Blogs
September Immigration Updates: What Employers and Foreign Nationals Need to Know
1. F-1 Rules Change September 15 Beginning September 15, F-1 students will transition from the traditional Duration of Status (D/S) framework to fixed periods of admission. For employers, one of the most practical changes will be the increased importance of monitoring...
The $103,265 H-1B Proposal: Headlines vs. Reality
Dear Clients and Friends, You may have seen headlines this week about a proposed $103,265 fee for certain H-1B petitions. Understandably, employers are asking: Does this affect us and how? For most employers, the immediate answer is no. The Department of Homeland...
The Four Documents Employers and F-1 Employees Must Track Under the New F-1 Rule
For most employees already working in valid OPT or STEM OPT status, nothing changes automatically on September 15, 2026. The most immediate change will arise after international travel. An employee who reenters the United States may receive a fixed I-94 expiration...
New F-1 Rule: What Employers Should Know About OPT and STEM OPT
Dear Clients and Friends, The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a significant change to the F-1 student visa framework. Beginning September 15, 2026, F-1 students will generally be admitted for a fixed period instead of “duration of status,” or D/S....
International Travel and Work Devices: What Employers Should Know About Border Searches
CBP electronic-device searches reached a record high in FY2025. The agency searched roughly 55,000 devices, about 17% more than in FY2024 and more than 30% above FY2023. The overall percentage remains very small, fewer than 0.01% of international travelers, but the...
New Rules Could Make Student Visas and H-1B Sponsorship Harder, But Employers Can Plan Ahead
One would change how long F-1 students may remain in the United States, transition to other statuses and progress in their studies. The other would raise prevailing wage requirements for H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM green card cases. Individually, each rule matters....
Important court decision may help move delayed USCIS cases forward!
A federal district court in Rhode Island has vacated several USCIS policies that had paused, delayed, or added negative discretionary weight to certain immigration benefit applications involving nationals of countries affected by the current travel-ban framework. This...
USCIS Adjustment of Status Policy Update: What It May Mean and What We Know So Far
Dear Clients and Friends, You may have seen the recent headlines about a new USCIS policy memorandum addressing the adjustment of status (AOS) process that allows certain green card applicants already in the United States to apply for permanent residence without...
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