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
The U.S. Department of State has announced resumption of student and exchange visitor visa processing, along with expanded digital vetting procedures. The June 18, 2025, press release, “Announcement of Expanded Screening and...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
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
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
The Department of State (DOS) revised the J-1 Skills List, which lists home countries to which foreign nationals are subject to a two-year foreign home residency requirement. •The 37 countries that have been removed from...more
On December 9, 2024, The Department of State issued two major revisions to its Exchange Visitor Skills list resulting in reducing the number of countries on the Exchange Visitor Skills List by almost half. Countries such as...more
On December 9, 2024, through publication in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of State announced a major shift in the policy governing the Exchange Visitor Skills List. This shift removes the two-year home residency...more
The U.S. Department of State announced a significant update to the Exchange Visitor Skills List, effective as of December 9, 2024. This action is in response to an Executive Order issued last year, in which the Biden...more
The U.S. has long had a shortage of physicians in various practice areas. The shortage is even more pronounced in rural areas. International medical graduates (IMG’s) who come to the U.S. to complete a residency in a...more
On October 30, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which may promote immigration policy changes to attract and retain AI talent in the U.S. The EO recognizes the importance...more
On October 30, 2023, President Biden issued a comprehensive Executive Order directing several federal agencies to undertake numerous initiatives related to artificial intelligence (AI). The Executive Order includes several...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - With a partial government shutdown still potentially imminent, here is an overview of the potential impacts on employers and business immigration services....more
Earlier this year, the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC), a federal-state partnership to alleviate economic and poverty issues, opened a J-1 waiver program, accepting applications for physicians of all medical...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
J-1 exchange visitors who received graduate medical education or training in the U.S. are subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This...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
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released additional guidance expanding the scope of national interest exceptions to the June 24, 2020 Presidential Proclamation (PP 10052) banning the admission of certain J, H and L visa...more
The U.S. Department of State has issued some preliminary guidance on the application of the national interest waiver to foreign nationals from countries that are subject to a COVID-19-related travel ban. Since late...more
The Department of State has recently announced that U.S. Embassies and Consulates will begin a phased resumption of processing routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. Such cases will include travelers with urgent travel...more
On July 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that business travelers, investors, treaty traders, and academics from the Schengen Area countries, the U.K., and Ireland may qualify for “national interest...more
On July 16 and 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) announced changes to two existing COVID-related travel restrictions. The first creates new exceptions to the Proclamation barring anyone who has been within a...more
On July 6, 2020, the Trump Administration announced that due to continued public safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, it is imposing far-reaching restrictions on the F-1 and J-1 programs. These restrictions have significant...more