State Department and USCIS Announce That the FY 2025 EB-2 Immigrant Visa Limit Has Been Reached
The United States State Department (DOS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have announced the exhaustion of all available immigrant visas in the Employment-Based Second Preference Advanced Degree category (EB-2) for the 2025 fiscal year,...
Proposed Rule Issued to Eliminate D/S Admissions of F-1, J-1, and I Nonimmigrants
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a Proposed Rule that would eliminate the Duration of Status (D/S) admission for F-1 academic students, J-1 exchange visitors, and I representatives of information media. A D/S admission means that a...
State Department to Require Payment of Bond for Certain B Visa Applicants
The United States Department of State has issued a temporary final rule that creates a pilot program that will impose a bond requirement on certain B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visitor visa applicants. This pilot program will begin on August 20, 2025, and will be in effect...
USCIS Introduces Proposed Rule to Replace Random H-1B Cap Registration Application Selection Process With a “Weighted” Process that Will Prioritize Applications with the Highest Offered Wages
What Has Happened? On July 17 of this year, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) submitted to the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a proposed regulation entitled Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to...
U.S. State Department Updates Guidance on Waivers of Nonimmigrant Visa Interviews
The United States State Department has announced that, effective September 2, 2025, the categories of nonimmigrant visa applications that may be eligible for a waiver of the personal interview with a consular officer will be updated. As of September 2, 2025, the only...
USCIS Announces that the FY 2026 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap or quota, as well as the 20,000 H-1B exemption for holders of advanced degrees from...
August 2025 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action EB Cut-Off Dates Will Once Again Apply; Minor Retrogression in Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines EB-2 Category; Minor Forward Movement in India EB-3 Category
The U.S. Department of State has released its August 2025 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...
Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Once Again Enjoined on Nationwide Basis
The United Supreme Court reviewed last month Trump vs. Casa, Inc., a case challenging the legality of the Trump administration’s January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14160 (“EO”) entitled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, that denies United States...
State Department to Resume Processing of F-1, M-1, and J-1 Visa Applications; Close Scrutiny of Applicants’ Social Media Accounts Expected
The State Department issued on June 18 an announcement entitled “Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants” that indicates that consulates have been instructed to resume the processing of F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applications in the near...
July 2025 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action EB Cut-Off Dates Will Once Again Apply; Slight Forward Movement in Various EB Categories
The U.S. Department of State has released its July 2025 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 approvals....