News & Publications

MEDIA QUOTES

A Financial Times article published on April 11, 2022, titled ‘‘Biden’s Immigration Woes Complicate US Labour Shortages’’ explains the current political quagmire over recent loosening of visa restrictions despite the business community’s support. Author Aime Williams quotes Jennifer Minear, immigration attorney and immediate past-President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) throughout.

‘‘The border kind of hijacks all of the oxygen around the immigration debate.’’

Referencing a political environment that pillories those who wish to negotiate terms of the

Jennifer Minear has completed her one-year term as the 74th president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the largest association of immigration attorneys in the world, and completed her sixth year as an elected member of AILA’s Executive Committee.  Jennifer will remain as an adviser to the Executive Committee for the coming year as immediate past president, as well as a voting member of the AILA Board of Governors and chair of the Nominating Committee that nominates AILA’s next crop of national elected leaders for next year. Jennifer and AILA's new president, Allan Orr, look back on the unusual circumstances of the past year and discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the most recent episode of Connection Point, AILA’s mini-series newly produced during Minear’s tenure. [Hear Connection Point Episode #3]

Outgoing president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, gives Rational Middle podcast host Melissa Brannan the lowdown on the strategies, challenges, and hopes facing immigration lawyers as a result of the Trump administration in podcast Episode 83: ‘‘Immigration Law in the Shadow of Trump with Jennifer Minear.’’

Jennifer discusses the essential role AILA membership serves to immigration attorneys, the clarity of mission in immigration advocacy during the Trump administration, challenges reversing changes made during the Trump administration, and

MEDIA QUOTES

Immigration attorney Jennifer Minear is quoted in the February 7, 2021 Financial Times article titled ‘‘Joe Biden’s Immigration Orders Leave Skilled Workers Guessing,’’authored by Aime Williams, highlighting the continued uncertainty for H-1B holders despite a change in presidential administration that has already made some decisive steps to change course on the Trump administration’s policy towards asylum seekers and refugees, and to remove limits on visas.

While the ban on new issuances of green cards and on visas frequently used by multinational companies is scheduled to expire in March, some immigration attorneys have inferred that by not rescinding them immediately, the Biden administration is

Summary of Impact on Current Visa Holders from Proclamation 10014 “Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”  Effective June 24, 2020.  Processing of applications will continue in the US for ALL visa categories, including permanent residence.

The White House has issued another Proclamation “Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” effective June 24, 2020 and remains in effect through December 31, 2020.  The Proclamation has far less of an impact than was rumored in advance of the Proclamation. 

McCandlish Holton is very proud to announce that today marks the beginning of Jennifer Minear’s tenure as president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. AILA is the largest association of immigration attorneys in the world with over 15,000 members worldwide.

Summary of 4/22/20 White House Proclamation Regarding Immigration

The White House has issued “Proclamation 10014” suspending travel to the US by individuals who will seek entry to the United States using an “immigrant visa” (a visa issued to individuals entering the US to become permanent residents).

[UPDATE: Proclamation 10014 is revoked 2/24/2021.]

SELECTED APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED FOR FURTHER PROCESSING

The US CIS has completed the selection process for H1B pre-registrations.  Cases selected for processing will be notified, and will have 90 days to prepare and submit H1B petitions.  We will notify clients of updates as soon as we receive them. 

The following is the notification from the US CIS:

USCIS has received enough electronic registrations during the initial period to reach the FY 2021 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap). We randomly selected from among the

View Homeland Security Bulletin

The US Department of Homeland Security will announce an increase in the Premium Processing fee for many immigration petitions from $1410 to $1440.  Premium Processing allows certain immigration filings (such as I-129 filings for H1B or other work visas; and I-140 petitions for Immigrant Workers) to be processed in 15 days instead of many months.  The proposed rule increasing the fee will be published in the federal register on October 31, and will take effect 30 days from then.  The fee increase will apply to any petitions postmarked on or after November 29, 2019. Read the Final Rule.