Public-Private Partnerships to Stem Corruption
ITAR – Requirements for Government Contractors
On May 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of State completed the selection process for the Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2026. Created by the Immigration Act of 1990, the U.S. Diversity Visa (DV) program, often referred to...more
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will use the Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications chart in May 2025. The Final Action Dates chart shows no movement except for a...more
Foreign nationals and employers should plan all international travel more carefully and further in advance. President Trump issued an executive order (EO) directing various federal agencies to coordinate their efforts to...more
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders significantly altering U.S. immigration policy. These actions, aimed at strengthening border security and redefining citizenship criteria, have...more
As we head into another Trump presidency later this month, many U.S. employers are wondering how the new administration’s strong stance on immigration might impact their organization, including its ability to hire and retain...more
The U.S. Department of State has announced that annual visa limits for fiscal year (FY) 2024 have been reached for the following employment-based categories: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EW (other workers), EB-4, and EB-5 unreserved....more
On June 18, 2024, President Biden announced new pathways to legal immigration status for two groups: college-educated “Dreamers” and certain American family units....more
The June 2024 Visa Bulletin shows no forward movement in employment-based preference categories, but retrogression could occur soon, according to the U.S. Department of State....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart for the April 2024 Visa Bulletin....more
For the first time in two decades, a limited number of eligible H-1B workers are now able to apply to renew their visas without having to leave the United States. Starting January 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of State’s...more
The Department of State “DOS” has published guidance and FAQs advising eligible H-1B visa applicants on how they can participate in its pilot program for domestic H-1B visa renewals, which will begin on January 29, 2024. ...more
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business. House of Pain. This week, the Buzz was...more
If Congress does not pass appropriations legislation or a stopgap spending bill by September 30, 2023, the federal government will experience a shutdown on October 1, 2023. A federal government shutdown will disrupt certain...more
The federal government is days away from a partial shutdown. If Congress does not pass multiple appropriations bills or agree to a continuing resolution by Saturday, multiple federal agencies involved in the immigration...more
Annually, at the outset of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Congress must reach an agreement to fund the federal government. If Congress cannot agree and pass the necessary appropriations bill, a partial government shutdown...more
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs’ August 2023 Visa Bulletin illustrates a continued trend of significant backlogs in the employment-based immigrant visa process....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) site visits are challenging for employers and beneficiaries who work in the U.S. in L-1 Intracompany Transferee status. At these visits, U.S. government officials flash badges...more
The Department of State released the June 2023 Visa Bulletin. Most employment-based categories will hold steady with the exception of EB-5 India and China Other Workers: - USCIS will continue to accept employment-based...more
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has released the Visa Bulletin for April 2023. The new Visa Bulletin reflects an ongoing trend of backlogs and slowdowns in the visa process, in stark contrast to the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that it will accept employment-based I-485, adjustment of status applications, based on the U.S. Department of State’s monthly Visa Bulletin’s “Dates for Filing”...more
On December 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of State announced that the secretary of state has extended consular officers’ authority to waive the in-person visa interview requirement through December 31, 2023. This extension of...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is encouraging certain employment-based adjustment of status (green card) applicants with approved I-140 petitions to complete their medical examinations before the end...more
Obtaining a “green card” usually requires the sponsorship of a close U.S. family member or U.S. employer. In the employment context, the default process is a specific employer testing the labor market for a specific job to be...more
The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today new immigration actions to expand opportunities for foreign STEM scholars, students, researchers, and experts and the U.S. businesses that seek to employ them, as...more
The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain non-immigrant visa applicants with approved...more