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The Department of State announced on Sept. 9, that the annual limit for Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) immigrant visas and the “Other Workers” (EW) subcategory has been reached for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Key Points: All available EB-3 and EW visas for FY 2025 have
The Department of State announced on Sept. 8, that the annual limit for Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) immigrant visas has been reached for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Key Points: All available EB-1 visas for FY 2025 have now been issued, and embassies and consulates will
The State Department updated its guidance on Sept. 6 for all nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants scheduling visa interview appointments, effective immediately. Key Points: According to the Visa Office, NIV applicants “should schedule their visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality
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 Sept. 1, the department is adjudicating PERM applications filed in June 2024 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the 2021 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Venezuela. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the designation will end at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2025, 60 days after the planned
The French government provided updates on salary thresholds for “Talent” residence permits, including a new standardized salary threshold as of Aug. 29, 2025. Key Points: The “Talent — Qualified Employee” residence permit now uses a standardized salary threshold based on
The Department of State announced on Sept. 2 that the annual limit for Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) immigrant visas has been reached for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Key Points: All available EB-2 visas for FY 2025 have now been issued, and
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced an update to implementation of the 2023 H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) final rule following a district court’s recent order vacating the final rule. Key Points: The 2023 H-2A AEWR final rule
Effective Aug. 29, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now accepts electronic bank payments for immigration filing fees via Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions. Key Points: USCIS has updated its Policy Manual to include
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security published a Federal Register Notice (FRN) on Aug. 28, 2025, providing notice to the public on new and updated immigration-related fees that will take effect Sept. 30, 2025, and apply to fiscal year
The State Department announced that starting Nov. 1, 2025, the National Visa Center (NVC) will schedule immigrant visa applicants in their country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality. Key Points: In an Aug. 28 update, the State Department said it “is now requiring” immigrant visa
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that nearly all H-2B visa slots for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2026 have been filled. Key Points: As of Aug. 26, 2025, USCIS has approved 19,346 beneficiaries and has 10,725 pending petitions for the first half of
The Department of Homeland Security published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register today that would change the “duration of status” admission policy for F, J and most I nonimmigrant visa holders to a fixed time period. Key Points: Currently, F (academic student),
The Transportation Security Administration announced the implementation of the One Stop Security pilot program, allowing eligible international travelers to bypass TSA rescreening upon arrival in the U.S. Key Points: One Stop Security enables passengers arriving from certain foreign airports to skip TSA rescreening when connecting to
On Aug. 21, a federal judge ruled that the State Department cannot use the Trump administration’s travel ban to refuse the final processing of visa applications for a group of 84 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners. Key Points: On Aug. 21, Federal Judge Sparkle Sookanan of
Federal agencies announced several immigration-related actions and policies the week of Aug. 18-22 that could impact employers, including an ongoing review of all U.S. visas. Key Points: Nationwide U.S. visa review: Responding to a direct query from the Associated Press, on Aug. 21 the State Department
The Department of Homeland Security released an update regarding an Aug. 20 appellate court ruling allowing the agency to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for “aliens” from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua. Key Points: DHS published a Federal Register Notice on June
Senior Counsel Tiffany Derentz, a member of BAL’s Sport and Entertainment and Government Strategies groups, wrote an op-ed for The Hill that outlines how the Club World Cup prepared the U.S. for mega sporting events immigration success — and what still needs improvement. The article reviews the logistical achievements