On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting the entry of anyone seeking to enter or reenter the U.S. in H-1B status without payment of a new $100,000 fee. The proclamation, titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers is effective date is 12:01 a.m. EDT Sunday, September 21, 2025, and is set …
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) – Requirements & Process
The EB-2 NIW is an employment-based immigrant visa category that allows foreign nationals to bypass the traditional job offer and labor certification requirements if they can demonstrate that their work is in the “national interest” of the United States. This is a powerful pathway to a green card, particularly for individuals whose contributions can significantly …
Visa Bond Pilot Program for B 1/B 2 Applicants
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing a 12-month visa bond pilot program, which applies to B1/B2 visa applicants from select countries with high overstay rates, deficient vetting data, or citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs. This pilot requires visa applicants to post a Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond of $5,000, $10,000, or …
SVP Scores & H-1B Wage Levels: Hidden Triggers, Real Risks.
As part of ongoing guidance to support your H-1B program compliance, this newsletter addresses a critical but often overlooked factor in H-1B wage level determinations: the Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) score and its role in shaping DOL wage level classifications under the Labor Condition Application (LCA) process. Misalignment between a job’s described complexity and the …