Headlines: DOS Creates $750 Fee for Expedited B-1/B-2 Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Appointments – The new fee, effective July 1, will allow eligible B-1/B-2 visa applicants to secure an interview appointment at selected posts within 10 business days, subject to availability. Visa Bulletin for July 2026 Includes Updates for China, India, Philippines – The Department of […]
FEATURE ARTICLE IMMIGRATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR IRANIANS: AN OVERVIEW – This article provides an update on immigration opportunities for Iranians in several countries. COUNTRY UPDATES Canada – The government has released official details for the permanent residence pathway for 33,000 workers. In other news, a PGWP language test upload slot has been added to the Immigration, […]
Headlines: Federal Court Pauses Decision to Declare $100,000 H-1B Fee an Unlawful Tax – On June 12, 2026, a U.S. district court partially stayed its decision on June 8, 2026, that vacated a Department of Homeland Security policy imposing a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions. USCIS Follows Compliance Order to Resume Processing of […]
Headlines: DHS Proposes to Limit Eligibility for Certain Discretionary Work Authorization – The Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed rule to limit and clarify eligibility for discretionary employment authorization for those “paroled into the United States temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, who have been granted deferred action, or against whom […]
Headlines: Trump Admin ‘Drawing Up Plans’ to Withdraw Processing of International Travelers and Flights at ‘Sanctuary City’ Airports – The Trump administration is “drawing up plans” to withdraw immigration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing of international flights at so-called “sanctuary city” airports, to include international travelers and cargo. CDC Issues Interim Final Rule […]
Headlines: New USCIS Policy Limits Adjustment of Status – The new memo signals a major policy shift toward restrictive adjudication. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said that it views immigrant visa processing at a U.S. consulate abroad as the default route to a green card for most people, with adjustment applications filed inside the U.S. […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On May 22, 2026, USCIS promulgated a policy memorandum entitled “Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to Dispense with the Ordinary Consular Visa Process”. The policy memorandum states that adjustment of status is a “matter of […]
Headlines: USCIS Ordered to Resume Processing for Certain ‘Restricted’ Countries’ Applicants – On April 30, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts ordered the U.S. government to lift its blanket hold on certain U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services immigration applications for approximately 200 plaintiffs from specific countries. Enhanced Security Vetting Causes Adjudications Pause, Coinciding With New […]
Headlines: Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for FY 2026 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 27,736 H-2B visas made available for the second allocation of returning workers for Fiscal Year 2026 with employment start dates from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Work Authorization Revocation, Other Consequences Announced for Unpaid […]
Headlines: DOL Proposes Rule Clarifying Joint Employer Status – The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a proposed rule that would address joint employer status under federal wage and hour laws. Trump Gold Card: Amid Contradictory Statements, Just One Approved So Far – Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that just one […]
