On Aug. 6, 2026, DHS submitted a proposed rule, “Eliminating the Discretionary 60-day Grace Period,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that seeks to eliminate the 60-day grace period available to H-1B workers and certain other employment-based visa holders following a job loss. The full regulatory text has not yet been released publicly.
Major Visa Shift: U.S. Realigns Visa Services in Africa to Regional Hubs
The Department of State has announced a significant restructuring of visa operations across Africa, effective Aug. 1, 2026. Under this initiative, routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing at certain U.S. embassies and consulates will be consolidated into designated regional visa processing hubs or centers. According to the Department of State, this realignment is intended to…
Adjustment of Status Under Scrutiny: USCIS Moves Toward Stricter Discretionary Review
- A new USCIS policy memorandum emphasizes that adjustment of status is a discretionary benefit and that consular processing abroad is the “ordinary” pathway to permanent residence.
- The memo does not eliminate employment-based adjustment of status or create a formal new rule requiring all applicants to consular process.
- Significant questions remain, including how USCIS will
USCIS Widens Freeze on Immigration Benefits for Nationals of 19 Countries: Employers Should Expect Delays Across Multiple Categories
By Amy L. Peck & Otieno B. Ombok on
- USCIS has confirmed its Dec. 2 policy memo, which listed only a narrow set of applications, was not exhaustive and that it has
USCIS Announces Initial FY 2026 H-1B Cap Selection: What Employers Need to Do Next
Takeaways
- The initial drawing includes registrants under both the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 master’s cap.
- Employers and attorneys have been notified of selection results through their myUSCIS accounts.
- H-1B petitions must be filed between 04.01.25 and 06.30.25 to use the cap selection.
USCIS announced on Mar. 31, 2025, that it has completed the…
U.S. Visa Dropbox Eligibility Reverts to Pre-COVID Standard, More Applicants Will Need In-Person Interviews
The U.S. Department of State has unexpectedly updated Consular websites with revised eligibility requirements for Visa Interview Waiver (“dropbox”) appointments.
Effective immediately, dropbox eligibility is limited to applicants renewing a visa in the same nonimmigrant classification that expired within the past 12 months. While no official government announcement has been made, Visa Application Centers (VACs)…
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…
High-Skilled Immigrants Saw Rise in Approvals for O-1A Visas, National Interest Waivers
In recent years, the landscape for high-skilled immigration to the United States has seen significant changes, particularly with the rise in approvals for O-1A visas and National Interest Waivers (NIW). This rise follows the Biden Administration’s 2022 favorable guidance aimed at welcoming high-skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent and reversing the previous administration’s…
U.S. Embassy in Havana Restores Visa Services for 7 Work, Exchange Visas
By Sydney Wong on
Posted in B Visa, Biden Administration, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of State, Exchange Visitors, Global Immigration, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, Immigrant Visas, J-1 Exchange Visitors, J-1 Trainees, L-1A / L-1B, O-1, Other Non-immigrant Visas, P-1, Temporary (Non-immigrant) Work Visas, Travel (General), Trump Administration, US Immigration, USCIS
- H – Temporary workers or trainees
- J – Exchange visitors
- L – Intracompany transferees
- O – Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement
- P
New, Higher USCIS Filing Fees Take Effect April 1, 2024
By Amy L. Peck, Michael H. Neifach & Otieno B. Ombok on
Posted in Asylum / Refugee, EADs, Fees and Penalties, Green Cards, H-1B, H-2B, H-4, Immigrant Petitions, L-1A / L-1B, L-2, O-1, Permanent Residence, USCIS
Many USCIS filing fees are being adjusted upward beginning on April 1, 2024. That date, of course, is particularly significant. It is the earliest date that Cap H-1Bs can be filed.
The H-1B filing fee, for example, will rise from $460 to $780. The ACWIA Fee (to fund the training of U.S. workers) and the…