BREAKING NEWS: White House clears H-1B weighted selection rule, lottery could be out.
A sweeping overhaul of the H-1B visa process is now poised to move forward after clearing a key White House review. Instead of the current lottery system, visas will be awarded by wage levels, prioritizing higher-paid roles. What just happened On August 8, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) signed off on a […]
Important Update: New U.S. Visa Bond Pilot Program – Effective August 20, 2025
On August 5, 2025, the Department of State announced a one-year Visa Bond Pilot Program. Starting August 20, 2025, some B-1 (business visitor) and B-2 (tourist) visa applicants from certain countries will be required to post a refundable bond before a visa is issued. Who’s affected right now? Countries in the pilot as of August […]
Client Alert: New Family-Based Immigrant Policy Alert
On August 1, 2025, USCIS issued new guidance stating that family-based petitions will soon be subject to higher levels of scrutiny and vetting. The new guidance is meant to help USCIS officers determine whether an applicant is eligible for the sought immigration benefits. The update also provides officers with more clarity regarding procedural matters, such […]
Update to the Visa Interview Waiver Program – July 25, 2025
The US Department of State has released an update on its Visa Interview Waiver program which supersedes the Interview Waiver Update of February 18, 2025. Effective September 2, 2025, all nonimmigrant visa applicants will generally require an in-person interview with a Consular Officer with the following exceptions: A-1 or A-2 Diplomats, Foreign Government officials and […]
FY2026 H1B CAP REACHED
Please note that as of July 18, 2025, USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the H-1B visa cap. This includes both the regular cap and the Master’s cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the CAP: Extensions for current H-1B workers Change of terms of employment for […]
PERM Processing Times Update: July 14, 2025
PERM Applications As of July 1, 2025, the Department of Labor is conducting Analyst Reviews of PERM applications filed on or before March 2024 and is now reviewing Reconsideration Requests to the Certifying Officers that were appealed on or before May 2025. The DOL has not provided a priority date related to Audit Reviews. Please […]
USCIS to Implement New Fees
On July 11, 2025, USCIS announced that it will be implementing new fees for certain immigration benefits. While it is not clear whether the fees will be increased or decreased, this announcement is most likely indicative of higher fees. Per the USCIS announcement, “USCIS will soon begin to collect new fees for certain immigration […]
July 2025 Visa Bulletin
The July 2025 visa bulletin has been published. USCIS will be accepting cases in July based on final action, not dates for filing, for employment-based cases. Changes are as follows for both charts. If a change is not listed here, the date remains the same. Final Action: EB1: China: moved from November 8, 2022, to […]
PERM Processing Times Update: June 11, 2025
PERM Applications As of June 9, 2025, the Department of Labor is conducting Analyst Reviews of PERM applications filed on or before February 2024 and is now reviewing Reconsideration Requests to the Certifying Officers that were appealed on or before March 2025. The DOL has not provided a priority date related to Audit Reviews. Please […]
U.S. Travel Ban Returns in 2025 – What Employers Need to Know
On June 4, 2025, the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation implementing new travel restrictions under the authority of Executive Order 14161, which was signed earlier this year on January 20, 2025. The Executive Order authorized an interagency assessment of global visa screening, document integrity, and overstay trends. Based on those findings, the proclamation now […]