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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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. 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
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
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
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a final rule aimed at modernizing the H-1B nonimmigrant worker visa program, with significant and favorable changes set to take effect on January 17, 2025. These...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
As President-elect Trump’s administration prepares for a second term, employers should anticipate intensified changes to U.S. immigration policies and procedures. These changes are expected to significantly impact various...more
The F-1 nonimmigrant visa status allows noncitizens to study in the United States at U.S. colleges and universities. F-1 students may be eligible for off-campus employment under the following programs: Curricular Practical...more
On April 1, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had selected sufficient H-1B visa preregistrations to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 regular H-1B cap (bachelor’s degree cap)...more
The I-94 record, which determines the validity of a nonimmigrant’s status, often presents challenges that are not expected by the foreign national or their employer. Unfortunately, the failure to be aware of the validity...more
On October 17, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) took the first steps to implement stateside processing of nonimmigrant visas. The DOS notified the federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs that it will introduce...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has rolled out the Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool, which is intended to streamline address updates with USCIS....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of October 11, 2023, the H-2B cap for nonagricultural workers had been reached for the first half of fiscal year 2024....more
USCIS shared updated guidance on how it will evaluate evidence for petitions seeking O-1B classification as individuals of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts or in the Motion Picture and Television Industry (MPTV)....more