Other Non-immigrant Visas

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that removes the long‑standing requirement that R‑1 nonimmigrant religious workers who have exhausted the maximum five‑year period in R‑1 status must spend one full year abroad before becoming eligible to return in R‑1 classification.

Under the IFR, an R‑1 nonimmigrant who has…

  • USCIS has confirmed its Dec. 2 policy memo, which listed only a narrow set of applications, was not exhaustive and that it has
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After temporarily pausing a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) interim final rule, the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. has taken the additional action of granting an emergency stay order over the rule.  

The rule is aimed at limiting issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for numerous groups of non-citizens legally…

The federal appeals court in the District of Columbia has placed a temporary administrative stay on implementation of a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) interim final rule that would limit issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-domiciled applicants individuals. Lujan, et al. v. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, et al.…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that it has strengthened requirements for issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-domiciled applicants individuals.

The FMCSA’s interim final rule limits issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to individuals with specific lawful employment-based nonimmigrant status categories (H-2A, H-2B, or E-2). 

The rule also requires…

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…

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 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed revising the admission period for the F (academic student) visa classification from duration of status or “D/S” to an admission for a fixed time period. This proposed change would also apply to the J (exchange visitor) and I (representatives of foreign information media) classifications.

Under the proposed…

Employers with workers on employment-based visas, such as H-1B and L-1, could face workforce disruptions after the Department of State (DOS) announced that Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) applicants should schedule visa interview appointments in their own country of nationality or residence, with limited exceptions, effective Sept. 6, 2025.

If an NIV applicant’s application is based on…

  • The U.S. government has begun “continuous vetting” of more than 55 million valid visa holders — a process that could result in revocations and deportations if violations are found.
  • The initiative applies broadly to all visa categories, including employment-based, student and visitor visas.
  • Employers should prepare for potential workforce disruptions, maintain compliance and
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