Many international students in the U.S. are facing a troubling situation: they are receiving sudden eMails from the government and their designated school officials (DSOs) saying their F-1 visas have been revoked and their SEVIS records terminated. Understandably, this causes tremendous fear and confusion. Students...
When completing the ETA form 9089, application for permanent employment certification (PERM labor certification), employers may overlook a small but important question on the form: “Is there a familial relationship between the foreign worker and the owners, stockholders, partners, corporate officers, and/or incorporators?” Before breezing...
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency had received enough registrations for unique beneficiaries to meet the regular H1B cap and the advanced degree exemption (i.e., the master’s cap) for fiscal year 2026 (FY26). All employers that submitted online...
Most foreign national workers in the U.S. understand that H1B status can be extended beyond the standard six-year maximum once they reach a certain point in the process of being sponsored for an employment-based green card. Managers and executives in L1A status, however, normally cannot...
In these uneasy times for immigrants in the U.S., stress and worry become a part of life. For those who have ventured to the U.S. and become lawful permanent residents (i.e., green card holders or LPRs), the stress and worry does not necessarily end. As...
The purpose of the labor certification process is to protect U.S. workers. It is a certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that there are not able, willing, and qualified U.S. workers available for the offered employment or position. The labor certification is the...
Details of the alien registration requirement, which had been announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on 25.Feb.2025, have now been released. Effective 11.Apr.2025, foreign nationals who are subject to the new registration mandate must comply with the registration requirement via an online...
This evening, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the April 2025 Visa Bulletin. There is some forward movement in most of the oversubscribed categories, and retrogression in the EB5 unreserved category. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e.,...
On 26.Feb.2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued updated guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) removing the policy that a consular officer’s recommendation for approval of a foreign national’s nonimmigrant visa (NIV) waiver request be consistent with a prior adjudication of the individual’s...
The Trump administration is planning to impose a travel ban for foreign nationals from Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to an unconfirmed report by Reuters. According to Reuters, the ban could be implemented as soon as next week. Moreover, it is possible that, in addition to...
