroon, Jamaica, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Chicago, Mexico, Haiti, Nigeria, Ghana, Colombia, Dominican Republic

The number of migrants caught crossing the border illegally since Title 42 ended on Friday dropped sharply from highs last week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official Blas Nunez-Neto said on a call with reporters. Nunez-Neto said migrants crossing illegally "now face tougher consequences at the border, including a minimum five-year bar on reentry and the potential to be criminally prosecuted if they try again." Title 42 allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants to Mexico or other countries without the chance to request U.S. asylum. The Biden administration has also expanded legal pathways that allow more people to enter the U.S. without crossing illegally, including the CBP One appointments and applications available abroad for humanitarian parole and refugee status. The number of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally dropped to an average of 5,000 per day since Title 42 ended, down from daily highs of over 10,000 last week, Nunez-Neto said, cautioning that the situation "is very fluid."

WHAT IS TITLE 42? The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented under Republican then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. The Biden administration intends to lift Title 42 next Thursday when the U.S. COVID public health emergency ends. In April, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended some 183,000 migrants, according to preliminary data provided by Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a 13 percent increase from March. U.S. border cities are bracing for a possible rise in migrants when Title 42 ends.

Immigration lawyer Ksenia Tchern's office is getting calls from worried clients, she said. The delay caused by the strike comes as Canada's immigration system is playing catch-up from pandemic delays. Immigration department spokespeople, whose work has been affected by the strike, could not provide details on the strike's impacts on immigration services. An immigration system perceived to be dysfunctional could complicate efforts to woo talented immigrants, said immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann. "It just gives our immigration system a black eye.

☆ U.S. Says Some Companies Cheat H-1B Lottery, Driving Record Applications
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Citizenship and Immigration Services has laid out its findings on the H-1B visa lottery in a notice to employers. Photo: Pete Marovich/Washington Post/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The Biden administration says it has found evidence that several dozen small technology companies have colluded to increase the chances that their prospective foreign hires will win a coveted H-1B visa for skilled foreign workers in this year’s lottery. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that awards H-1B visas, said it has found that a small number of companies are responsible for entering the same applicants into the lottery multiple times, with the alleged goal of artificially boosting their chances of winning a visa. The findings were laid out in a notice to employers viewed by The Wall Street Journal and set to be released Friday.

☆ Companies Are Colluding to Cheat H-1B Visa Lottery, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Tech Companies Are Colluding to Cheat H1-B Visa Lottery, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

None of the agencies disputed the allegation, and each paid penalties of $5,050, the maximum state levy for a child labor violation. The U.S. and Alabama investigations began after a Reuters report last July first exposed the use of child labor at Hyundai parts makers in the state. The U.S. Department of Labor said in February the number of child labor violations in 2022 had soared by nearly 70% compared with the tally recorded in 2018. They said false documentation, even shoddy credentials like those filed by the boy's employers, makes child labor laws difficult to enforce. An Alabama labor department spokesperson told Reuters the agency is still working to determine who exactly hired the child to work at Hyundai Glovis.

☆ America's immigration system is a nightmare, and it's forcing tech companies to move jobs outside of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Leaders like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff have begun walking back their initial praise of remote work, worrying that it leads to employee underperformance. The most existential question raised by remote work, however, is whether working from home makes workers more replaceable. But remote work has just been a facilitator, they suggest, and the real culprit may very well be America's broken immigration system. The flawed US immigration system is forcing companies to hire elsewhereIt's no secret that the US immigration system is flawed. Remote work makes it possibleRemote work makes it all possible, says Job Van Der Voort, founder of Remote, a startup that helps companies hire workers internationally.

[1/5] Asylum seekers board a bus after crossing into Canada from the U.S. in Champlain, New York, U.S., February 28, 2023. Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." The Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." REUTERS/Christinne Muschi Acquire Licensing RightsThe Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

Persons: Zulema Diaz, Maryangel Diaz, Carlos Osorio, Diaz, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Sean Fraser, Alejandro Mayorkas, Trudeau, Biden, Zulema, Eric Adams, Kate Smart, Fabien Levy, Smart, Ilze Thielmann, Raymond Theriault, Theriault, Christinne, Pierre, Luc Bouchard, You’re, Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Anna Mehler Paperny, Ted Hesson, Denny Thomas, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, . Homeland, Washington , D.C, Ottawa, New York City, Department of Homeless Services, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Reuters Graphics Canada, United, Colombian, Immigration, Refugee Board, Canadian, Reuters, U.S, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, TLC, Border Patrol, University of Ottawa, Thomson Locations: U.S, Quebec, Niagara Falls , Ontario, Canada, CHAMPLAIN , New York, WASHINGTON, Peru, United States, New York City, Plattsburgh, Washington ,, New York State, New York, Haitian, Syracuse, El Paso, West Virginia, Niagara Falls, Guatemala, Champlain , New York, Montreal, Canada's province, Manitoba, Washington

☆ Laid off from a startup and on an H-1B visa? Here are 3 main things immigrant workers should know, according to experts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are three steps laid off visa holders should take, according to tech industry experts. Though, it appears that laid off immigrant workers are having success finding new roles. Insider spoke with immigration attorneys, venture capitalists, and recruitment experts and compiled the three most important steps laid off H-1B visa holders should take during their 60-day window. Look into other visa categoriesAn attorney can also advise on what other visa categories a worker could be eligible for. "Companies started by immigrant workers employ a lot of immigrant workers too," she said.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to start using fast-track asylum screenings at the U.S.-Mexico border, part of U.S. President Joe Biden's recent efforts to address a record number of illegal crossings, five sources told Reuters. A group of Biden administration officials visited the U.S.-Mexico border this week in preparation for the new effort, said two of the sources, both U.S. officials. It was unclear when the fast-track screenings will begin. Under the plan, asylum seekers detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would have remote interviews with a U.S. asylum officer within days, the sources said. Reuters first reported in December that the fast-track screenings were under consideration.

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