For the fifth year in a row, the cap for H-1B visa applications was reached within five days. Some people in Maryland might be familiar with H-1B as the visa that allows workers to be temporarily employed in certain high-demand fields. The limit in 2017, as mandated...
Employment Immigration
H-4 visa holders may not be permitted to work
People who are living and working on a H-1B visa in Maryland may be facing additional restrictions regarding their family members. In 2015, the Obama administration introduced a rule that would allow spouses of H-1B visa holders to work if they were waiting for green...
Managing the process for workplace immigration
No matter what happens with immigration practices and strategies following the general election in November 2016, Maryland employers will still be required to use Form I-9 to verify the identity and authorization of an immigrant employee to work in the United States....
Addressing immigration issues in mergers and acquisitions
When a Maryland company is in the process of acquiring or merging with another firm, it is important for the owner to do his or her due diligence before closing the deal regarding any potential immigration issues. Failing to do so may leave the company facing...
Immigration-related employment discrimination rule changes
Immigrants in Maryland are often exposed to workplace discrimination in the form of unfair requests for documentation when they seek employment. In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice proposed some new rules concerning unfair documentary practices that could...
Judge says poor economy no excuse for not paying H-1B workers
In a case that may be of interest to Maryland employers and employees alike, a Department of Labor administrative law judge has ruled that employers cannot use financial hardship to avoid paying employees with H-1B nonimmigrant visa status the wage specified to the...
Employment-based green cards: Choosing the best option
As demand has grown for skilled workers in the United States, several new classifications of green cards have become available. There are several paths to obtaining employment-based green cards, and it can be vital for a potential applicant to understand the...
Colleges can obtain H-1B visas for foreign students
Universities in Maryland and nationwide could be using a legal loophole to obtain H-1B visas for foreign students, circumventing a federal lottery system that caps the annual number of such visas available. College officials say exploiting the loophole fixes a flawed...
Immigrant advocacy groups call for reforms on the state level
Immigrant advocacy groups in Maryland and around the country were disappointed on June 23 when a U.S. Supreme Court vote placed the Obama administration's plans to grant temporary legal status to thousands of immigrants on hold. If the plan had been implemented,...
Federal lawmakers want more H-2B visas
Some immigrants come to states like Maryland on H-2B guest worker visas. The program allows a maximum three-year stay in the United States for foreign nationals who are willing to work low-wage jobs in certain industries. Federal lawmakers are currently working to...
