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Update on applications received for requested date of need from Oct. 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025 (fiscal year (FY) 2025 first half of the visa cap):
The Department of Labor (DOL) reported that as of May 17, a total of 5,944 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 111,019 workers.
In April, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reached the additional H-2B visa cap made for returning workers for the early second half of FY 2025 with start dates from April 1 to May 14, 2025.
Update on applications received for requested date of need from April 1, 2025 (FY 2025 second half of the visa cap):
As of May 17, a total of 8,501 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 116,602 workers.
Additional Information: On May 15, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification published an updated Foreign Labor Recruiter List of names for the H-2B program as required by Temporary Employment of Foreign Workers in the United States federal regulations and to help ensure greater transparency the for the H-2B worker recruitment process and facilitate the interagency exchange of information within the U.S. government.
The list contains the name and location of persons or entities identified on Appendix C of Form ETA-9142B that were hired by, planning to engage or work on behalf of employers in the recruitment of prospective H-2B workers to perform the work described on their H-2B application and includes only those names and locations associated with H-2B applications that were processed or issued a Final Decision from Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2025.
The H-2B Foreign Labor Recruiter List for Q2 FY 2025 can be downloaded here.
This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
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On May 20, the Italian Parliament converted decree-law 36 into ordinary law, bringing significant reforms to the rules governing citizenship by descent.
Key Points:
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
The decree listing the “professions in tension,” or those with recruitment difficulties in various geographical regions, has been updated as of May 22, 2025.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services alerted employers of a recent E-Verify technical issue with Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security mismatch cases. The agency urges employers to take action to resolve the issue.
The European Commission announced the launch of a shared biometric matching service capable of performing fingerprint matching and enabling facial recognition.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided updates on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap process, noting a significant decrease in the total number of registrations submitted and eligible beneficiaries compared to FY 2025.
Additional Information: The chart below shows registration and selection numbers for FYs 2021–26:
The Home Office published a white paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” on May 12, sharing new policies to reduce migration and strengthen the U.K.’s borders.
Effective May 2, the French government introduced more relaxed EU Blue Card rules to expand professional experience eligibility and reduce work contract durations.
Background Information: The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit within the European Union for highly skilled, non-EU citizens. It allows them to live and work in an EU member state, facilitating their access to the labor market and fostering their mobility within the EU.
The State Department recently noted a change to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) clarifying that certain match officials can travel to the U.S. on a B-1 business visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Additional Information: The new policy language falls under 9 FAM 402.2-5 (C)(10) (U) Participants in International Sporting Events (CT:VISA-2145; 04-14-2025) and reads:
Referees, Judges and Technical Officials: A referee, judge, or technical official may be issued a B-1 visa if the applicant has been hired subject to a selection process to referee, judge, oversee, or officiate a sporting event with an international dimension (such as FIFA World Cup or the Olympics). Technical officials are responsible for applying the rules or regulations of individual sports to make judgments on performance, ranking, time or rule infringement, and ensure that all athletes can compete fairly (for example, timekeepers, weigh-in officials, starters, lane inspectors, and stroke and turn officials). Such aliens may not receive a salary or payment for services from a U.S. source, other than remuneration for incidental expenses.
The Labor Department posted the latest processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications a week after it posted April 30 updates. As of May 8, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in January 2024 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in March 2025 and earlier.
These dates reflect the month and year in which cases were filed and are currently being adjudicated. The Reconsideration Request date for reviewing appeals reflects the month and year in which cases that are currently being reviewed were appealed. For various reasons, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
Average Number of Days to Process PERM Applications
These dates reflect the amount of time to process applications. Actual processing times for each employer’s PERM application may vary from the average depending on material facts and individual circumstances of the case. OFLC is reporting the average processing time for all PERM applications for the most recent month.