Hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centers across the United States already face significant workforce shortages. Recent changes to the H-1B visa program may make recruiting international medical professionals even more challenging.
A combination of new government policies—including a substantial payment requirement for certain H-1B filings, increased scrutiny during adjudications,...
Many F-1 visa holders, particularly those who are engaged in OPT change their immigration status to become professional and specialty workers (H-1B workers). The H-1B cap is the Congressionally mandated limit on the number of individuals who may be granted H-1B status during each fiscal year. Most foreign nationals seeking H-1B nonimmigrant...
This NPZ Law Group webinar is designed for HR teams and employers preparing for the H-1B Lottery 2026–2027 season. We cover the registration timeline, beneficiary-centric process, and the shift to wage-weighted selection—along with what this change means for wage level strategy, SOC code planning, worksite decisions, and consistency between registration and petition...
USCIS has announced proposed revisions to the H-1B cap registration system that could significantly change how beneficiaries are selected for FY 2027.
If implemented, the changes would move the H-1B lottery away from a purely random selection model and toward a weighted system tied to wage levels.
The threshold question for an H-1B nonimmigrant work visa is whether the intending H-1B nonimmigrant has the equivalence of a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree in a specific field. Most of the prospective H-1B employees and H-1B employers begin with either of the following two thoughts: “I would like to work in the U.S. using...
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the FY 2027 H-1B cap initial registration period will open at 12:00 PM Eastern on March 4, 2026, and will remain open through 12:00 PM Eastern on March 19, 2026.
During this registration window, employers (and their authorized representatives) must...
The fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap season is approaching. The initial registration period is expected to open in early March 2026 and remain open for at least 14 calendar days.
Below is a quick overview of what employers can expect this season, including the planned introduction of a weighted...
As employers and foreign nationals prepare for upcoming immigration cycles, 2026 is shaping up to be a year that requires more planning, caution, and coordination—particularly for those relying on the H-1B visa program and international travel.
Recent policy developments, adjudication trends, and global conditions suggest that both H-1B strategy...
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has launched Project Firewall, a new enforcement initiative focused on strengthening compliance with the H-1B visa program and protecting U.S. workers from improper displacement.
Project Firewall is designed to hold employers accountable for misuse of the H-1B program and...
The H-1B visa program permits a United States employer (“employer”) to temporarily employ nonimmigrants to fill specialized jobs in the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act (the “INA” or the “Act”) requires that an employer pay an H-1B worker the higher of the actual wage or the local prevailing wage, in...
