Weekly Immigration Update: November 15-21, 2019

In immigration news this week:

United States: Congress has passed a temporary measure to fund the federal government, including immigration functions, through December 20. E-Verify and the EB-5 Regional Center Program will be extended through the same date. Federal immigration agencies released their Fall 2019 regulatory agendas disclosing their immigration rulemaking priorities for the coming six months, including plans to toughen L-1 intracompany transferee eligibility criteria and to impose significant penalties on nonimmigrants who deviate from the terms of their status. According to the State Department's December Visa Bulletin, cutoff dates in the EB-1 category will advance modestly next month for all countries except India; retrogression in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories is possible in January 2020. Colombia: Effective December 1, 2019, Migración Colombia will replace its existing entry permit classification system and establish formal entry criteria for nationals and residents of Comunidad Andina de Naciones, Mercosur, and the Pacific Alliance member countries. Jordan: The Ministry of Labour has published its list of professions for highly-skilled foreign nationals, who as of September 2019, must apply under a new work authorization route that is subject to a higher government fee and more restrictive criteria. Singapore: As a reminder, the minimum salary threshold for S Pass applicants will increase on January 1, 2020. The new threshold largely applies to young graduates, while more experienced applicants will need to show higher salaries commensurate with their work experience. These items and other news from Argentina, Cyprus, Estonia, the European Union, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Tajikistan, and the United States follow in this edition of the Fragomen Immigration Update.

Important Updates in Immigration This Week

United States, November 21, 2019Congress Passes Another Short-Term Spending Measure Through Dec. 20, Temporarily Extending Key Immigration Programs

Once signed into law by the President, the continuing resolution will fund the federal government through December 20, 2019. The E-Verify and EB-5 Regional Center programs, among others, would be extended through the same date. To view entire article, click here.

United States, November 20, 2019Federal Immigration Agencies Release Fall 2019 Regulatory Agendas

In its regulatory plan for the coming months, the Department of Homeland Security announced new plans to...