Beginning March 1, 2026, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will restrict its flagship loan programs—like the 7(a) and 504 loans—to businesses that are 100 % owned by U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals whose primary residence is in the United States. Under the revised policy, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are no…
As the FY 2027 H-1B cap season approaches, employers will need to take additional steps to prepare for the new wage-based weighted selection system and to assess whether their petitions will be subject to the recently implemented $100,000 H-1B fee. Registration Opens March 4, 2026 USCIS recently announced that the…
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that the agency will increase the fees for premium processing service for certain employment-based applications and petitions on March 1, 2026 to reflect inflationary adjustments. Those who plan to file a request for premium processing postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include…
Nearly 200 immigrants, including six from Massachusetts, have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government over a sudden pause in processing green cards, citizenship applications, and asylum petitions. The pause was announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shortly after the Trump administration expanded travel restrictions to 39…
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…
The U.S. government has issued a revised travel ban that takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 1, 2026, significantly expanding restrictions on visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries and individuals travelling with Palestinian Authority–issued travel documents. Under the new presidential proclamation, immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are fully…
On August 29, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a major update to how filing fees for USCIS forms are paid. Starting October 28, 2025, all payments must be made electronically through ACH bank transfer from a U.S. bank account or with credit/debit cards. Paper checks and money…
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…
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,…
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…