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  • United States | USCIS G-1055 fee schedule form update

    USCIS recently published a new edition of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, removing fee waiver eligibility for Form I-131 for certain nonimmigrants. Key Points: The new 07/14/25 form edition removes fee waiver eligibility for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents,

  • United States | USCIS receives enough petitions to reach FY 2026 H-1B cap

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to reach the mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa master’s cap (the U.S. advanced degree exemption) for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Key Points: USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions otherwise exempt

  • United States | H-2B visa processing times as of July 12

    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 July 12, a total of 8,893 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this

  • United States | Senate confirms Joseph Edlow as USCIS director

    The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Joseph Edlow as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on July 15. The 52-47 vote was divided along party lines. As USCIS director, Edlow will play a key role in advancing President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, stating at his

  • Canada | 2025 PGP program invitations to be issued starting July 28

    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin issuing invitations to apply under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) starting July 28, 2025. Key Points: As BAL reported, IRCC plans to accept up to 10,000 complete applications for sponsorship under

  • United States | USCIS provides Form I-9 guidance regarding EADs issued under 2023 Venezuela TPS designation

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published guidance for employers regarding completion of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for certain beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Venezuela 2023 redesignation. Key Points: Beneficiaries of the TPS Venezuela 2023 redesignation who received certain TPS-related documentation on or

  • United States | August 2025 Visa Bulletin: Some dates retrogress for EB-2 visa category; India EB-3 advances 1 month

    The U.S. State Department released the August 2025 Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced filings for employment-based visa preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart in this bulletin. Final Action Dates for EB-2 visa country categories retrogressed

  • United States | H-2B visa lottery update for Oct. 1 work start date

    The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) published the randomized assignment groups for H-2B visa applications submitted July 3–5, 2025, with a start date of Oct. 1, 2025. Key Points: The OFLC completed the randomization and assignment process on July 6 for all 2,421 H-2B applications

  • United States | Global visa issuance continues steady climb

    The State Department recently published the Report of the Visa Office 2024 showing a steady climb in both immigrant visa and nonimmigrant visa issuance in fiscal year (FY) 2024. According to the report, the State Department issued a total of 612,258 immigrant visas, an increase of

  • United States | Congress passes reconciliation bill that includes major immigration provisions

    The reconciliation bill H.R.1, aka “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law on July 4, includes several immigration-related provisions, including new fees, as well as more than $140 billion allocated to border security and enforcement measures. Key Points: Titles IX and X include various immigration-related

  • United States | TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua termination effective Sept. 8

    The Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for both Honduras and Nicaragua, effective Sept. 8, 2025. Key Points: The TPS designation for both Honduras and Nicaragua was set to expire on July 5, 2025, but

  • United States | PERM processing times as of July 1

    The Labor Department posted the latest processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM). As of July 1, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in March 2024 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in May 2025 and earlier. These dates reflect the month and year

  • Canada | Updates to Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in effect

    The Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development made regulatory changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), enabling the program to better respond to labor market needs. Key Points: Changes to the OINP include: A new electronic Employer Portal for employers to

  • United States | DOL proposes rollback of April H-2A rule changes

    The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a notice for a proposed rule to rescind several provisions from its April 29, 2024, final rule governing the H-2A visa program. Key Points: The proposed rule aims to reduce regulatory burdens on employers (e.g., unnecessary costs and

  • Philippines | Clarification and guidance on issuance of Alien Employment Permits

    The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued supplemental guidelines for Department Order No. 248 to provide more information, clarification and guidance on the issuance of Alien Employment Permits (AEP). Key Points: Department Order No. 248 was published earlier this year, introducing changes to the

  • Italy | Plan approved to offer nearly 500,000 work visas for 2026-2028

    The Italian government gave preliminary approval to a draft of the migration decree, approving 497,550 work visas to be made available for non-European workers from 2026 through 2028. Key Points: The migration decree, called Decreto Flussi, establishes how many non-European workers are allowed to enter Italy for work. The quotas

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