Immigration Update – June 01, 2026
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 […]
Immigration Update – May 26, 2026
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. […]
New USCIS Memo Abruptly Changes Adjustment of Status Policy
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 […]
Immigration Update – May 14, 2026
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 […]
Immigration Update – May 05, 2026
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 […]
Immigration Update – April 30, 2026
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 […]
Immigration Update – April 20, 2026
Headlines: New ICE I-9 Inspection Policy Increases Risks for Employers – A new fact sheet indicates a change in policy that increases the risks for employers by reclassifying some former technical violations as substantive. May Visa Bulletin Includes Advances in Various Immigrant Visa Categories, Possible Retrogression for India EB-5 Unreserved Category – The Department of […]
Immigration Update – April 13, 2026
Headlines: SAVE and E-Verify Release Updates on EADs Under TPS, Superseding Earlier Notices – The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements and E-Verify programs recently updated guidance on Employment Authorization Document validity in light of court orders affecting Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burma, Somalia, Haiti, and Syria, superseding earlier notices on the terminations […]
Immigration Update – April 06, 2026
Headlines: FY 2027 Initial H-1B Registration Selection Process Completed – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year 2027 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). USCIS Releases Update on Screening/Vetting of Foreign Nationals – […]
Immigration Update – March 30, 2026
Headlines: DOL Releases Long-Anticipated Prevailing Wage Proposed Rule – The Department of Labor DOL released a long-anticipated proposed rule that could significantly reshape prevailing wage requirements for H-1B, PERM, and related programs. DOS Announces Expansion of Social Media Vetting to Additional Nonimmigrant Visa Classifications – Effective March 30, the agency will expand its “online presence […]
Immigration Update – March 23, 2026
Headlines: USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2026; Filing Dates Now Available for Supplemental Visa Allocations – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough petitions to meet the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker statutory cap for the second half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. USCIS also announced that filing dates for […]
Immigration Update – March 16, 2026
Headlines: DOS Final Rule Amends Diversity Visa Program Documentation Requirements – The new amendments require a DV petitioner to provide valid, unexpired passport information and to upload a scan of the biographic and signature page in the electronic entry form or to otherwise indicate that the applicant is exempt. USCIS Updates Guidance on Automatic Extensions […]
Immigration Update – March 09, 2026
Headlines: Middle East: Alert for Employers and Travelers – As instability spreads across the Middle East amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, the Alliance of Business Immigration Attorneys has provided tips for employers and travelers. Appeals Court Allows Haitian TPS to Remain Pending Further Litigation – The Trump administration is widely expected to appeal the […]
Immigration Update – March 02, 2026
Headlines: DOL Proposes Rule on Determining Employee/Independent Contractor Status – The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued a proposed rule that would rescind the analysis for determining employee or independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act and replace it with analysis that it published and adopted in a prior final rule. […]
Immigration Update – February 17, 2026
Headlines: DHS Shutdown Not Expected to Affect Most ICE, CBP, USCIS Operations – The Department of Homeland Security is technically in partial shutdown status, although certain operations are expected to continue, including most activities conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services fee-funded activities are […]
Immigration Update – February 09, 2026
Headlines: District Court Grants Stay of DHS Secretary Noem’s Decision to End Haitian TPS; Appeal Likely – A district court granted plaintiffs a stay of Secretary Noem’s decision to end Haitian Temporary Protected Status pending the outcome of litigation. Congress Scraps Visas for Afghans Who Helped the United States – Congress has approved a package […]
Immigration Update – February 03, 2026
Headlines: FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens March 4 – The initial registration period for the Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B cap will open at noon ET on March 4 and run through noon ET on March 19, 2026. DOL-DHS Temporary Rule Will Increase H-2B Visa Limit in FY 2026 – The Departments of […]
Immigration Update – January 26, 2026
Headlines: WHD Releases Info on ‘Project Firewall’ Enforcement Initiative to Maximize Compliance with H-1B Visa Program – The announcement notes that the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division prioritizes investigations where employers may be displacing U.S. workers, failing to recruit U.S. workers in good faith, giving preference to H-1B workers when qualified U.S. workers […]
Immigration Update – January 22, 2026
Headlines: DOS Announces Temporary Pause on Certain Visas for Nationals of 75 Countries – The Department of State announced a temporary pause on the issuance of immigrant visas (green cards from overseas) for nationals of 75 countries, effective January 21, 2026. DHS Terminates TPS Designation for Somalia – The Department of Homeland Security is terminating […]
Immigration Update – January 12, 2026
Headlines: DHS to Raise Premium Processing Fees – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is raising premium processing fees effective March 1, 2026. DOL, DHS Announce Additional 35,000 Visas to Supplement FY 2026 H-2B Cap – The agencies said they will focus these additional H-2B visas on U.S. businesses with seasonal or temporary workforce needs in […]
