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Twelve BAL attorneys are named in the 2025 Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers list. The list recognizes lawyers who make a significant impact, specifically regarding recent matters handled and cutting-edge litigation, as well as those who are consistently turned to for guidance in trending immigration issues.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized by a prestigious publication like Lawdragon,” said Frieda Garcia, Managing Partner at BAL. “It’s even more rewarding to see so many BAL attorneys on the list. Our team strives to do impactful work in immigration law every day, and this recognition helps celebrate that effort.”
The following BAL attorneys were honored by Lawdragon this year:
In addition, Partner Emeritus Jeff Appleman was named to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame, recognizing outstanding lawyers who have made a remarkable contribution to the profession.
The full list of 2025 Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers can be viewed here.
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.
Key Points:
This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
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 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.
The U.S. State Department released the June Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced filings for employment-based visa preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart. India dates remain the same and China shows slight advancement in EB-2 and EB-3 visa categories.
Final Action Dates:
EB-1 visa
EB-2 visa
EB-3 visa
Final Action Dates Chart for Employment-Based Visa Applications
The Department of Homeland Security announced it is terminating the designation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) effective July 14, 2025.
Additional Information: DHS previously announced in September 2023 that it had extended the redesignation of Afghanistan for TPS from Nov. 21, 2023, to May 20, 2025. DHS estimates that approximately 11,700 Afghan nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan) hold TPS under Afghanistan’s designation.
The termination of the designation is subject to litigation. BAL will continue to monitor this litigation and related cases.
The State Department has launched the Immigrant Visa (IV) Scheduling Status Tool to give visa applicants an idea of when to expect their immigrant visa interview.
Additional Information: Further guidance on how to use and interpret the IV Tool, interview preparation, expediting a visa application and other information can be found on the State Department’s IV Tool page.
The State Department has also updated its Global Visa Wait Times page with additional information on the average time nonimmigrant visa applicants waited for an interview in the previous month and included a filter tool to more easily access information by desired city/post, visa classification and other categories. Excerpts from the latest global visa wait times as of April 25, 2025, of some of the city/posts with the most visa issuances can be found here.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the implementation of its REAL ID enforcement measures at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints nationwide. Travelers with a noncompliant ID will now face additional screening measures.
Additional Information: DHS noted that “TSA expects the number of passengers obtaining REAL IDs to steadily increase and will continue with additional screening measures for those without a REAL ID until it is no longer considered a security vulnerability.”
Find more summer travel reminders here.
The Labor Department posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests.
PERM Processing Times: As of April 30, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in December 2023 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in March 2025 and earlier.
PWD Processing Times: As of April 30, the National Prevailing Wage Center is completing the processing of PWD requests filed in:
Redeterminations were being considered on appeals filed in March 2025 and earlier for H-1B visa cases and January 2025 and earlier for PERM cases.
Center Director Reviews were being conducted for both H-1B visa cases and PERM cases filed in October 2024 and earlier.