With the current environment around immigration enforcement, now is a good time to revisit the rules governing F-1 student employment particularly the unemployment day limits that catch many students off guard. The Basics: What F-1 Students Can and Cannot Do International students on an F-1 visa have several avenues for lawful employment, but each comes...
Immigration Compliance
Recent headlines have brought increased attention to air travel after the announcement that ICE would be at multiple major airports. Many travelers are understandably asking: can you be stopped or denied entry at the airport, even with a valid visa? Understanding the process is more important than ever. Does a visa guarantee entry? No. A...
On January 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) titled Improving Continuity for Religious Organizations and Their Employees, introducing an important policy change affecting religious organizations and their foreign national religious workers in R-1 nonimmigrant status. The rule took effect immediately and is intended to provide greater...
Premium Processing is an optional service offered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that allows certain immigration petitions to be adjudicated on an expedited timeline in exchange for an additional government filing fee. When Premium Processing is requested, USCIS guarantees action on the case by issuing an approval, denial, request for evidence (RFE), or...
Jan262026
The FY 2027 H-1B lottery is approaching fast. But what will this year’s lottery look like? Will there even be a lottery? To qualify for an H-1B, employers are required to submit an electronic registration on behalf of potential candidates. Each year there is a total of 85,000 visas available, 65,000 of which are reserved...
The headlines have been dominated by talk of a proposed $100,000 H-1B filing fee. While that number grabs attention, it’s a distraction from the changes that will truly reshape the H-1B landscape. Employers should be far more focused on three key developments: prevailing wage increases, a weighted lottery system, and Project Firewall. Prevailing Wage Increases...
One of the most important requirements in the EB-5 process is proving that your investment funds come from a lawful source. A common question among potential investors is whether earnings from employment abroad can be used toward an EB-5 investment. The short answer is yes. Foreign salary income is a permissible source of EB-5 funds,...
Surprisingly, this Trump administration has not attacked the H-1B program, at least not with regard to filings through USCIS. Under the previous Trump Administration, we saw a huge uptick in requests for further evidence (RFEs), and denials and approval rates took a nosedive. Since Trump took office earlier this year, approval rates remain high, although...