- The 37 countries that have been removed from the J-1 Skills List are: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
Department of State
Immigration Hurdles Ahead: What Employers Can Expect from the Second Trump Administration
President-Elect Donald Trump is promising sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, with a focus on ramping up enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants. We can look to his first term, along with his campaign platform, to anticipate upcoming immigration action.
We expect President Trump will take swift action in the following areas through…
Travel Ban Fears? Why Foreign National Students Urged to Return to U.S. Before Jan. 20
Some colleges and universities, out of an abundance of caution, are advising their foreign national students and staff who are traveling abroad for winter break to consider returning before President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.
It is not possible to predict what will happen with any certainty, but President Trump has spoken about…
Breaking Up: Why U.S. Citizens Living Abroad Renounce Citizenship
- The United
2026 Diversity Visa: Are You Eligible?
The Online 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery for green cards is open until noon ET on Nov. 5, 2024.
Eligibility requirements, application instructions, and frequently asked questions are on the DV Lottery website.
Individuals from countries where more than 50,000 nationals have migrated to the United States in the past five years are ineligible…
Are You Eligible for Passport Renewal Online?
In good news, the State Department has announced the roll-out of its new online passport renewal system. Eligible individuals can renew their 10-year passports online without having to mail in any documentation.
Be sure to plan ahead if you are using the online service because only routine service is available – no expedited processing.
Although…
Qatar to Join Visa Waiver Program
Qatar will join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It will be the 42nd member of the VWP and the first Gulf country to qualify. The VWP allows citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
No…
U.S. Embassy in Havana Restores Visa Services for 7 Work, Exchange Visas
- H – Temporary workers or trainees
- J – Exchange visitors
- L – Intracompany transferees
- O – Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement
- P
DOL: Indefinite Delay in FLAG System Update for New H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) has decided to delay updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway, or FLAG, case processing system to implement revised H-2A job order and application forms for the new 2024 Farmworkers Protection Final Rule until further notice. For now, H-2A job orders and applications will continue to be received and processed under…
Judge Blocks New DOL H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule in 17 States
Seventeen states joined in a suit in June to block the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new rule providing more protections to farmworkers employed as H-2A temporary visa holders. Now, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia has granted a preliminary injunction preventing the DOL…