On Jan. 28, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision holding that DHS lacked statutory authority to “vacate” prior Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and Venezuela and then...more
2/3/2026
/ Appeals ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Form I-9 ,
Haiti ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
SCOTUS ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Stays ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
Venezuela
H.R. 1 became law as Public Law 119-21, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” or “OBBBA,” on July 4, 2025. Although several of the most significant employer-facing provisions affected operations in 2025, the focus shifts to full...more
1/22/2026
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
IRS ,
New Legislation ,
One Big Beautiful Bill Act ,
Over-Time ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retirement Plan ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
W-2 ,
Wage and Hour
U.S. consulates abroad have recently begun postponing a wide range of H‑1B and H‑4 visa interviews, resulting in significant delays in visa processing. Consulates in India have been among the most affected, as India remains...more
12/30/2025
/ Data Privacy ,
Foreign Nationals ,
H-1B ,
H-4 ,
Immigration Procedures ,
National Security ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Social Media ,
U.S. Embassies ,
US Department of State ,
Vetting ,
Visa Applications
Illinois has enacted a significant expansion of the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, imposing new substantive and procedural requirements on how employers must respond when they receive notices reporting discrepancies...more
12/17/2025
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Workers ,
Illinois ,
New Legislation ,
No-Match Letters ,
Notice Requirements ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Social Security Administration (SSA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Privacy Laws
USCIS recently clarified that its December 2, 2025 policy — initially described as a review of green cards issued to nationals of 19 “high-risk” countries — extends much further than originally understood. A broad range of...more
12/12/2025
/ Adjustment of Status ,
Business Immigration ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Form I-129 ,
Form I-140 Petitions ,
Form I-765 ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
USCIS ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas
While not promulgating any new policies, this latest guidance emphasizes what EEOC sees as anti-American bias in employment practices, aligning closely with Project Firewall’s objective of prioritizing U.S. workers through...more
12/10/2025
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disparate Treatment ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
New Guidance ,
Retaliation ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Visas
The U.S. Department of State announced expanded “online presence review” for H‑1B and H‑4 applicants, effective Dec. 15, 2025. Consular officers may review publicly available social‑media information, prior employment history...more
12/8/2025
/ Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
H-4 ,
H-4 Spouses ,
Immigration Procedures ,
National Security ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Social Media ,
Temporary Work Visas ,
US Department of State ,
Visa Applications
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently launched Project Firewall, an H-1B enforcement initiative with a dual focus on ensuring that companies prioritize skilled American workers and cracking down on potential abuse of...more
12/8/2025
/ Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Penalties ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Wage and Hour
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joe Edlow recently announced a realignment of policy which focuses on restricting or eliminating immigration in certain countries.
Director Edlow confirmed on X...more
12/5/2025
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Deportation ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that it has strengthened requirements for issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-domiciled applicants individuals.
The...more
11/4/2025
/ Commercial Driving Licenses ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Driver's Licenses ,
E-2 ,
FMCSA ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-2A ,
H-2B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Temporary Work Visas ,
USCIS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Oct. 29, 2025, it is ending the practice of USCIS automatically extending validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) of foreign nationals who have timely filed...more
USCIS has released guidance on President Donald Trump’s Sept. 19, 2025, Presidential Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” introducing a new $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B...more
10/23/2025
/ Business Immigration ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Exceptions ,
Exemptions ,
Filing Fees ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-129 ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Without notice, E-Verify appeared back online late on the evening of Oct. 7, 2025. As of 2:00 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 8, 2025, E-Verify is still online and appears fully operable. Employers can resume submitting cases.
The...more
On Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” (the “Proclamation”). The Proclamation requires employers to pay a $100,000 fee with any new...more
10/6/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Injunctions ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Statutory Authority ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
USCIS
The current government funding expired at the end of the fiscal year without a continuing resolution, resulting in a government shutdown. A federal government shutdown can create ripple effects across immigration processes,...more
10/2/2025
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Government Shutdown ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Work Visas
A government shutdown looms at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, when the current government funding expires. Appropriations bills that fund government operations are not expected to pass before the start of the new fiscal...more
10/1/2025
/ COBRA ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Government Shutdown ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Relations ,
Layoffs ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Unemployment ,
Unions ,
USCIS ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act
Proclamation “Restriction On Entry Of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” released on Sept. 19, 2025 (the “Proclamation”), directs the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reform prevailing wage...more
9/25/2025
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
President Donald Trump signed a Proclamation on Sept. 19, 2025, requiring a $100,000 fee for H-1B nonimmigrants seeking to enter the United States (“Proclamation”). Initial reports suggested the restriction applied broadly,...more
9/24/2025
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fees ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Work Visas
On Sept. 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation titled Proclamation on Restriction of Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers (the “Proclamation”) imposing significant restrictions on H-1B nonimmigrants seeking...more
9/22/2025
/ Business Immigration ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Temporary Work Visas ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
The Trump administration announced that the State Department will systematically review 55 million individuals currently holding U.S. visas for violations of entry or residency requirements. This marks the first time such a...more
9/11/2025
/ Business Immigration ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) February 2025 policy memorandum and July 2025 policy manual update highlight the agency’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts.
Generally, USCIS will no longer...more
8/12/2025
/ Adjustment of Status ,
Beneficiaries ,
Family-Based Visas ,
Fraud ,
H-1B ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Notice to Appear ,
Removal Proceedings ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
USCIS
President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), on July 4. The OBBBA affects a wide range of workplace issues, including immigration, benefits, and employment tax liabilities. Below is only a brief...more
7/15/2025
/ 1099s ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
ESTA ,
Federal Taxes ,
Foreign Workers ,
HSA ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Legislation ,
One Big Beautiful Bill Act ,
Over-Time ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Reform ,
Tax Relief ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Workplace Safety
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has quietly hit pause on a key program that streamlined Social Security number (SSN) issuance for nonimmigrant and immigrant applicants. As of March 19, 2025, the Enumeration Beyond...more
USCIS has issued updated guidance following the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 19, 2025, decision to grant the Justice Department’s emergency request to lift a March 31 California district court order halting DHS’s termination of...more
6/12/2025
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Form I-9 ,
Government Agencies ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Guidance ,
Popular ,
SCOTUS ,
USCIS ,
Venezuela ,
Work Permits
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation suspending entry to the U.S. for nationals of 19 countries on June 4, 2025. The proclamation stated that the designated countries are so deficient in their information screening...more
6/10/2025
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Government Agencies ,
Immigration Procedures ,
National Security ,
NATO ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Customs ,
US State Departments ,
Visas