What Happens to President Trump's Immigration Proclamations During President Biden's First 100 Days?
Update from Washington: Employer's Preview of Immigration Restrictions from the Administration
Effective June 26, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has required U.S. consulates to expand social media vetting for all F, M, and J visa applicants (students and exchange visitors) before issuing visas allowing them to...more
Recent United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. State Department updates require businesses and individuals to adhere to new TN visa eligibility criteria—such as prohibiting self-employment,...more
On June 4, 2025, the White House issued two presidential proclamations that impose new constraints on visa issuance and travel to the United States. These actions are expected to impact multinational employers, academic...more
In a sudden move last week, the State Department stopped scheduling new visa interviews for international students and exchange visitors while it rolls out enhanced social media screening procedures. The suspension, which...more
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced a sweeping new directive: the United States will begin “aggressively” revoking visas of Chinese students, alleged to be in any way affiliated with the Chinese Communist...more
On May 27, 2025, the Department of State issued a cable instructing U.S. Embassies and Consulates to pause scheduling new visa appointments for foreign nationals seeking to obtain student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and...more
You may be disappointed if your candidate was not selected for an H-1B visa in the recent cap lottery – but not all hope is lost. If you employ foreign nationals, the good news is that you can explore certain short-term,...more
International students and recent graduates across the county are facing the possibility of the government revoking their F-1 Student status or J-1 Exchange Visitor status, exposing them to the possibility of deportation –...more
The H-1B visa is among the most popular working visas in the U.S. for individuals filling professional positions. Most H-1B visas are subject to an annual quota or “cap.” Because demand exceeds the number of available visas,...more
In recent weeks the Department of State (DOS) has taken steps to revoke visas and terminate the status of international students who have criminal infractions and/or who have engaged in activism. In light of this intense...more
There are typically four key documents relating to nonimmigrant (i.e., temporary) travel to and authorized stay in the United States. It is important to understand what these documents are, what purpose they serve, and how...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has completed its annual H-1B cap lottery selection process for fiscal year 2025. Given the high number of lottery registrations and the fixed number of...more
Companies sponsoring certain foreign national workers may now be able to take advantage of an additional way to receive premium processing of petitions to support their immigration goals. Last month, U.S. Citizenship and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS has expanded premium processing for applicants seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 nonimmigrant status....more
On June 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an expansion of premium processing service for applicants filing Form I-539 to change their status to F, M, or J status. The initiative is part of...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now offer premium processing for individuals seeking to change their status to an F-1 or M-1 vocational student, or J-1 Exchange visitor, as well as their dependents....more
Years ago, people employed in manufacturing were seen as bit players in an industrial machine, but no longer. Many manufacturing jobs today require high-level STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills. ...more
Each year in March, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts a lottery to award H-1B slots to enough foreign workers to meet its 85,000 visa annual cap. This number includes 20,000 slots reserved for...more
The H-1B visa is among the most popular working visas in the U.S. for individuals filling professional (degree-requiring) positions. Most H-1B visas are subject to an annual quota or “cap.” These are often referred to as...more
On January 21, 2022, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security jointly announced a flurry of new actions and policy changes relating to various visa classifications that open new potential pathways and...more
On January 21, 2022, the White House released a fact sheet entitled “Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Attract STEM Talent and Strengthen our Economy and Competitiveness,” announcing several immigration-related policy...more
The Biden-Harris Administration announced an expansion of immigration policies to benefit Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree students and graduates, in a stated effort to strengthen the U.S....more
This alert was originally published on February 5, 2019. It has been updated as of June 23, 2021. Many visa options exist to enable U.S. manufacturing companies to employ talented professionals, researchers and managers...more
On April 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of State issued updated guidance on “National Interest Exceptions for Certain Travelers from China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, Schengen Area, United Kingdom, and Ireland,” which should...more
On April 30, 2021, the Biden Administration issued A Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The proclamation...more