The State Department previously announced that the pandemic-induced lull in legal immigration to the U.S. is over. During the 12 months that ended on September 30, some 493,000 visas were issued to foreign nationals looking to work and live in this country permanently.
Where does your company stand in all of this? With heavy-handed COVID restrictions mostly removed, which weighs against a flat economy, is your company now revamping its business immigration policies? If so, it is going to be a complicated space for the foreseeable future. For these reasons, it would be wise to work with an experienced business immigration attorney or law firm that can help keep things moving along.
Consulates Are Open, People Are Traveling
Fiscal year 2019 saw an impressive number of visas issued by the State Department. Then COVID hit and the world shut down. Consulates were closed up and travel restrictions put in place. That put a huge damper on legal immigration. But now that consulates are open and people are traveling again, the numbers are back up.
The previously mentioned 493,000 visas represent a 73% increase from 2021 and 7% over 2020. Either way you look at it, legal immigration is working to get back on track. This is good in the sense that companies once again have access to foreign nationals looking to the United States for work. Companies can access that foreign talent pool much easier now that travel restrictions have eased.
The one thing that does not change is how visas are actually processed. There is still paperwork to complete; there are still deadlines to pay attention to; there are still T’s to be crossed and I’s to be dotted.
Many Ways to Get Workers Here
There are quite a number of different ways to get workers to the U.S. We deal a lot with the H-1B visa here at Graham Adair. These are mainly visas for temporary employment. But there are other options, including business visas, work visas, training visas, and exchange visitor visas.
Working with an experienced immigration attorney offers the advantage of being able to select the most appropriate visa program without having to possess the knowledge yourself. Tell us what your company’s needs are, and we can advise you as to the most appropriate way to sponsor people with the right skills and experience. Then we can work with you to facilitate the process from start to finish.
Transitioning from Temporary Visa to Green Card
We can also assist foreign national workers with the transition from a temporary visa status to green card, or permanent residency. A green card gives a foreign national permanent residency status. After a certain amount of time, a person with a valid green card can apply for U.S. citizenship. Once again, we can help.
At every step of the way, the paperwork needs to be completed the right way. Making mistakes delays the process and can even result in denials or other impacts to an individual’s immigration status. And given how strict the State Department is with some types of visas, delays can easily disrupt a company’s need to onboard a foreign national employee. It can even jeopardize a worker’s chances of being approved.
Graham Adair immigration attorneys are paperwork experts. Our attorneys know how to complete government forms in such a way as to give the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services exactly what it’s looking for. We make sure all required information is submitted so that processing is swift. We also ensure that our clients fully understand compliance and enforcement issues.
It is encouraging to know that immigration has opened back up now that the largest impacts of COVID have been pulled back. However, considering the struggling economy, many companies are taking a step back to re-evaluate their immigration policies. We can help by way of expert legal advice and assistance for you and your foreign workers.