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Articles Posted in Nonimmigrant Visas

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Trump Faces First Legal Challenge Over $100,000 H‑1B Entry Fee

On October 3, 2025, a coalition of labor unions, healthcare providers, academic institutions, and religious groups, filed a lawsuit urging a federal court to strike down the $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B petitions by the Trump administration for workers outside the United States. What the Lawsuit Says The lawsuit,…

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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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New Executive Order Halts Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrant Workers Unless $100,000 Fee is Paid for New Petitions

The legal immigration landscape was shaken once again late Friday evening when the President issued a new proclamation barring new H-1B workers from entering the United States—unless their employers pay a $100,000 fee for each sponsored employee. The proclamation took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 21, and…

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New U.S. Visa Rules: Applying at U.S. Embassy in Your Place of Residence or Country of Nationality Now Required

Flickr Creative Commons Attribution Jeroen Akkermans In the last months, the U.S. Department of State released two significant policy updates that impact both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants. These updates focus on a core change: applicants will now be required to have their visa interviews in their place of residence…

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Happy Labor Day from the Law Office of Jacob Sapochnick!

As we celebrate the contributions of hardworking individuals across the nation, we want to take a moment to thank you — our valued clients — for your trust and partnership. We’re proud to support individuals and families who work tirelessly to build new lives, strengthen their communities, and pursue opportunities…

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Deadly Crash Leads to Temporary Pause of Work Visas for Commercial Truck Drivers Seeking H-2B, E-2, or EB-3 Classification

On August 21, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department is temporarily pausing the issuance of work visas for foreign nationals seeking employment as commercial truck drivers in the U.S. “Increasing numbers of foreign drivers behind the wheels of large tractor-trailers on America’s roads are putting…

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Trump Administration Limits Interview Waiver Policy: What Visa Applicants Need to Know (Effective September 2, 2025)

Starting September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State will implement major changes that limit eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers. Under the State Department’s new revised policy, most applicants—including children under 14 and adults over 79—will be required to attend an in-person interview with a U.S. consular officer, with…

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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 Announces New Annual Fees for Asylum Seekers, Increases TPS Registration Fees, and Makes Changes to EAD Validity Periods

On Tuesday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue a Federal Register notice enforcing new fees for certain immigration benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. Benefit requests submitted to the agency without the proper fees will be rejected. These new fees are part of the…