Update 07/29/2026 On July 24, 2026, the First Circuit Court of Appeals refused the government's request to stay the District Court's order overturning the $100,000 H1B visa fee. The fee is therefore currently, and as of the date of this writing, not in effect. USCIS...
DHS proposes wage-based selection system for annual H-1B cap lottery
Sep 25, 2025
Update: December 23, 2025 On December 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the proposed changes to the H-1B cap selection system in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) discussed below would become the subject of a final rule,...
Presidential Proclamation Imposes $100,000 Fee on Certain H1B Entries
Sep 19, 2025
Disclaimer: Any foreign national considering international travel should have an attorney review the particular circumstances of their case. UPDATE 09/24/2025Since President Trump released his proclamation on Friday, September 19, 2025, imposing a $100,000 fee on...
New Policies Requiring Visa Interviews in Applicants’ Home Countries
Sep 9, 2025
On September 6, 2025, the Department of State announced a policy that applicants must apply for nonimmigrant visas in their home countries. This policy reverses years of flexibility in interview location choice: the prior policy allows applicants to interview anywhere...
Update on Visa Interview Waivers
Jul 28, 2025
On July 25, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) announced an updated visa interview waiver policy, which will take effect on September 2, 2025. Previously, visa interviews could be waived for applicants who previously held most types of visas in the same category that...
Update on Visa Interview Waivers
Feb 18, 2025
On February 18, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) announced an updated visa interview waiver policy, which took effect sometime in the last week. Previously, visa interviews were waived for nonimmigrant visa applicants applying for any nonimmigrant visa...
DHS announces expansion of STEM degree list for OPT extensions
Jul 23, 2024
International students who graduate from U.S. universities are able to remain here and receive training through work experience for up to twelve months. This is known as Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students who graduate from a designated science, technology,...
USCIS adopts new fee schedule effective April 1, 2024
Jan 30, 2024
Updated March 28, 2024On January 30, 2024, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had published a final rule to adopt a new filing fee schedule. This is the first new fee schedule issued by USCIS since 2016. In its Frequently Asked...
Update on Visa Interview Waivers
Jan 4, 2024
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced an updated visa interview waiver policy, which took effect on January 1, 2024. The policy both expands and limits the policy that was in place for 2023 and is in place until further notice. ...

















