USCIS provided updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual with regard to the F-1 and M visa classifications utilized by international students for vocational, graduate and post-graduate study at U.S. academic institutions....more
The F-1 nonimmigrant visa status allows noncitizens to study in the United States at U.S. colleges and universities. F-1 students may be eligible for off-campus employment under the following programs: Curricular Practical...more
On July 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added the category of Environmental/Natural Resource Economics (03.0204) as a qualifying field of study to the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. DHS did...more
Most U.S. employers and workers have heard of E-Verify, but what is it? More critically, is it required for your manufacturing business? E-Verify is a free internet-based program, run by U.S. Citizenship and...more
America runs on semiconductors, also known informally as chips. Chips are integral to the cars we drive, the planes we fly, the systems that defend our country, and the computers that every single industry, from manufacturing...more
Recent processing time trends at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are raising concerns for both Employers and F-1 visa holders relying on automatic extensions of work authorization while awaiting the...more
The H-1B Electronic Registration Selection Process debuted in March 2020 for fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions. The barrier to entry dropped significantly with the introduction of the electronic registration...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has completed its annual H-1B cap lottery selection process for fiscal year 2025. Given the high number of lottery registrations and the fixed number of...more
Students studying in the United States in F or M visa status must have a foreign residence that they have no intention of abandoning. A new USCIS policy manual update has clarified that being the beneficiary of a PERM...more
Beginning March 6, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will conduct its annual H-1B Cap Lottery to award H-1B slots for professional workers in specialty occupations. There are a total of 85,000 visas...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated guidance in its policy manual regarding international students within F and M student classifications. This new guidance consolidates and provides greater...more
On December 20, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its official policy manual chapters on F and M nonimmigrant student classifications....more
USCIS is proposing to modernize the H-1B visa program by streamlining eligibility requirements, improving program efficiency, providing greater benefits and flexibilities for employers and workers, and strengthening integrity...more
Significant modifications to the H-1B visa program are expected to be implemented by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) that would “modernize the H-1B specialty...more
The Supreme Court of the United States has declined to hear a challenge to a visa program that allows foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities to work in the United States for up to three years. The...more
The U.S. Supreme Court has finally put an end to the litigation that has dogged STEM OPT for years. On October 2, 2023, the Court refused to hear the technology workers’ union’s challenge to the Obama-era program that allows...more
Immigration compliance remains a critical requirement for K-12 schools across the country. Not only do all schools need to ensure they comply with new I-9 rules and procedures, but many also have grown to rely on foreign...more
A lawsuit filed on August 10, 2023 against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleges that the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 702, by exceeding its authority and determining that a...more
Second Round of H-1B Cap Registration Selection – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted a second round of the H-1B cap lottery between July 28th and 31st for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The new...more
On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) updated the STEM Designated Degree Program List by adding eight new qualifying fields of study. The Program List is generally used to determine whether a degree...more
On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added eight new qualifying fields of study to the STEM Designated Degree Program List. F-1 nonimmigrant students who complete certain programs of study in the...more
On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added eight fields of study to the Designated Degree Program List qualifying F-1 students to secure a STEM OPT (science, technology, engineering, mathematics...more
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security have all announced several significant updates, relating to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) Program and STEM Optional...more
As part of the Biden Administration’s initiative to retain high-skilled foreign nationals in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it is adding eight new fields as qualifying fields of study...more