The H-1B Lottery for FY 2026 opens at 12:00 pm EST on March 7, 2025. The registration period will run for eighteen (18) calendar days beginning March 7 and closing at 12:00 pm EST on March 24, 2025. The fee for submitting an...more
The Department of Homeland Security has announced a comprehensive update to the H-1B visa program, set to take effect on January 17, 2025. This modernization introduces new flexibilities, strengthens oversight, and provides...more
On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final version of the H-2 program modernization rule. The final rule amends DHS regulations for both H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) and...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
A settlement agreement in the case of Edakunni v. Mayorkas was reached in January 2023. As part of the settlement agreement, USCIS agreed to: “bundle” the adjudication of Forms I-539 and I-765 for H-4 and L-2 derivatives with...more
Last January I posted about "An Unwelcome Update to Start 2023: USCIS Proposing Rule to Raise Filing Fees; Set Specific Filing Fees for Different Types of I-129 Filings". That unwelcome proposal to start 2023 may become an...more
Effective January 25, 2023, USCIS resumed concurrent processing of I-539 applications to extend/change nonimmigrant status and I-765 applications for employment authorization filed by H-4 and L-2 spouses and minor children...more
Federal immigration officials just agreed to streamline the process by which certain nonimmigrant dependent spouses are able to secure employment, reverting to a previous method that should reduce processing times and...more
On January 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reached a settlement in Edakunni v. Mayorkas, which restructures U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) adjudication policies for H-4 and L-2...more
The Inadmissibility on Public Charge Ground rule was published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2019 and became effective on October 15, 2019. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a rule interpreting...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is poised to implement new filing fees on October 2, under regulations published in the Federal Register on August 3. However, two lawsuits were filed in federal court about a...more
On August 3, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule that makes sweeping changes to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fee schedule. It also removes certain fee exceptions,...more
On August 3, 2020, USCIS published a final rule that significantly increases the filing fees for certain immigration and naturalization petitions. The rule, which will be effective October 2, 2020, also removes certain fee...more
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will increase the premium processing fee charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from $1,225 to $1,410, effective October 1, 2018. As employers are aware, USCIS is...more
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalized a rule that will increase immigration fees. The proposed rule was issued on May 4, 2016, and the final rule will go into effect on December 23, 2016 (60 days after...more