By Mark Overmann | Vice President of External Affairs | InterExchange   International interns and trainees contributed $662 million to the U.S. economy in 2017, a just-released study indicates. The study, conducted by the research firm Eureka Facts, examines the Department of State's Intern and Trainee international exchange programs.    The major findings of the report include:    Intern and Trainee programs are valuable tools for U.S. diplomacy, fostering positive attitudes towards the United States: 95% of international interns and trainees reported a positive experience in the...

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By Melissa Manna  (Raleigh) | Ogletree Deakins The rate of requests for evidence (RFEs) and denials issued for H-1B and L-1 petitions by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is up considerably, according to a new report by the National Foundation for American Policy. The findings, which are based on data released by USCIS, corroborate what many employers had already suspected—that it is getting harder to secure work authorization for foreign nationals, even those that are highly-skilled. The report suggests that the increased scrutiny on...

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By Danny Boice | Trustify  When you ask a candidate for references, the smart candidate will give you the contact information to former co-workers and managers who have seen them at their best, who have favorable opinions of them. Unfortunately, this does not provide the complete picture. Backdoor reference checks avoid this situation because you are contacting individuals that weren't listed. These could be former co-workers, managers, and clients who worked with the candidate and can share their experience. This shows what a person...

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By Mark Overmann, Vice President of External Affairs, InterExchange Years ago, as an English teacher in China, I regularly failed due to cultural difference. I had no training in the Chinese culture or classroom, so I used what I did have: my own culture. The lessons I planned and the methods I used seemed right to me. But they bombed with my students. Eventually I adjusted, but it took trial and error, and it took time. My teaching career isn’t the...

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by Dana DiRaimondo and Sara Schroeder, D & S Boutique Business Immigration On April 18, 2017, President Trump signed the “Buy American and Hire American” (BAHA) Executive Order with the intention of making changes to the U.S. visa program to “protect the jobs of American workers. On its face, BAHA called for various government agencies to review existing regulations and policies, suggest reforms to the H-1B visa system, and propose new rules and guidance to combat visa fraud and abuse. The...

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by Johanna Collins-Wood, Associate, Pepper Hamilton Globalization is no longer sexy. Brexit, the election of nationalist leaders across both Europe and the United States, and Russia’s resurrection have clearly proven that in today’s world, countries are back to focusing on themselves. The disparate approaches to regulating blockchain and cryptocurrency technology taken by the European Union (EU), Switzerland and the United States (US) all seek to promote their own bloc’s needs and views on technology, rather than to promote a global...

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by Scott Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, World Trade Centers Association It is no secret that cities are drivers of economic prosperity. As national governments and policy makers seem engaged in an ever-shifting tug-of-war, urban centers have found a way to create wealth and opportunity for their people in a way that larger governing bodies just haven’t mastered. But even among them, some cities seem to prevail where others continue to struggle. When we partnered with FP Analytics to craft and release...

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By Dr. Torsten Kraul, LL.M. Noerr The ambitious project of a European digital single market is entering its decisive phase. The European Commission released a digital single market strategy as a central part of its agenda in May 2015. The strategy provides for far-reaching measures to facilitate better access to digital goods and services, create the right conditions for digital networks and services and maximize the growth potential of the digital economy. The aim is to create an open, interconnected and digital single market. Of...

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Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that the firm will open an office in London to provide US access and support to UK-based technology and life sciences companies, extending the firm's practice into one of the world's top technology markets. The firm's London office is scheduled to open on August 1, and it will be located at 41 Old Street, in the heart of London's technology...

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Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce the release of BreachLawWATCH, a unique mobile app that provides easy, consistent access to data breach statutes across the United States and a growing number of jurisdictions, including Europe and Asia. Easy-to-use functionality enables users to find specific and relevant state and global breach notification regulations at their fingertips. The app is sorted by jurisdiction and includes various categories such as notification requirements, definitions of personal information and breach of security, and timeframes for...

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