On September 11, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would eliminate the up-to-60-day grace period currently available to certain foreign workers following termination of employment. The current grace...
On August 24, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that, if finalized, would add a new, separate fee of $103,265 to most H1B cap (lottery) petitions on top of all existing filing fees for H1B petitions counted...
Update: October 1, 2026 On September 30, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled against the $100,000 fee. This is the second court to rule this way, after a federal judge in Massachusetts, discussed below. For now, employers do not have to pay the $100,000 fee....
Several recent and proposed changes to U.S. immigration procedures could have significant practical implications for employers and visa holders. Here are some developments to watch: More USCIS filings may move online: USCIS has finalized an interim final rule,...
Update: USCIS has issued new Policy Manual guidance on the public charge ground of inadmissibility, and generally expanding the scope of inquiry, effective September 18, 2026, along with a revised edition of the Form I-485 required for filings as of September 18....
On May 21, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo addressing how officers should exercise their discretion when adjudicating Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications (Form I‑485) filed within the United States. Historically,...
On May 11, 2026, USCIS published a new interim final rule addressing how the agency will handle immigration filings containing invalid signatures. The rule becomes effective for filings received by USCIS on or after July 10, 2026. Under the new rule, if USCIS later...
March 31, 2026 On March 31, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory H1B visa “cap” for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The announcement states: “[USCIS] has received...
On January 30, 2026, USCIS announced the dates for the upcoming H-1B visa cap registration window. The window will open at noon ET (9am PT) on Wednesday March 4, 2026 and will close at noon ET (9am PT) on Thursday March 19, 2026. The registration fee will remain $215....
