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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…

On Dec. 31, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decisions to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal, finding that the terminations violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The court concluded that DHS failed to conduct an objective assessment of…

The U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed on Jan. 5, 2025, to fast-track the appeal of the recent federal court ruling upholding the Trump Administration’s imposition of a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa petitions.

On Dec. 24, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upheld the…

A federal judge has granted the Trump Administration’s motion for summary judgment and upheld the legality of the $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B visa petitions. Chamber of Commerce of the USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, No. 1:25-cv-03675 (D.D.C. Dec. 23, 2025).

President Donald Trump’s Sept. 19, 2025, Presidential Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Burma (Myanmar), Ethiopia, Haiti, and South Sudan will end in early 2026.

Employers of TPS beneficiaries from affected countries should closely review the timelines and automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) extensions, summarized below in order of termination date.

Employers…

  • 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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Related links

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…