USCIS has announced the H-1B CAP lottery registration period for FY2026. The registration period will be from March 7th to March 24th; USCIS will issue selection notifications by March 31st, allowing petitioners to file H-1B CAP cases beginning on April 1st.
During the
Continue Reading FY2026 H1B Cap Initial Registration Period AnnouncedBy: Dawn Lurie, Mia Batista, and Fanny Wong
On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration issued the Securing Our Borders executive order, citing national security, crime prevention, and the protection of American interests as justification for terminating categorical parole programs for certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. Then
Continue Reading Venezuelan 2023 TPS and CHNV Parole Get the Axe—What Employers Need to KnowIf you have been following immigration news and are wondering how changes in Washington might affect your workforce, you are not alone. Senate Joint Resolution 8 (S.J. Res. 8) in the 119th Congress aims to undo a USCIS regulation that grants certain eligible applicants a 540-day automatic extension of their
Continue Reading Countdown to Chaos? The 540-Day EAD Extension in Legislative CrosshairsBy: Peace Ibe and Mia Batista
In a significant policy update, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially waived the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for individuals applying for Adjustment of Status (AOS). Effective January 22, 2024, USCIS will no longer require applicants to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of
Continue Reading USCIS Removes COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Adjustment of Status ApplicantsBy: Dawn Lurie, Olivia Scofield, and Isabella Cohen
This blog was updated from a Seyfarth Legal Alert published on January 16.
On January 10, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced important changes that will benefit noncitizens who have applied for or currently hold Temporary Protected
Continue Reading Parting Gifts from the Biden Administration: TPS Extensions Ukraine, Venezuela, El Salvador, and SudanBy: Dawn Lurie, Mahsa Aliaskari, and Brooke Gary
Along with the New Year, January 1st also marks the implementation of a new Visa Bulletin by the U.S. Department of State.
Each month, the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) chooses whether it will follow the Dates
Continue Reading January 2025 Visa Bulletin: Key Highlights and Implications
With an incoming administration vocal about its stance on immigration enforcement and safeguarding U.S. workers, employers who hire foreign workers on H-1B visas should make certain that they are maintaining compliance with U.S. immigration regulations. To avoid potential fines, penalties, or jeopardizing the status and work authorization of H-1B employees
Continue Reading Keeping Your Ducks in H-1B Row: Compliance Strategies for Employers
Recent Changes to Submission Requirements
As of December 2, 2024, USCIS has updated its policy to require that Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, be submitted along with Form I-485, which is the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Previously, applicants could submit the
Continue Reading Navigating the Medical Examination Requirement for Form I-485: A Comprehensive Guide
The Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) immigrant visa category is designed to attract top and critical talent to the U.S. This category includes individuals with extraordinary abilities in fields such as science, arts, education, business, or athletics (EB-1A); outstanding professors and researchers (EB-1B); and multinational executives or managers (EB-1C). It provides
Continue Reading Understanding the First Preference Extraordinary Ability Category for Immigrant Visas and USCIS’s New GuidanceThe Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is a law designed to help certain young people (children of immigrants) keep their eligibility for U.S. immigration benefits, even if they turn 21 years old during the application process. Normally, when a child of an immigrant turns 21, they “age out” of being
Continue Reading The Child Status Protection Act & USCIS Extraordinary Circumstances Policy Updates