District Court for the Northern District of California Strikes Down H-1B Regulations for Violating APA

Strikes Down H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program
Dec11

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri As noted before on this blog site, on October 8, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security issued an interim final rule that was meant to revamp the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa program.[1] Called Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program, this interim final rule changed the definition requirements for “specialty occupations,” among other aspects, in order to make applications for the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa more challenging.[2]   The overall purpose behind the changes was to decrease reliance on the H-1B program and encourage employers to look more

December 11, 2020
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The Department of Labor’s New H-1B Wage Hike Rule Faces Overwhelming Legal and Empirical Challenges

H-1B Wage Hike implemented by Trump Administration
Oct30

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri The Trump administration caused an uproar among employers when it implemented its Interim Final Rule on October 8th, 2020 substantially increasing the amount in wages to be paid to employees who held H-1B visas in an attempt to pressure employers to drop them in favor of a domestic American workforce.[1]   In addition to boosting wages to pressure employers to look domestically for employees, it also changed the requirements for an H-1B visa by looking not simply for a college degree but specifically for degrees in “specialty occupations”

October 30, 2020
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How The Department of Labor’s New Definition of “Independent Contractors” Can Wrongfully Exclude Workers From Federal Labor Protections

Independent Contractor Might Recieve New Proposed Definition
Oct07

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri In what could be seen as a boon to employers, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed regulation setting out a new definition of who was or was not an “independent contractor.”[1] This regulation, if approved and finalized, would make it easier for employers to classify much of their workforce as “independent contractors” and be excused from providing them labor protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act.[2] On the other hand, however, it may affect the security of workers as they could lose considerable protections and benefits

October 7, 2020
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Challenge to Employer-Friendly Joint-Employer Final Rule

Challenge to Employer-Friendly Joint-Employer Final Rule
Sep22

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri The Department of Labor (“DOL”) under the Trump Administration granted what was seen as an administrative boon to employers when it issued its Final Rule on joint-employer status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in January of this year.[1] And yet since its passage, it has caused nothing but controversy as to the hurdles it causes for workers in terms of holding employers accountable for violation of their rights under existing labor laws.[2]   As part of the FLSA, employees can hold two or more employers jointly and severally

September 22, 2020
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