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
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 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
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
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
The U.S. Department of State has unexpectedly updated Consular websites with revised eligibility requirements for Visa Interview Waiver (“dropbox”) appointments. Effective immediately, dropbox eligibility is limited to...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
Announced in a Federal Register notice published Feb. 5, 2025, Secretary Kristi Noem decided not to extend the 2023 Venezuela TPS designation. That designation will expire April 7, 2025. DHS Secretary Noem announced on Jan....more
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a series of executive orders that imposed significant reforms to the immigration system, many of which may or will have an impact on employment-based visas. The following is a...more
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued more than 45 Executive Orders, many of which contain directives related to immigration. The immigration team at Nilan Johnson Lewis will be monitoring updates related...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