Berd and Klauss, PLLC

The Biden-Harris Administration is confident in America’s ability to attract talent from around the world. It firmly believes that those talents may help strengthen the technological competitiveness and economy while benefiting communities and working people in the country. The fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are doing wonders. They   have been creating new jobs, new opportunities, and new industries for Americans in the US; and the Administration is committed to welcoming new talents to add to the country’s competitive advantage.   On January 21, 2022, the Department of State and Homeland Security announced new actions to advance the clarity and pathways for international STEM students, experts, researchers, and scholars to contribute to job creation efforts and innovation across the US. These changes should enable international STEM talent to continue making meaningful contributions to the innovation, development, research, and scholarl...

Your chances of moving to the US and becoming a permanent resident may be impacted by unexpected situations that are out of your control. The good news is that USCIS offers immigration services to help those who are affected by unforeseen circumstances including natural disasters. An  immigration lawyer Manhattan  can guide you further on what you must know and which services apply to you.   In an announcement dated December 13, 2021, USCIS reminded the public of the availability of these measures for those affected by natural disasters and other unexpected circumstances:   ·      Re-paroling of individuals that were previously paroled by USCIS ·      Changing of nonimmigrant status or extending the nonimmigrant stay for individuals currently in the US. If you fail to file the change or extension before the authorized period of admission expires, you may be excused if the delay is caused by circumstances beyond y...

From August 2, 2021, the US will start accepting new petitions for H-1B visas, particularly the registrations accepted early from the week prior by applying a random selection process to meet the cap for the fiscal year 2022. Over 308,000 applications were received by the US immigration agency in June 2021 during the initial registration period for the H-1B work permit for 2022. That is a 12.5 percent increase over this year. So far, 87,500 applicants have been picked to receive their high technology work permit.   The selection processes   USCIS used historical data related to denials, approvals, revocations, and other significant factors to determine the number of registrations to meet the H-1B cap for the fiscal year. They added that they needed to pick additional registrations to reach the targeted number.   It’s important to note that USCIS follows the October to September financial year, so they will continue to accept fresh petitions until November 3. ...

Surges of migrants from Central America have been steadily going to the US border in hopes to flee corruption and poverty. The Biden administration is now under pressure to stem the arrivals. When President Joe Biden started making significant changes to border and immigration policies, many migrants took it as a sign that it’s okay for them to start migrating to the US. This caused many hopefuls from certain countries; particularly El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to come in droves. In response, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that these individuals need to be discouraged from making that arduous journey to the US border. She said this in a joint news conference with Alejandro Giammattei, the President of Guatemala, during a three-day diplomatic trip to the Northern Triangle. Vice-President Harris also announced new steps to fight corruption, smuggling, and human trafficking in Guatemala. According to her, she and President Biden agreed to continue their efforts in ma...

  Biden proved that “he was not Donald Trump.” This is what many political analysts say when asked to evaluate the president’s handling of immigration issues in his first three months in office.   During his first 100 days in the White House, Biden stopped border wall construction and put an end to a number of Trump-era policies, most notably extensive restrictions on green cards.   But for all his progress, the president has also kept several of the immigration changes made by his predecessor, including the asylum limits at the US-Mexico border and low cap on refugees. He has also yet to fulfil a number of immigration-related campaign promises, such as ending for-profit detention and withdrawing Trump’s rule on disqualifying victims of domestic and gang violence from asylum.   Despite these immigration missteps, Biden’s approval ratings are currently in the low to mid 50s—which is rather high for a chief executive who is making an effort to unify the dee...

Working with a H1B visa lawyer in NYC is recommended to avoid any problems with your application. It also ensures that you are up-to-date with the latest policies and updates, which may affect your chances of being able to work temporarily in the US. One of the things you should know is the proposed 18-month delay in calculating the prevailing wages of the H1B visas and other relevant visas. This delay should provide enough time for the Department Labor to thoroughly go over the policy and legal issues of the rule.   The delay was proposed by the Biden Administration in the effective date of the final rule for calculating the prevailing wages of certain non-immigrant workers and immigrants, including those seeking the H-1B visas. It should also enable the Department of Labor to issue an upcoming Request for Information and acquire public comments on the methods and sources for determining prevailing requests. A NY H1B lawyer should be up-to-date on the official release and its...

  Many families were separated by the Trump administration’s ban on the entry of foreign nationals.   Perhaps you even found yourself seeking an immigration attorney in New York to protect your family’s right to asylum if you were affected by this ban. But there’s reason to be optimistic. With a new president, there’s also new hope.   In his first week as President, Joe Biden made sweeping legislative proposals and new immigration policy reversals. As per attorneys and advocates, his attempts to undo the previous administration’s most controversial policies—such as family separations at borders—may be the most challenging.   The policy—which separated children and infants from parents and relatives who crossed US borders without permission—was referred to by Biden as a ‘moral failing’. He promised to immediately halt the prosecution of parents for the minor immigration violations that led to their family’s separation. If you were separated from your famil...