Initial FY 2027 H-1B Cap Registration Period Will Open on March 4, 2026, and Run Until March 19, 2026
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap registration selection process will open at 9am Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The registration period will close at...
DOS to “Pause” Immigrant Visa Processing for Nationals of 75 Countries
In an official announcement on its website, the State Department (DOS) has indicated that it will “pause” immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 “high risk” countries. These countries are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan,...
February 2026 Visa Bulletin Issued: Dates for Filing EB Cut-Off Dates Will Apply; Minor Forward Movement in Both Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates for the Rest of the World, Mexico and the Philippines EB-3 Category
The U.S. Department of State has released its February 2026 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular immigrant visa application interviews and...
USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees on March 1, 2026
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a final rule that increases the agency’s fees for the Premium Processing of various nonimmigrant petitions and applications and immigrant petitions. These increases are relatively modest and are...
Reports of Nonimmigrant Visa Stamp Revocations Based on Interactions with United States Law Enforcement
T&S has received reports from multiple reliable sources that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has “prudentially” revoked some nonimmigrant visa stamps (including B-1/B-2, H-1B, TN, L-1, and O-1 visas) held by individuals who have had an interaction with a law...
U.S. District Court Upholds $100,000 H-1B Fee
In a detailed decision published on December 23, 2025, a federal district court judge in Washington, D.C. ruled in favor of the administration on the issue of President Trump’s September 19 Proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions. The Chamber...
H-1B Weighted Lottery Rule Promulgated Without Change for Next Year’s H-1B Cap Lottery
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule implementing, without change, the weighted H-1B lottery process contained in the September 2025 proposed rule. The weighted lottery rule increases the odds of selection for H-1B lottery registrations...
U.S. Government’s Travel Ban Extended and Expanded to Additional Countries
Since June 9, 2025, travel into the United States by citizens of 19 countries has been fully or partially restricted, as described in our prior news alert. The June travel ban imposed two categories of visa restrictions on 19 countries in total. 12 countries...
Canada: Updated NOC Prevailing Wage Rates
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) prevailing wage rates have been updated. Employers with temporary foreign workers on LMIA-based work permits are responsible for reviewing these rates and adjusting salaries where required. The latest wage information can...
Switzerland Update: Permit Quota Numbers for 2026
The Swiss Federal Council has confirmed the work permit quotas for 2026 as follows: EU/EFTA Nationals: L permits: 3,000 B permits: 500 Non-EU/EFTA Nationals: L permits: 4,000 B permits: 4,500 These numbers remain unchanged from 2025. UK Nationals: To support the...