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There are many misconceptions about global immigration when employing U.S. citizens abroad. Many of these misconceptions arise from not having a clear understanding of rules and regulations. Here are the top inquiries we get regarding U.S. citizens working abroad: US citizens can work anywhere in the world without a work permit (or at least up to 90 days) While many countries allow U.S. citizens to travel to a country without a visa for up to 90 days, this does not mean they can work. If U.S. citizen is going to be working in a foreign country, the must secure the proper work authorization.

U.S. citizens do not need a work permit for Canada The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) does allow for U.S. citizens a shortened immigration process. Under the normal Canadian Immigration process, an employer would have to submit a labor market opinion (LMO) to the Human Resources and Social Development...

Photo credit: numstead Discover the 10 best practices that challenge the traditions and myths surrounding immigration law/legal services, which will streamline your current immigration process:

Chapter 1: Pick the right provider and manage the relationship for success Chapter 2: Use the right technology in structuring an efficient immigration process Chapter 3: Lower and control your cost Chapter 4: Define and frequently review your corporate immigration policy Chapter 5: Map the immigration process steps to educate stakeholders Taking a deeper look into the immigration process, Chapter 5 will help you map the phases of the general immigration process and build process maps for your most frequently filed visas to gain a better understanding of responsibility, dependencies and timing involved. A fundamental understanding of the process will help you converse more effectively...

Photo credit: David PriorLast month we highlighted the efforts of Luis Gutierrez and Janet Napolitano and this month they are again making headlines as true CIR champions – keeping their promises and sustaining CIR momentum. December 15 marked a momentous day when Rep. Luis Gutierrez delivered on his promise and unveiled the very first comprehensive immigration reform bill to be introduced thus far to the 111th session of Congress. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) encompasses the elements that Gutierrez outlined during his virtual town hall last month and includes many facets of the CIR wish list. The CIR ASAP bill includes a path towards earned legalization, integrates the DREAM Act and AgJOBS bills; designates the creation of a Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets to address future immigration levels...

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Just announced today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received 65,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions towards the fiscal year 2010 cap. For any cap-subject applications received on December 21, 2009, the USCIS will apply a computer-generated random selection process. Any cap-subject applications received after December 21 will be rejected.

Contact your immigration services provider to learn about H-1B alternatives that may be an option for your or your foreign national.

Photo Credit: Rober S. Donovan  State-level compliance with the Rearing and Empowering America for Longevity against acts of International Destruction (REAL ID) program will be delayed. After multiple extensions, it comes as no surprise that 46 of the 56 states/territories have reported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they will not be able to meet the December 31 REAL ID material compliance deadline.REAL ID is a post 9/11 directive to verify the immigration status of all drivers’ license applicants and standardize the license process and format. While progress has been made with driver's license security, states recount that they cannot fulfill the requirements of REAL ID. This is where PASS ID, an alternative and less regimented version of REAL ID, comes into play. Under PASS ID, states would implement national standards for identification documents.Regardless,...

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As of December 15, 2009, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received 64,200 cap-subject H-1B petitions towards the fiscal year 2010 cap. If the demand keeps trending, the H-1B cap for the 2010 fiscal year will be met soon!

Contact your immigration services provider ASAP to see if this is an option for you or your foreign national, only 800 H-1B slots left!!

Photo Credit: David Prior Luis Gutierrez [D-IL] introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), to the U.S. House of Representatives last week – the very first draft of a comprehensive immigration reform bill from the 111th Congress. With nearly 90 Democratic co-sponsors including the Congressional Hispanic, Black, Progressive, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses, the 700-page measure is “pro-family, pro-job and pro-security.” Endorsed as a solution to illegal immigration and the promotion of legal migration, it is intended to provide a fair path to legalization, promote family reunification; assist immigrant students who are pursuing their education (DREAM Act integration); protect our national security with effective and fair enforcement measures; reforms temporary worker programs (AgJobs integration) and promote the...

Photo Credit: njum1,000 companies nationwide were issued Notices of Inspection  (NOIs) in late November from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) that their I-9 records will be     audited - more than doubling the total number of inspections in  2008. The Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) has announced 25,000 on-site inspections - nearly a five-fold increase from last year. The Department of Labor (DOL) has hired 250 additional enforcement personnel to audit Labor Condition Applications (LCAs). Evidently, the U.S. government has intensified its immigration compliance enforcement on a large scale.

Employers not yet deploying compliance best practices are risking hefty non-compliance fines and/or imprisonment for employees and employers. Attend VISANOW's complimentary webcast to learn what the intensified enforcement efforts mean for you, get practical advice...

Photo credit: micoraIn response to the economic changes in the UK, the government asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the Tier 1, highly skilled workers, category for 2010/11. MAC reported that the Tier 1 program is functioning properly, but recommended several changes to the program, including increasing pay thresholds and making allowances for professional qualifications equivalencies of a Master’s degree. The UK government recently accepted MAC’s recommendations for its Tier 2 program, thus it is highly likely that the government will accept these revisions to further refine the Tier 2 program. The UK government is expected to debate in the coming weeks, and will announce its decision on whether it will accepts the recommendations early 2010. Tier 1 applicants are highly skilled workers, who do not need a job offer to qualify and are awarded points based on your qualifications,...