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.
Industry Specific
Missed Opportunity: Outdated Schedule A List Means PERM Processing Delays Continue
- The failure to move forward with this rule is a significant disappointment for many high-skilled immigrants and the employers who need them, all
Immigration Hurdles Ahead: What Employers Can Expect from the Second Trump Administration
By Aimee Guthat & Kimberly M. Bennett on
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…
Nearly 65,000 H-2B Visas Released: What Employers Need to Know
By Michael H. Neifach on
The Department of Homeland Security has released an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary visas for non-agricultural workers. The additional visas will help employers in hospitality, tourism, landscaping, construction, seafood processing, and others that employ temporary seasonal workers.
Of the newly released visas, 44,716 are divided in three allocations (between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025)…
What Canada’s Sweeping Immigration Reform Means for U.S.
Canada is reducing the number of permanent and temporary residents it will admit over the next couple of years over concerns about housing prices as well as stress on infrastructure and social services due in part to the high levels of immigration.
This may impact U.S. companies and U.S. institutions of higher education most.
For…
Will DOL Update Schedule A List to Address Labor Shortages?
The Schedule A list of occupations that do not require the employer to conduct a labor market test (a PERM labor certification) as part of a green card application process has not been updated in at least 20 years. Almost a year ago, in December 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Request for…
How to Navigate FLAG System Updated for New H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule and Court Order
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced its H-2A Transition Plan for updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system based on the preliminary injunction (known as the Kansas Order) issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia. That order prevents the DOL from enforcing its new H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule against…
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…
Understanding How U.S. Export Controls Affect Manufacturers’ Hiring Practices
The U.S. government has adjusted export control regulations in an effort to protect U.S. national security interests. The revisions primarily affect export of electronic computing items and semiconductors to prevent foreign powers from obtaining critical technologies that may threaten national security. As manufacturers are facing increased demand for their products and critical labor shortages, they…