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October 01, 2014 GT Alert

Keeping You Up-to-Date: GT Immigration Newsletter (October 2014)

Related Professionals
Laura Foote Reiff Rebecca B. Schechter Kate Kalmykov Nataliya Rymer Ian R. Macdonald
Capabilities
Immigration & Compliance
Offices
Atlanta Houston 洛杉矶 New Jersey Philadelphia Northern Virginia

October 2014

In This Issue:

Update from the Field | On the Blog | In the News | Recent & Upcoming Events | Our Team

Welcome to the Greenberg Traurig (GT) Business Immigration & Compliance Practice’s newsletter. Our newsletter provides information and commentary on key developments that impact companies with an international workforce. In addition to being an informative source of news, we hope to introduce our group of experienced immigration attorneys and professionals through the inclusion of select published articles, the announcement of public presentations and media coverage, and other notable developments.

Update from the Field

Companies operating with an international workforce are subject to constantly changing regulations in U.S. business immigration and foreign jurisdictions around the world. We recognize the inherent stress of staying ahead of the curve in an ever-changing market. In our “Update from the Field” section, a GT Immigration team member will cover recent developments that impact the movement of personnel around the globe.

  • 2014 has been filled with hopes for immigration reform. One of the many actions taken toward reform was a proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that would allow certain H-4 visa holders to obtain work authorization. Under the proposed rule, individuals with H-4 status who have H-1B spouses who have reached a certain point in their green card process would be eligible to apply for work authorization. DHS opened up a commenting period on the proposed rule that closed on July 11th. Now, DHS will consider the comments received before publishing a final rule. Currently, individuals in H-4 status are not eligible for work authorization.
  • Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has introduced a new passport control app that allows certain travelers to submit customs declaration forms and passport information before CBP inspection. The pilot program was implemented at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on August 13, 2014 and is expected to expand to more airports throughout the remainder of the year.
  • The Department of State experienced major technical issues in July and August that led to worldwide delays for visa issuance at U.S. consulates. GT covered these delays and subsequent resolutions on our blog, Inside Business Immigration: Legal Analysis for the Global Employer.
  • Unfortunately, as reported on our blog, the near term future for Indian nationals in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories is grim.
  • In June, Canadian immigration laws changed to introduce new criteria for Intra-Company Transfers and Temporary Foreign Worker Programs. The new rules have made it more difficult to obtain work authorization in Canada, and companies have to produce more supporting documents to justify the need for Canadian work permits in these categories.

On the Blog

Our Blog Has a New Look and Name

In an effort to continue to provide convenient, up-to-date and relevant information to our blog readers, we have redesigned our blog under the new name of Inside Business Immigration: Legal Analysis for the Global Employer. The blog will continue to serve as a central source of trends, developments and need-to-know information with regards to U.S. and global immigration. If you are a current subscriber to the blog, you will continue to receive posts uninterrupted and no action is required. If you are not a current subscriber, please visit www.gtlaw-insidebusinessimmigration.com to subscribe today or click here and a member of our team will subscribe on your behalf.

Included below are key blog posts from the last quarter that reflect notable developments in the field. For additional blog posts, please visit www.gtlaw-insidebusinessimmigration.com.

In the News

Recent & Upcoming Events

The GT Immigration team has recently presented and will be presenting at several industry events in various markets across the United States and around the world.

Business Immigration & Compliance Practice Continues Growth with Addition of Three Attorneys

To continue to offer quality and diverse legal services to our clients, the Greenberg Traurig Business Immigration & Compliance Practice recently added Matt Galati and Christian Triantaphyllis to the team.

Matt, who joined in Greenberg Traurig’s Philadelphia office, focuses on matters related to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. His experience includes the full gamut of the EB-5 program, including the preparation of Form I-526 and Form I-829 petitions in unusual or complicated situations. Galati regularly handles employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, including E-2, H-1B, L-1, and O-1 classifications, among many others. He earned his B.A. from University of Virginia and his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.

Christian is based in Greenberg Traurig’s Houston office and focuses his practice on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. His experience includes EB-5 immigrant investment petitions pertaining to direct investments and investments though regional centers. Triantaphyllis handles I-924 Applications and Amendments, nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions to acquire work-authorization for professional employees and investors, drafting legal arguments in response to Requests for Evidence, and immigration requirement compliance in accordance with USCIS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of State. Triantaphyllis earned his B.A. from Southern Methodist University and J.D. from New York Law School.

Our Team

Greenberg Traurig’s Business Immigration & Compliance practice includes nearly 100 attorneys and professionals serving clients from nearly a dozen markets. For more information, please contact one of our attorneys or directors listed below.

*Not admitted to the practice of law.
‡ Admitted in Illinois, and not admitted in New York. Practice limited solely to Federal Immigration and Nationality law.

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