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BAL proudly celebrates the recognition of 57 exceptional attorneys in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. In another year of excellence, 28 attorneys were named to the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America and 29 attorneys
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shared an update regarding its compliance with a federal court stay postponing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua until Nov. 18, 2025. Key Points: On June 6, the Department of
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced it has published third quarter (Q3) of fiscal year (FY) 2025 public disclosure data and selected program statistics, along with an updated H-2B foreign labor recruiter list. Key Points: The OFLC’s Q3 release includes final determinations from Oct.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a memo on Aug. 15 providing guidance on the “good moral character” (GMC) standard as an eligibility factor for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. Key Points: USCIS calls the policy guidance “an improved direction for making GMC determinations and signals
The State Department updated global visa wait times on Aug. 18, 2025. The average wait times reported do not guarantee a visa applicant will get an appointment within a specific time. U.S. embassies and consulates regularly release additional appointment slots. Applicants who want an earlier appointment slot
China’s State Council is introducing a new visa category for eligible young science and technology professionals, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Key Points: The new K visa policy is being launched as an amendment to the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration
The Vietnamese government issued Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, providing greater flexibility and streamlined processes for companies managing foreign national workers in Vietnam. Key Points: Short-term work mission periods have been extended from 30 days up to three times per year to 90 days per calendar year. Foreign
The National Migration Institute (INM) is experiencing severe delays in immigration processing, disproportionately affecting cases submitted before the Immigration Office in Mexico City. Key Points: These delays are largely due to significant staffing changes and operational restructuring at INM. Online appointment availability is extremely limited for many immigration processes. Nationals
EducationUSA is hosting eight free education fairs across India from Aug. 9-17, connecting undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and their parents with accredited U.S. universities. Key Points: EducationUSA is a U.S. State Department network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India have launched an official WhatsApp channel to share consular updates, alerts and relevant announcements. Key Points: U.S. citizens in India can now receive consular updates and alerts through the official WhatsApp channel, “U.S. Citizen Consular Information: INDIA.” (the only
The U.S. State Department released the September 2025 Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced filings for employment-based visa preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart in this bulletin. Review BAL’s employer’s
Effective July 1, 2025, the Vietnamese government launched VNeID, a national electronic identification platform, for all foreign nationals holding Temporary Residence Cards (TRCs). Key Points: To register for VNeID, applicants must physically submit their application at the immigration office in the city where their TRC was issued with the following required
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) urges 2025 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2025) entrants from Great Britain and its dependent areas to visit the Entrant Status Check and confirm whether their entry has been selected in the DV program. Key Points: The DOS found that the
As of Aug. 7, 2025, U.S. Embassy Harare in Zimbabwe has paused all routine visa operations, including applications for immigrant visas and most nonimmigrant visas. Key Points: Applications for A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-4, C-2 and C-3 diplomatic and official visas will continue to be
The State Department published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on Aug. 5 proposing to amend regulations for the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program to “enhance program integrity and reduce fraud.” Public comments are open until Sept. 19, 2025. Key Points: The proposed
Update on applications received for requested date of need from April 1, 2025 (fiscal year (FY) 2025 second half of the visa cap): The Department of Labor reported that as of Aug. 2, a total of 8,928 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) recently published technical notes for the Occupational Employment Wage and Statistics (OEWS) update on prevailing wage data for the wage year from July 2025 to June 2026, and will apply the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes effective
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs announced that more English Language Tests (ELTs) are now accepted for Australian visa purposes and that ELT requirements will be updated for the Skills in Demand (SID) visa. Key Points: Nine ELTs are accepted for
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a Federal Register Notice in July announcing a series of immigration fees to be collected under the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill. Any form postmarked on or after Aug. 21, 2025, without the proper filing fee will be rejected. Key Points:
The Department of Labor posted the latest processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests. PERM Processing Times: As of Aug. 1, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in April 2024 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in