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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released updated educational materials on national origin discrimination on Nov. 19, 2025, in response to the

Takeaways

  • The launch of Project Firewall signals the current administration’s tougher, more restrictive stance on high-skilled immigration.
  • Key aspects of the enforcement initiative include increased investigations, interagency coordination, greater employer accountability and intent to protect American workers.
  • Employers should review their H-1B policies and practices now.

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently launched

The current government funding expired at the end of the fiscal year without a continuing resolution, resulting in a government shutdown. A federal government shutdown can create ripple effects across immigration processes, but the impact varies depending on the agency.

Since USCIS is fee-funded, most operations — like processing petitions and applications — continue as

Proclamation “Restriction On Entry Of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” released on Sept. 19, 2025 (the “Proclamation”), directs the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reform prevailing wage leveling and change the H-1B registration to a weighted selection format.

Specifically, the Proclamation’s Section 4, “Amending the Prevailing Wage Levels,” includes the following

On Sept. 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation titled Proclamation on Restriction of Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers (the “Proclamation”) imposing significant restrictions on H-1B nonimmigrants seeking to enter or reenter the United States.

Though the Proclamation does not appear to make a distinction between new applicants and current visa holders, as of

  • The United States continues to attract the largest share of international graduate students, particularly in STEM fields, but its dominance may be slipping.
  • Other countries are expanding their post-study work options and streamlining their immigration pathways to compete for the world’s best and brightest.
  • U.S. employers seeking to secure international talent should act early

Haitian-Americans United, Inc., Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, UndocuBlack Network, Inc., and four individual Haitian and Venezuelan migrants residing in Boston filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on March 3, 2025, challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) decision to terminate Haitian and Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Haitian-Americans United

Takeaways

  • USCIS issued updated policy guidance on 1/15/25 on how it will evaluate candidates for EB-2 immigrant visas seeking a National Interest Waiver (NIW).
  • USCIS will be more closely scrutinizing a candidate’s qualifications, profession, experience, and support letters.
  • These changes will make it more difficult to obtain NIWs in the future.

The U.S. Citizenship and

Skilled immigration is making headlines with renewed focus on the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program, the most popular employment-based visa for foreign professional workers. View our full legal update and insights here.