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
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap,...more
Effective June 10, 2025, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China have implemented important updates to the nonimmigrant visa application process for applicants under the age of fourteen. These changes are designed to...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its Policy Manual, clarifying—and in some cases, narrowing—the eligibility criteria for the TN nonimmigrant classification under the United States-Mexico-Canada...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
Adjudication of F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas – paused for the last month – will soon resume, and applicants will be subject to heightened screening and vetting, including of their social media accounts....more
USCIS has released an update to its Policy Manual, bringing significant changes to regulations on the TN nonimmigrant visa classification and perhaps some employers’ practices. For instance, because of changes to the...more
The following information updates the alert we distributed on June 9: In line with the Presidential Proclamation restricting the entry of certain foreign nationals from the United States, the Department of State has issued...more
The Trump Administration announced a new travel ban impacting 19 countries earlier this week, effective Monday, June 9 at 12:01 a.m....more
Given the heightened vetting and scrutiny of foreign nationals entering the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security, all foreign nationals, including the U.S. permanent residents, should be vigilant, when facing CBP...more
Last week, an internal U.S. Department of State (DOS) correspondence pertaining to visa processing for international student and exchange visitors in the F, M, and J visa classifications was leaked and published by various...more
On April 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of State launched two new tools to monitor immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interview availability: (1) the Immigrant Visa (IV) Scheduling Status Tool, and (2) the Global Visa Wait Times...more
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
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
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