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
The U.S. Department of State has announced updated guidance restricting eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers at U.S. Consulates. Under the revised guidance, nonimmigrant visa applicants may be eligible for an...more
GENERAL - What are the current Executive Orders on immigration? On its first day in office, the Trump administration published 46 executive orders dealing with a broad range of issues, several of which were aimed...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 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
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a final rule with key updates to the H-1B specialty occupation nonimmigrant visa program. The final rule is aimed at modernizing the H-1B program by improving efficiency...more
Published in the Federal Register on December 9, 2024, and effective immediately, the US State Department has updated the J-1 Skills List for the first time since 2009. This update substantially reduces the list of countries...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
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has officially implemented its “Simplified Arrival” program that was piloted in various cities from 2021 to 2022 to streamline the arrival process for international travelers at all...more
On May 13, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will temporarily suspend the biometrics requirements for certain I-539 applicants for a two-year period beginning on May 17, 2021. ...more
On March 31, 2021, the Trump administration’s Proclamation 10052, which had suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J, and L nonimmigrant visa holders and their dependents to the United States, expired. In addition, on...more
On May 3, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) acting associate director of the Service Center Operations Directorate, Connie L. Nolan, indicated in a court filing that USCIS is finalizing a policy that...more
President Biden promised sweeping changes to U.S. immigration law should he be elected president. In accordance with these campaign promises, Democratic lawmakers have just introduced a sweeping immigration bill backed by the...more
On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order that bans certain nonimmigrants from entering the United States (the “Nonimmigrant Ban”) until December 31, 2020. The Nonimmigrant Ban comes on the heels of an April...more
Visa issuance fees and validity periods are set based on reciprocity. If a country charges U.S. citizens $50 to receive a visa, then the U.S. will charge citizens of that country a similar amount for a U.S. visa. In 2017,...more
A new US Department of State policy that took effect on January 24 makes it more difficult for pregnant women to obtain B nonimmigrant visas to visit the United States if the consular officer has reason to believe that the...more
The US Supreme Court ruled on January 27 that the administration can begin to implement the public charge rule while the issue is still being litigated in the federal court system. ...more
This November, the United States Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the case that will decide the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program, established through executive...more
On April 25, 2019, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued a practice alert announcing that the nationwide immigration association had “been in discussions with CBP [Customs and Border Protection] related...more
Last Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a significantly revised Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. This application is used to change or extend the status of dependents...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 11, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it revised Form I-539 and that the new version will be released on March 11, 2019. ...more
On October 23, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) rescinded policy guidelines in effect since April 2004 regarding requests for the extension of certain nonimmigrant visas (i.e., visa petitions...more
The Revised Version of Travel Ban to Take Effect Next Month - On Sept. 24, President Trump issued a proclamation that indefinitely bans certain citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from...more
On September 24, 2017, the Trump Administration announced an expansion of its previous travel ban, adding several countries to the list designated in the original travel ban (Executive Order 13780)....more