U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on July 20, 2021, a new policy guidance that eliminates the need for individuals who have applied for a change of status (COS) to F-1 student to apply to change or extend their nonimmigrant status while their initial F-1 COS application is pending. Under the previous policy, applicants needed…
Continue reading ›Last week, the California Supreme Court ruled in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC that California employers must pay meal period and rest break premiums at the same “regular rate” that applies to the payment of overtime. Under California law, when a non-exempt employee is not provided with a fully compliant 30-minute meal period or…
Continue reading ›Employees who are victims of wage theft are unpaid for their work, damages, and penalties. Those employees can bring a claim to the court or the Labor Commissioner to receive the wages they are owed. Successful claims can lead to a judgment being filed against the employer. Previously, there were all too many times where…
Continue reading ›Foreign nationals who are skilled or educated—and who have job offers—have the possibility of immigrating to the United States. The process involves three steps: (1) PERM: the employer must first obtain a “labor certification” from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This process is done online through the internet. Employers must sign-up for a PERM…
Continue reading ›Effective July 1, 2021, minimum wage has increased for many local cities. In addition to the above, the following minimum wage increases for hotel workers are of note: Los Angeles and Santa Monica: Effective July 1, 2021, the minimum wage for hotel workers is increasing from $17.13 to $17.64 in both cities. (Note that the…
Continue reading ›Severance agreements are designed to protect an employer from future lawsuits filed by former employees or other terminated workers. In California, employment law lawsuits have been skyrocketing in recent years and even more so during the pandemic. The typical employment lawsuits or administrative complaint include claims for: Unpaid overtime and minimum wages Unpaid split shift…
Continue reading ›On June 29, 2021, Cal/OSHA published a revised COVID-19 Model Prevention Program that reflect the changes made to the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on June 17, 2021. Most employers in California are required to establish and implement an effective written COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP) pursuant to the Emergency Temporary Standards in place for COVID-19 (California…
Continue reading ›This article is written to provide tips and tricks for your USCIS adjustment of status interview. Please remember that the interview is an official government proceeding. You must show your respect for the process and to the adjudicating officer. Respect is shown by your: (1) appearance; (2) organization of documents; and (3) attitude. Appearance First…
Continue reading ›The light of freedom from an ignorant imposter claiming to be a greater president than Abe Lincoln is finally around the corner. Trump can no longer defecate on our proud immigration process which not only founded the U.S., but also leads our future. Our Constitution will soon return to being the supreme law of the…
Continue reading ›The USCIS has announced today that the fees for filing most of its petitions and applications will change effective October 2, 2020. The good news is that some of the fees, such as for biometrics, have been reduced by up to 65%. Although the biometric fee for DACA applicants remains unchanged at $85.00, the silver…
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