On Jan. 17, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations focusing on the H-1B nonimmigrant classification (a nonimmigrant status for foreign workers in specialty occupations) went into effect. In part,...more
2/27/2025
/ Compliance ,
FDNS ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Reporting Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the Fiscal Year 2026 H-1B lottery will open at noon EST on March 7, 2025, and run through noon EST on March 24,...more
2/20/2025
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Within the first two weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, more than 85 executive orders and actions concerning immigration were signed. Among these were a series of orders and actions intended to significantly...more
2/20/2025
/ Compliance ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
USCIS
The United States Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal has just announced its readiness to accept E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Treaty Investor visa applications. This comes after the December 2022 passage of the James N. Inhofe National...more
On December 13, 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it reached the requisite number of H-1B Cap petitions and stopped making further selections for Fiscal Year 2024.
Fiscal...more
1/18/2024
/ E-1 ,
E-2 ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Intracompany Transferees ,
L-1A ,
L-1B ,
Lottery ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
O-1 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
In the March 2023 Visa Bulletin, EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 final action and application filing dates for China and India remain the same as the February Bulletin. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has...more
In a recent interview with Bloomberg Law, a representative for the Department of State announced that the agency plans to launch a pilot program in 2023 offering visa renewal options in the United States for H and L visa...more
The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s...more
Congress passed the James N. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (“NDAA”) on December 15, 2022. Of particular importance in the NDAA is Section 5901, which makes two important changes to eligibility...more
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability for the following month....more
Many employers find their business needs are well-served by attracting and retaining top-tier international talent. However, without a strategic immigration policy, some employers may be risking or sacrificing time, money and...more
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability for the following month. We explain the importance of the Bulletin...more
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability for the following month. We explain the importance of the Bulletin...more
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability (i.e., ability to apply for the final step of the Permanent Residency...more
On October 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the Form I-9 flexibilities surrounding remote inspection of required I-9 employee documents to...more
The Fiscal Year 2024 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery (DV Lottery) is open. The Department of State began accepting online registrations for the 2024 DV Lottery on Oct. 5 and will continue to do so until Tuesday, Nov. 8, at...more