Timely insights, unique benchmarks and peer focus groups for in-house immigration professionals

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WHAT YOU GET

Built for in-house immigration teams
navigating what's next

Join the country's largest community of immigration professionals who want more than headlines. As a member, you'll get:

Benchmarking

Data-driven insights that help immigration professionals adapt to rapidly changing immigration policies.

Events

Exclusive access to off-the-record focus groups, in-person experiences and virtual events that help professionals network and learn.

Insights

Timely, insider updates written by experts and former government officials that go beyond the headlines.

Consulting

Strategic and technical support to help your company manage your program, communicate with stakeholders and assess compliance gaps.

HOW IT WORKS

A simple way to stay ahead — and contribute

BAL Community is designed for in-house professionals who don’t have time to sort signal from noise. Here’s how it works:

  1. 01

    Complete a membership request form.

  2. 02

    All requests are reviewed, and approved members will receive a welcome email within a few days.

  3. 03

    Receive member-exclusive insights, benchmarking, and event invitations to your inbox.

  4. 04

    Participate as opportunities are released.

“It is my good fortune to be a part of the BAL Community. The insightful articles, timely updates and informative webinars help immigration professionals do their best work.”

BAL Community Member

“Thank you for curating this forum. It is immensely helpful as a leader of a U.S. immigration program."

BAL Community Member

“Thank you for existing! This community has kept me better informed as to what is happening in immigration (what I need to be concerned with, what likely will disappear, etc.).”

BAL Community Member

RESOURCES

What you’ll unlock from
BAL Community

Membership includes high-value expert content and peer insights designed for in-house immigration professionals:

  • Birthright citizenship decision — What does it mean?

    On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark 6–3 decision that reshapes how federal courts can block presidential policies—specifically, those affecting birthright citizenship. While the ruling does not settle the constitutionality of President Trump’s executive order to end automatic citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders, it significantly limits how and where such policies can be challenged.

    The case centered on executive order 14160, signed by President Trump on his first day of his second term. The order seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on U.S. soil unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or active-duty military member.

    Sign up for more

  • Preparing for enhanced vetting and future travel bans

    Today we’re diving into one of the executive orders President Trump issued on Jan. 20, focused on national security and public safety. While it does not immediately implement travel bans, it reinstates enhanced vetting, outlines a process for future restrictions and expands scrutiny of applicants.

  • US immigration policy trends and 2024 organizational updates

    Drawing on peer data and real world program practices, this policy trend and organizational update benchmarking report highlights common trends, emerging shifts and areas of focus for in house immigration programs. The insights show how policies and practices are evolving and help organizations assess where they align with their peers.

    Survey questions included addressing different aspects of the organization’s documentation process. Most organizations reported having formal documentation in place to address policy changes with many already updating or planning updates for this year. Common changes include green card sponsorship requirements, dependent support, premium processing and broader employment-based policy adjustments.

    Sign up for more

  • Has your organization updated its US immigration policies in 2024?

    As organizations continue to evaluate and update their U.S. immigration policies in 2024, attention is increasingly turning to how programs are staffed and supported. Team size and case volume vary widely, often reflecting the scale and complexity of an organization’s foreign national population. This snapshot explores how immigration teams are structured across organizations and where staffing approaches tend to diverge.

  • Community conversations | Immigration policy updates

    BAL Senior Counsel Betsy Lawrence and Partners Kelli Duehning and Eileen Lohmann briefed Community members on key immigration policy updates to consider in 2026. They covered various visa and travel restrictions, including the immigrant visa pause affecting 75 countries, enhanced social media vetting for visa applications and ongoing visa appointment delays, particularly those impacting Indian nationals.

    The policy experts also discussed the increase in worksite enforcement and shared practical steps organizations can take to prepare for unexpected visits. In addition, they reviewed recent updates to USCIS adjudications and outlined considerations to help reduce the risk of gaps in employment authorization. Duehning, Lawrence and Lohmann also reviewed the H-1B Proclamation and highlighted what employers should keep in mind regarding the new weighted lottery and $100k fee.

    Sign up for more

  • Breaking update | Day 1 Trump executive orders

    After the Trump administration took several actions on day one in office, Partners Lynden Melmed and Eileen Lohmann hosted an urgent virtual meeting to walk through key executive orders impacting corporate immigration. They discussed anticipated travel restrictions, potential changes to birthright citizenship and how enhanced vetting could affect foreign nationals.

  • Proposed H-1B modernization rule | Nov. 2023

    Facilitated by BAL Partner Kelli Duehning and Senior Associate Steve Plastrik, this focus group provided in-house immigration professionals with a platform to review and exchange perspectives on the Biden administration’s proposed H-1B modernization rule, with a focus on anticipated program impacts and potential strategic responses.

    The discussion highlighted key elements of the rule, including changes to what qualifies as a specialty occupation, the codification of deference to prior approvals and added flexibility for research organizations and modern work arrangements. Participants also explored how these updates could affect employer strategies moving forward and what considerations organizations should keep in mind as the rule continues to develop.

    Sign up for more

  • Domestic visa renewal pilot | Jan. 2024

    The U.S. Department of State launched a domestic visa renewal pilot allowing certain H-1B visas to be renewed within the U.S., aimed at reducing visa wait times. In this discussion, attendees reviewed the program and exchanged perspectives on eligibility, implementation considerations and potential strategies in response to the Biden administration’s rollout.

Join 1,000+ of your in-house immigration peers

BAL Community membership connects you with industry professionals and unlocks insights from top immigration experts. Here’s what our impact looked like in 2025:

1,000+

Total Members

575

Companies Represented

~101k

Foreign National Employees Represented in Benchmarking

134

Newsletters Sent

43

events, including focus groups and webinars

Events

Discover the trends and challenges facing immigration programs

Join expert-led sessions to uncover key insights and proven strategies and make meaningful connections with peers.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking

In-depth analysis of how peers are navigating immigration

Best practices

Best practices

Expert tips for managing corporate immigration programs

Experiences

Experiences

Unique opportunities to learn from and connect with industry insiders

Insights

Insights

Timely discussions with immigration experts, and current and former government officials

View from the top

View from the top

Immigration intelligence from top government decision-makers

FAQ

What you should know

Who is eligible to join?

BAL Community is open to in-house professionals who handle immigration or need to know about immigration (e.g., managers, recruiters and executives). Your organization does not need to be a client of BAL. Organizations that provide legal services to third parties may require preapproval from BAL Community leaders. Each request is reviewed, and approved members will be notified with a welcome email upon acceptance.

Are individuals/foreign nationals permitted to join?

Unfortunately, no. BAL Community is limited to in-house professionals who handle immigration or need to know about immigration (e.g., managers, recruiters and executives).

How does BAL Community save my company money?

BAL Community makes in-house professionals more effective by delivering clear, concise information in a timely manner. From sample communications to benchmarking data to industry trends, in-house professionals can accomplish more with less.

Can my company cancel its membership?

Yes, you may cancel at any time. Please email community@bal.com and allow 30 days to cancel your membership.

Do members contribute to topics and agenda?

Absolutely. All members get frequent opportunities to drive benchmarking, topics and speakers. Members also have the opportunity to engage directly with guest speakers.

Do I need to be a client of BAL?

No. BAL Community is open to any in-house professional who handles immigration or needs to know about immigration (e.g., managers, recruiters and executives). Your organization does not need to be a client of BAL. Organizations that provide legal services to third parties may require preapproval from BAL Community leaders. Each request is reviewed, and approved members will be notified with a welcome email upon acceptance.

How is benchmarking conducted?

BAL Community engages in benchmarking for both policies (e.g., when does a company sponsor someone for a green card) and data trends (e.g., is there a systemic increase in Requests for Evidence). An opt-in model is utilized, meaning BAL Community will not use or share information or data without the express, prior agreement of the company. Community may at times limit benchmarking results to companies that participate in the particular survey.

 

Under any scenario, benchmarking results are anonymized to protect the confidential nature of the data. BAL Community will never attribute responses to a specific company or disclose the identity of participants to other Community members without express, prior agreement. Community members also agree not to share benchmarking results outside of their organization. When BAL segments benchmarking data by company size and industry, it ensures that sample sizes are sufficient to protect the anonymity and confidentiality of the data.

Can BAL Community members request benchmarking questions?

Absolutely, that is one of the benefits of joining BAL Community! We want members to participate in benchmarking, and that includes letting BAL Community know which topics and data would be most useful and actionable to their program.

What other professional organizations should I join?

A key benefit of joining BAL Community is to learn about the wide range of business and trade associations that support the industry. BAL Community members will get to hear directly from those organizations and learn about their mission and membership benefits. To see a list of upcoming speakers, please visit the Events section.

JOIN BAL COMMUNITY

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Sign up once and get access to expert content, community intelligence and real-time updates — when and where you need them most.