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Articles Posted in Highly Skilled Workers

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DHS Finalizes Rule Replacing Random H‑1B Lottery with Wage-Based Weighted Selection for 2026

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule that replaces the longstanding random H‑1B cap lottery with a wage‑level‑based weighted selection system, set to take effect in time for the fiscal year 2027 H‑1B cap season beginning in March 2026. Under the new rule, beneficiaries registered…

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Major Shifts in U.S. Immigration Policy: Family Parole Programs Ended & Social Media Screening Begins for H-1B and H-4 Consular Visa Applicants

DHS Ends Family Reunification Parole Programs On December 12, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is terminating all categorical Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for citizens of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras, including their immediate family members. These programs allowed certain relatives…

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DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization: What You Need to Know

On October 29, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an interim final rule that will end the automatic extension of employment authorization documents (EADs) for most renewal applicants effective October 30, 2025. In this post, we’ll unpack what’s changing, who it affects, the rationale behind the change, and…

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New USCIS Guidance Clarifying Who Pays $100,000 H-1B Fee

On September 19, 2025, the President issued a Proclamation on the Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, requiring any new H-1B petitions to include an additional $100,000 payment as a condition for eligibility. Following the President’s announcement, USCIS released clarification on the new fee requirement, specifying that the surcharge…

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DHS Proposes Rule to Increase H-1B Lottery Selection Odds for Higher-Paid Workers

On September 24, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule that would change the current selection process for selecting H-1B visa petitions subject to the annual numerical limits established by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the proposed rule, the current random lottery system would be…

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Trump Administration Plans to Change Selection Process for H-1B High-Skilled Workers and Naturalization Exams

In a recent interview with the New York Times, published on July 25th the new director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Joseph Edlow told reporters that the agency is planning sweeping changes to the way the agency awards visas for H-1B high-skilled workers in specialty occupations. Under…

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New Proposed Rule Re-Evaluates Selection Process for H-1B Visa Workers

A new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed rule known as RIN 1615-AD01 “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions,” seeks to make radical changes to the selection process for new H-1B specialty occupation cap-subject visas. On Thursday last week, the proposed rule was…

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USCIS Releases FY 2026 H-1B Cap Season Statistics

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released detailed statistics and data regarding the number of beneficiaries selected during the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap season, highlighting the highly competitive nature of the visa process. Each year, the H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign…

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May Visa Bulletin: Minimal Movement for Employment-Based Categories and Modest Movement for Some Family-Sponsored Categories

We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the May 2025 Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and…

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BREAKING NEWS: The H-1B FY 2026 Initial Lottery and Selection Process Has Been Completed

In this blog post, we bring you an important announcement regarding the H-1B visa fiscal year (FY) 2026 cap season. Today, March 31st the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient electronic registrations during the initial registration period to meet the annual numerical limitations for fiscal year…