President Trump signed two H-1B-related actions on September 18, 2026: a proclamation extending the $100,000 H-1B fee originally imposed in September 2025 for another 12 months, and a separate Executive Order directing agencies to weigh an employer's recent layoffs when reviewing its H-1B petitions. The fee extension takes effect at 12:01...
As employers turn to budgeting and headcount planning for 2027, there's a step worth adding to that process that doesn't usually make the list: a review of where your sponsored foreign national employees actually stand. This year alone has brought an unusual volume of change to employment-based immigration, and a number of...
Applicants pursuing a green card through a U.S. embassy or consulate are running into an unexpected roadblock this fall. A State Department official confirmed on August 25, 2026, that immigrant visa interview appointments have been paused across posts worldwide so that consular officers can go through additional training — leaving many families...
On August 24, 2026, DHS announced a proposed rule that would add a new $103,265 fee to all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on August 25, 2026. This is not the same as the $100,000...
A pattern reported by immigration attorneys earlier this year is worth flagging for any H-1B employer or employee who travels internationally while working remotely. Officers at the CBP preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi reportedly began asking H-1B travelers pointed questions about remote work performed while outside the United States, and in at...
At a glance
Moderna and Merck's mRNA melanoma vaccine, intismeran autogene, succeeded in a late-stage trial announced August 19–20, 2026. The underlying mRNA science traces to Katalin Karikó, a Hungarian immigrant and 2023 Nobel laureate. Moderna was co-founded by Noubar...
A proposed rule that would eliminate the 60-day grace period for nonimmigrant workers whose employment ends has cleared White House review and was formally published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026, opening a 60-day public comment period. The rule, tracked under RIN 1615-AD22, would affect E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1,...
A fee that used to apply only to new H-1B and L-1 petitions is about to reach a much larger group of filings. Homeland Security has finalized changes to the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee, closing an exemption that let companies avoid the charge simply by keeping an employee on staff...
On July 8, 2026, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General announced a nationwide initiative to investigate fraud and strengthen compliance oversight across employment-based visa programs. This is a separate effort from Project Firewall, the H-1B enforcement initiative the Wage and Hour Division launched last September. The OIG's initiative casts a...
With FY 2027 H-1B petitions filed and the lottery selection process behind them, it's tempting for HR and global mobility teams to treat the cap season as finished until next spring's registration window. The stretch between filing and the October 1 start date is actually one of the more consequential planning windows...
