Immigration - Visas

On June 4, 2025, President Donald Trump issued the “ Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University ” proclamation, aimed at further restricting foreign student visas at the University. This move follows a U.S. district court’s extension of the preliminary injunction on the ad

Takeaways New student visa interviews are temporarily paused as of 05.27.25 to implement enhanced social media and security screening. Applicants with existing appointments are likely not affected, but new applicants will face delays. Consular officers are instructed to scrutinize applicants’ online

U.S. Consulates Halt Issuance of F, J, and M Visas On May 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of State issued a directive to U.S. consulates globally to temporarily halt the issuance of F-1, M-1 and J-1 Exchange Visitor visas. This action is part of the current administration’s goal to enhance

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the selection numbers for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap, revealing a selection rate of approximately 35 percent compared to 29 percent in FY 2025.

For the second consecutive year, there has been a decline in H-1B lottery registrations according to data published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Employers submitted approximately 344,000 registrations this year, down 26 percent from last year and the lowest number of registr

Employer Rollercoaster: Determining Work Authorization for Employees on TPS, Humanitarian Parole, or Authorized for Employment as F-1 Students The last three months have been a rollercoaster ride for employers trying to determine whether certain employees will retain work authorization. The Trump ad

On April 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of State launched two new tools to monitor immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interview availability: (1) the Immigrant Visa (IV) Scheduling Status Tool, and (2) the Global Visa Wait Times Tool. These tools provide foreign nationals with a clearer picture of the t

On March 25, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2025 was met on March 5, 2025. Employers seeking to employ H-2B workers to meet their labor demands will need to hire cap-exempt workers or H-2B workers

The U.S. State Department’s “Catch and Revoke” program uses artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor foreign nationals, particularly student visa holders.

On March 31, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the completion of the initial selection process for the H-1B regular cap and master’s cap for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Utilizing its electronic preregistration system to conduct the random selection lottery, USCIS confirmed

Takeaways The new DHS rule extends the H-1B Cap Gap period from 10.1 to 04.1. F-1 students with pending or approved H-1B petitions benefit from this

The Visa Bulletin for April 2025 shows continued forward movement in the final action dates for all EB-2 and EB-3 categories. The bulletin also remains consistent in the EB-1 categories with slight forward movement for EB-1 India.

President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to offer the “Trump Gold Card” to replace the existing EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The Trump Gold Card Program would allow an investor who is willing to invest $5 million in the U.S. economy to obtain permanent residency. The current EB-5 Immig

On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State updated visa interview waiver (“drop box”) eligibility criteria for individuals renewing their visa stamps, resulting in sudden drop box appointment cancellations and administrative processing for some who had already submitted documents. The update

The Visa Bulletin for March 2025 shows continued forward movement in the priority dates for most EB-2 and EB-3 categories.

The U.S. Department of State has unexpectedly updated Consular websites with revised eligibility requirements for Visa Interview Waiver (“dropbox”) appointments. Effective immediately, dropbox eligibility is limited to applicants renewing a visa in the same nonimmigrant classification that expired w

By: The H-1B Lottery in Times of Change In their few weeks in power, the incoming administration made many changes to immigration policy . One thing that has not changed is the H-1B lottery. On Wednesday, USCIS announced the dates for submission and processing for the Fiscal Year 2026 H-1B lottery e

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap registration period will open at noon ET on Friday, March 7, 2025, and will remain open until noon ET on Monday, March 24, 2025.

The H-1B cap season for Fiscal Year 2026 is quickly approaching. USCIS announced on Feb. 5, 2025, that the registration period for FY 2026 will open at noon (EST) on Friday, March 7, 2025, and close at noon (EST) on Monday, March 24, 2025, and that the registration fee will

On January 29, 2025, President Trump signed the first bill of his second presidential term into law. The legislation, named the Laken Riley Act, gives substantial power to state attorneys general (and other authorized state officers) to interpret and implement federal immigration policies.