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DOL Revised Employer's H-2A Handbook

To continue to assist H-2A employers in preparing their agricultural job offers and applications, the Department of Labor has revised its Employer Guide for Participating in the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program. This guide summarizes and explains key regulatory requirements for a U.S. employer to participate in the H-2A Program, including what documents to file, important timeframes and deadlines, helpful filing tips, and how to contact the OFLC Chicago National Processing Center for further assistance.

CBP Announces Extension Of Operating Hours For NEXUS Lane

Alexandria Bay, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations announces a change in the operating hours for the dedicated NEXUS lane at the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry. Starting March 1st, the new hours of operation for the dedicated NEXUS lane will be from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Frequent cross-border travelers are encouraged to participate in the NEXUS program, which allows pre-screened, low-risk travelers to proceed with little or no delay into the United States and Canada.

USCIS Hosts Entrepreneurs in Residence Information Summit

Agency kicks off effort to ensure that immigration pathways for foreign entrepreneurs are clear and consistent, and better reflect today’s business realities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas hosted an Information Summit today at the NASA Research Park in Moffett Field, Calif., to launch the USCIS Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) Initiative.

CRS Report On Immigration-Related Detention: Current Legislative Issues

As Congress considers addressing some of the problems in the nation’s immigration system, the detention of noncitizens in the United States may be an issue as Congress may chose to reevaluate detention priorities (i.e., who should be detained) and resources. Under the law, there is broad authority to detain aliens while awaiting a determination of whether the noncitizen should be removed from the United States. The law also mandates that certain categories of aliens are subject to mandatory detention (i.e., the aliens must be detained).

The Department of Labor Announces Final Rule on Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens

The Department of Labor is amending its regulations governing the certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal nonagricultural employment and the enforcement of the obligations applicable to employers of such nonimmigrant workers. This Final Rule revises the process by which employers obtain a temporary labor certification from the Department for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H–2B status.

This Final Rule is effective April 23, 2012.

USCIS Issues Message On EB-5 Tenant Occupancy

The “tenant-occupancy” methodology seeks credit for job creation by independent tenant businesses that lease space in buildings developed with EB-5 funding. USCIS continues to recognize that whether it is economically reasonable to attribute such “tenant-occupancy” jobs to the underlying EB-5 commercial real estate project is a fact-specific question. Each case filed will depend on the specific facts presented and the accompanying economic analysis.