Presidential Proclamation Suspends the Entry of Certain Chinese Graduate Students and Researchers into the U.S.

by Kristine Nazir The Proclamation bans Chinese nationals in F or J status in graduate-level programs who are or have been associated with Chinese entities involved with China’s “military-civil fusion strategy” from applying for visas or seeking entry into the U.S.  The “military-civil fusion strategy” is defined as “actions by or at the behest of China to acquire and divert foreign technologies, specifically critical and emerging technologies, to incorporate into and advance China’s military capabilities.” The Proclamation took effect on

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USCIS Offices Reopening June 4th

Beginning June 4, 2020, certain USCIS field offices and application support centers will resume non-emergency face-to-face services to the public. USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary closure.


Kristine Nazir represents corporations and institutions of higher education with their immigration needs, including obtaining temporary and permanent visas, handling employer sanctions issues, I-9 and E-Verify employment eligibility verification compliance, consular processing, and naturalization.  Prior to

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Presidential Proclamation Announces Brazilian Travel Restrictions

by Kristine Nazir As you may have heard, President Trump has issued a proclamation suspending entry into the U.S. for any individual who has been in Brazil within 14 days immediately preceding their arrival to the U.S. The travel restriction does not apply to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or to most immediate family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The travel restriction goes into effect on May 28, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight

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Melanie Keeney Presents at ELA’s Webinar, “Managing a Global Workforce During the Pandemic: A US Immigration Law Perspective”

On April 2, 2020, Melanie Keeney will join a panel of top immigration law experts from across the country to discuss issues facing employers as they continue to navigate the complexities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Employment Law Alliance is hosting the webinar, “Managing a Global Workforce During the Pandemic: A U.S. Immigration Law Perspective.” Clients and friends of the Firm are encouraged to listen in tomorrow!


Melanie Gurley Keeney practices in the areas

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H-1B Compliance for Remote Workers – COVID-19 Update

by Melanie Keeney & Diane Metzger As you know, many H-1B employees may be working remotely from their homes to help combat the spread of COVID-19.  The applicable regulations require that notice be posted at the H-1B employee’s physical worksite location(s), regardless of whether the worksite is situated at an employer’s headquarters, a client office, a home office, etc.  When an employer contemplates an H-1B employee working from home at the time of hire, the safest approach is to include

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Coronavirus Pandemic Planning in Missouri – Holding Legally Compliant Board Meetings

Frequently Asked Questions

Coronavirus Pandemic Planning: Holding Legally Compliant Board Meetings During this Time of Uncertainty

Below, we are listing answers or guidance we are providing in response to questions we have received relating to holding board meetings during this time of uncertainty. As time progresses, we will continue to provide updates or amended guidance, where necessary.

Can we hold a meeting without having anyone physically attend the meeting? Yes. However, the manner in

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Change in Determining Unlawful Presence for International Students and Exchange Visitors

Update by Kristine Nazir On August 8, 2019, DHS issued a new policy that announced that foreign students would begin accumulating “unlawful presence” if any violation of status had occurred, whether known to the student or not. On May 3, 2019, in Guilford College et al. v. DHS, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina issued a nationwide preliminary injunction stopping DHS from enforcing its new policy during the pendency of the case. On February 6,

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Public Charge Requirements and Implementation

by Kristine Nazir and Melanie Keeney On January 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily set aside the preliminary injunctions that prevented DHS“™ public charge rule from taking effect nationwide. This was the last of the three district court nationwide injunctions in force, which means that the DHS rule can go into effect nationwide, except in Illinois where it is blocked by a statewide injunction. The DHS regulation redefines a “public charge” as a non-citizen who

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H-1B Update Summary

by Kristine Nazir and Melanie Keeney On December 6, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has completed a successful the pilot testing phase for the online H-1B lottery registration system. The new system will be implemented in the next H-1B lottery for fiscal year 2021. Employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for fiscal year 2021, must first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee.   The registration process

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Eight Tueth Keeney Attorneys are Included in 2019 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers List

We are proud to announce that eight Tueth Keeney attorneys have been included in the 2019 Missouri & Kansas  Super Lawyers ® list.   Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.  Michelle Basi, Celynda Brasher, Amy Clendennen, Margaret Hesse, and Kate Nash are all recognized in Schools & Education, as well as Adam Henningsen, who is recognized on the Rising Stars

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