Demystifying Immigration Law
The Latest on E-2 Visa with Citizenship-by-Investment
Law Brief: H-1B Visas – New Process and New (Upcoming) Deadlines
Employment Visa Restrictions: Past, Present, and Future by Sang Shin
Update from Washington: Employer's Preview of Immigration Restrictions from the Administration
There has been a significant increase in media coverage of travelers subjected to increased scrutiny at ports of entry to the United States. In some cases, individuals have been refused entry and detained until sent back...more
WHAT IS ALIEN REGISTRATION? The alien registration requirement dates back to 1940, when Congress passed a law to require all foreign nationals to register with the federal government, provide biographic details, and carry...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it completed its annual H-1B cap lottery selection process for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Given the high number of lottery registrations and fixed number of...more
In recent weeks, international travel has become more complicated for many U.S.-based travelers. A series of executive orders and policy shifts in 2025 seem to have altered the landscape of immigration enforcement and border...more
USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) announced on March 31, 2025, that the agency has completed selections regarding the regular and advanced degree selections in its annual H-1B Lottery. The H-1B cap of 85,000...more
Trying to grow and develop as an athlete is challenging in so many ways — and no one wants to be limited in how, where or whether they can participate in their sport internationally. When an athlete is playing with a...more
Given the strong economic ties between Japan and the U.S., the E-2 visa has become a well-established option for individuals looking to expand their business across the border. The E-2 visa is a type of nonimmigrant visa that...more
On February 18, 2025, the US Department of State announced a new policy requiring more foreign nationals to attend in-person interviews to apply for nonimmigrant visas....more
The Department of State unexpectedly updated the requirements for nonimmigrant visa interview waiver eligibility, effective February 18, 2025. The interview waiver program (also referred to as Dropbox) allows qualified visa...more
The ever-changing landscape of employment-based immigration continues to pose challenges for U.S. employers. With increased scrutiny on foreign national workers, compliance audits, and evolving nonimmigrant visa policies,...more
One major issue underlying the pending House v. NCAA settlement is its impact on international students on F-1 student visas (academic student). As analyzed in a previous episode of Highway to NIL, if approved, the House...more
Effective February 18, 2025, the Department of State has changed the categories of applicants that are eligible to waive the in-person non-immigrant visa interview appointment when applying for a non-immigrant visa stamp for...more
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to designate a foreign state for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is a temporary immigration benefit, and...more
International travelers seeking to renew their U.S. visas must meet stricter requirements and may see longer wait times. Effective February 18, 2025, DOS has officially reverted the special pandemic-era eligibility criteria...more
On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Mission to India announced updated requirements for Dropbox/Nonimmigrant Interview Waiver Appointments. Just a few days later, on February 18, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) more broadly...more
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...more
After quietly updating consular websites, signaling a significant change to Visa Interview Waiver (“dropbox”) eligibility requirements, on Feb. 18, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) officially announced the reversion to...more
The U.S. Department of State has announced updated guidance restricting eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers at U.S. Consulates. Under the revised guidance, nonimmigrant visa applicants may be eligible for an...more
On Feb. 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DoS) began limiting those who can use the Dropbox Program to renew their visas to individuals with either valid visas or with visas that expired in the last 12 months (reduced...more
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India recently announced updates to nonimmigrant visa processing that took effect last week, including changes to interview waiver (drop box) eligibility and the centralization of visa...more
The 2025 H-1B cap registration period will begin at 12 p.m. Eastern time on March 7, 2025, and will conclude at 12 p.m. Eastern on March 24, 2025. Prospective petitioners are required to register each beneficiary online and...more
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...more
GENERAL - What are the current Executive Orders on immigration? On its first day in office, the Trump administration published 46 executive orders dealing with a broad range of issues, several of which were aimed...more
H-1B Registrations for the FY2026 cap season will open at noon ET on March 7, 2025, and run through noon ET on March 24, 2025. The USCIS filing fee is $215 per registration this year (a significant increase from $10)....more
It is that time of year again! The registration window for the fiscal year 2026 cap H-1B season will open at noon Eastern on March 7, 2025, and run through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. During the registration period,...more