As the federal government shutdown drags on into its third week with no clear end in sight, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has provided helpful guidance for petitioners who are unable to timely file due to the closure of other essential agencies, such...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the November 2025 Visa Bulletin. There are no changes from the previous month in the employment-based categories. Also, I-485 adjustment-of-status applicants must use the more favorable dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B). Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference...
There are reports of heightened scrutiny by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at U.S. ports of entry (POEs), even for individuals entering the U.S. under employment-based visas such as the H1B. This heightened scrutiny can lead to lines of intense questioning and searches...
Following the implementation of the presidential proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H1B petitions effective September 21, 2025, additional clarity has emerged regarding who is subject to the fee and who is exempt. However, significant questions remain about the proclamation's scope and application, and...
A diverse group of organizations has filed suit against Trump’s proclamation that imposes a $100,000 fee on “new” H1B petitions. The organizations, which include schools, religious organizations, labor unions, and workers, presents multiple legal theories as to why the fee is not lawful.In the lawsuit,...
For over three decades, immigration enforcement agencies operated under policies that restricted enforcement activities at certain sensitive locations, such as schools, places of worship, and hospitals. This protective framework, built through successive presidential administrations, ended abruptly on January 20, 2025, when the Trump Administration rescinded...
On September 17, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the implementation of the new 2025 Civics Test for naturalization, replacing the 2008 version of the test. Here are the key points you need to know about the new test:Approximately 75 percent...
Each year, thousands of F-1 students are granted a change of status to H1B, with an effective start date of October 1st. But plans sometimes change before the start date. The employer may withdraw the H1B petition before it ever takes effect, leaving the student...
Congress must pass a spending bill to extend government operations before October 1, 2025, or else a temporary shutdown of the federal government will go into effect. This would be the first shutdown since Trump was reelected. Security, CBP, and Vital Functions Continue The U.S. government never...
On September 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register titled “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions.” If finalized, the rule would change the H1B cap registration process...
