Worldwide: Work Visas

On August 4, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a combined $3.2 million settlement with OpenAI OpCo LLC and its subsidiary Statsig Inc.

Starting September 15, 2026, foreign journalists working in the United States will face a fundamental shift in immigration rules, replacing decades of "duration of status" admissions with fixed periods of no more than 240 days. Media organizations employing foreign correspondents must now develop comprehensive tracking systems and extension protocols to manage what has become a significantly more complex compliance landscape. The new requirements affect both incoming journalists and those already working in

The Trump administration has systematically targeted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian designation protecting foreign nationals from deportation to unsafe countries, terminating nearly all TPS designations despite strict eligibility requirements and the contributions of 1.3 million TPS holders to the U.S. economy.

The Department of Homeland Security has expanded its E-Verify Status Change Report to include additional Employment Authorization Document categories beyond parolees, now flagging asylum applicants, TPS holders, and adjustment of status applicants whose work authorization has been invalidated. This expansion raises critical questions about employer obligations, constructive knowledge standards, and the proper procedures for reverification when employees appear on the report.

Two executive orders signed by President Trump on August 6, 2026, significantly impact foreign nationals traveling to the United States and their sponsoring employers.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to eliminate the 60-day grace period that currently allows terminated noncitizen workers to remain in valid status while seeking new sponsorship or making departure arrangements. This proposed rule change would significantly compress the timeline for affected employees and their families to respond to unexpected job loss, potentially requiring immediate departure from the United States.

The Trump administration has implemented a significant policy shift at USCIS that fundamentally changes how immigration applications are adjudicated. Officers now have broader discretion to deny petitions and applications without first issuing Requests for Evidence, placing unprecedented importance on the completeness and quality of initial filings. This development has immediate implications for employers, foreign nationals, and EB-5 investors racing against upcoming deadlines.

On July 24, 2026, in State of California v. Noem, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the U.S. government’s request for a stay on a temporary pause of the $100,000 H-1B fee policy. This came after the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated the controversial $100,000 H-1B proclamation fee, ruling it an unlawful tax and an improper use of executive power.

On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay the district court judgment that vacated the policy implementing the $100,000 H-1B fee. The administrative stay that reinstated the fee on June 12 is therefore lifted, and the vacatur stands while the government’s appeal proceeds.