Worldwide: Work Visas

A Massachusetts federal court has invalidated the $100,000 required payment imposed on H‑1B petitions, holding that the measure constituted an unauthorized tax that exceeded executive authority.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Labor have launched coordinated enforcement actions against Cloudera, Inc. for allegedly structuring PERM recruitment to favor temporary visa holders over U.S. workers. Meanwhile, proposed regulatory changes threaten to eliminate Duration of Status for F-1 and J-1 nonimmigrants, and new USCIS signature requirements create heightened compliance risks for immigration filings.

On June 9, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 214–212, along party lines, to pass the Secure America Act (S. 2), a measure providing roughly $70 billion in funding for U.S. Immigration...

Following USCIS's May 21 memorandum emphasizing consular processing over adjustment of status, the immigration community raised concerns about increased scrutiny and potential disruptions. Two weeks into implementation, patterns are emerging that suggest a more measured approach than initially anticipated, though questions remain about long-term impacts on adjustment applications, employment authorization, and strategic planning for foreign nationals seeking permanent residence.

On June 8, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (the “Court”) vacated the $100,000 fee applicable to H-1B visa applications...

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued a new memorandum fundamentally shifting how green card applications are evaluated, declaring that Adjustment of Status is now discretionary rather than automatic.

Recent federal court rulings have struck down the $100,000 H-1B visa fee and vacated USCIS policies that paused immigration benefit adjudications for nationals of travel-ban countries. Meanwhile, the State Department is piloting a new $750 expedited interview service for B-1/B-2 visa applicants, though the fee only accelerates appointment scheduling without guaranteeing faster approval or improved chances of success.

A federal district court in Rhode Island has struck down several USCIS policies that created indefinite delays for immigration benefit applications based on nationality and travel-ban considerations.

The federal courts have issued a landmark ruling declaring unlawful and vacating four USCIS policies that had placed indefinite holds on immigration benefit adjudications for nationals of 39 countries.