The Second Trump Administration and Immigration: Changes, Challenges and What to Expect?
Based on the election campaign and results, it is clear that the second Trump administration will bring significant changes and challenges to most (if not all) immigration processes. We explore the potential directions a second Trump administration could take regarding immigration with focus on employment-based immigration. We provide an overview of the possible challenges to hopefully allow impacted employers and [...]
November 2024 Visa Bulletin – No Changes to EB Categories
The U.S. State Department has released the November 2024 Visa Bulletin which is the second Visa Bulletin for the new fiscal year. The headline in the month’s Visa Bulletin is the fact that there is no movement at all in any of the employment-based categories with reminders that EB-2/EB-3 India Filing Dates may not advance meaningfully for “several fiscal years.” [...]
Understanding the EB-1A Visa Category: A Gateway for Extraordinary Individuals
The Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1A) visa category serves as a crucial pathway for individuals who possess extraordinary abilities in their respective fields, whether in the arts, sciences, business, or athletics. Designed to attract top talent from around the globe, the EB-1A visa allows these individuals to immigrate to the United States without the need for a job offer or employer [...]
DV-2026 Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery Opens October 2, 2024
The Department of State has announced the DV-2026 Diversity Visa (a.k.a. “green card”) lottery dates. The dates for electronic entry submission for this year’s lottery are between noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), on Thursday, November 7, 2024 (extended from the previous deadline on November 5th). Applicants may access [...]
Happy New (Fiscal) Year – The New Government Fiscal Year and Immigration
While few, if any, of our clients and readers spent too much time planning and celebrating, October 1st is an important date as it marks the beginning of the new government fiscal year. The beginning of the new fiscal year turnover has immigration implications for many — for example, H-1B cap petitions are becoming effective and the quotas [...]
New H-1B Status Holders Become Subject to FICA Withholding
October 1 is the first day of the government fiscal year and also the date when H-1B “cap” applicants in the U.S. have their status changed automatically to H-1B. This is a reminder that employees who may not have been subject to FICA taxes previously (for example, F-1 status holders) are now subject to such withholding. […]