A recent federal court order has rolled back the steep EB-5 fee increases from the 2024 USCIS Fee Rule, restoring pre-2024 filing fees and immediately reducing costs for petitioners and regional centers. Introduction As stated in a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) news alert, on November 12, 2025, the federal court temporarily blocked […]
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DHS proposes to rescind the 2022 public charge ground of inadmissibility regulations, signaling a major shift toward a more flexible and balanced “totality of the circumstances” standard for admissibility. Introduction On November 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register. The NPRM proposes […]
Read MoreA new DHS regulation could either end or sharply restrict optical practical training (OPT), altering the primary post-graduation work pathway for international students in the United States. Introduction The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it is preparing a new regulation that could change the rules surrounding student practical training programs—including Optional Practical […]
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Nov 18 2025
The Department of State has released the December 2025 Visa Bulletin. You can access the copy of the Visa Bulletin on the Department of State website here. Note: USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment of status applications and the Dates for Filing chart for family-sponsored adjustment of status applications within the U.S. for December […]
Read MoreThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that significantly changes how automatic extensions of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) will apply in the future. Effective Date and Non-Retroactivity: Scope of the Rule Under the new rule, DHS clarifies that the 540-day automatic extension applies only to renewal EAD applications filed […]
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Oct 24 2025
On September 19, 2025, the President issued a Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers. Under the Proclamation, certain H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 21, 2025, must include an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility. USCIS has provided more clarification about the payment. […]
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Oct 03 2025
什么是E-2签证 E-2（Treaty Investor）是给予与美国签有通商航海条约国家的公民的一种非移民签证。持有人以投资者/管理者身份进入美国，向一家真实且运营中的美国企业投入“足以确保企业成功运营”的实质性资金，并以开发与管理该企业为主要目的。E-2通常一次核发最长两年的入境停留期，可反复续[…]
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Sep 24 2025
The Department of State has released the October 2025 Visa Bulletin. You can access the copy of the Visa Bulletin on the Department of State website here. Note: USCIS has designated the Final Action dates for employment-based adjustment of status applications and the Dates for Filing chart for family-sponsored adjustment of status applications within the U.S. for October 2025. […]
Read MoreThe H-1B Specialty Occupation classification allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in positions classified as specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Under this classification, the H-1B cap exemption allows certain U.S. employers that fit in specific categories to be exempt from the H-1B lottery altogether. This distinction allows cap-exempt employers to […]
Read MoreI. Introduction U.S. immigration law provides a variety of ways to become a lawful permanent resident through employment in the United States. Two of these employment-based (EB) “preference immigrant” categories are the second preference (EB-2) and third preference (EB-3) categories. Applicants under both the EB-2 and EB-3 categories (excluding EB-2 NIW) require an employer to […]
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