A newly proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) could significantly reshape the cost and strategy of hiring foreign talent through the H-1B and PERM programs. The proposal, aimed at increasing wage protections for U.S. workers, is expected to drive up salary requirements—adding what some are calling “sticker…
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this post, we bring you the latest H-1B lottery news. On March 31, 2026, USCIS announced that they have selected enough beneficiaries from properly submitted electronic registrations to meet the H-1B regular cap and the U.S. advanced degree exemption for fiscal year 2027. With this…
On March 11, 2026, the U.S. Department of State published a final rule in the Federal Register requiring applicants to hold a valid passport before entering the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery—commonly known as the “green card lottery,” effective April 10, 2026. This change marks a return to a policy first…
A tragic case out of South Florida is raising serious concerns for teens pulled into the tight grip of immigration enforcement. A 19-year-old Mexican national, Royer Perez-Jimenez, recently died while in ICE custody at a detention facility, with early reports pointing to a possible suicide. The incident is still under…
We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the April 2026 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 adjustment of status filings to permanent…
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in the United States. TPS is a humanitarian program that allows people from countries affected by disasters or conflict to live and work in the U.S. legally, without fear…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking to gain access to a federal database designed to track child support payments—a move that could expand the government’s ability to locate individuals for immigration enforcement. According to reporting by ProPublica, officials have discussed whether DHS could obtain information from the Federal…
Source: Flickr Creative Commons Attribution Gage Skidmore On March 5, 2026, President Donald Trump announced the firing of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary and nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin to take her place at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Noem’s tenure had been controversial, drawing bipartisan…
Highlights Starting March 1, 2026, the premium processing fee for I-140 immigrant worker petitions and most Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker petitions will increase to $2,965, from $2,805. Fees for premium processing of certain I-129 petitions for nonimmigrant workers, I-539 petitions to extend/change nonimmigrant status, and I-765 EADs for OPT and…
We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the March 2026 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 adjustment of status filings to permanent…