The U.S. Department of State has released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, and it brings significant forward movement across several employment-based categories. After October's mixed picture — which included a retrogression in EB-2 All Chargeability Areas — November offers welcome relief for many applicants, particularly those in EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3. Below...
Employers that want to bring a foreign national to Canada usually think first of the Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA. Canada also has a second route, the International Mobility Program (IMP), that lets an employer hire certain workers without one. It is a common choice for companies moving staff across borders,...
Short answer: Many nonimmigrants with an expired U.S. visa stamp can return from a trip of 30 days or less to Canada or Mexico using a valid I-94. This is called automatic revalidation, and it ends the moment you apply for a new visa during the trip.
Key...
A proposed rule published in the Federal Register on October 14, 2026 would repeal the regulation that directs USCIS to follow its own earlier approvals of Form I-129 extension petitions. DHS calls it Removing Deference to Prior USCIS Determinations of Eligibility (Docket No. USCIS-2026-0529). The provision at issue, 8 CFR 214.1(c)(5),...
Canada's upcoming Express Entry changes could provide a significant advantage to certain skilled foreign workers seeking permanent residence. Beginning November 3, 2026, eligible candidates with at least 12 months or 1,560 hours of qualifying Canadian work experience in designated high-wage occupations may receive 70 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Eligibility depends...
Canada's Express Entry system is introducing new opportunities for skilled foreign workers beginning November 3, 2026. Candidates with at least 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience in designated high-wage occupations may be eligible for 40 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Eligibility depends on the applicant's National Occupational Classification (NOC) code,...
Canada is introducing changes to its Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) on November 3, 2026, that may benefit certain skilled foreign workers with Canadian work experience. Eligible applicants working in designated high-wage occupations could receive 20 additional CRS points, potentially improving their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for...
Most visa applicants expect the consular interview to be routine, particularly if they have been approved before. Then the officer asks new questions, the answers do not satisfy, and the visa is refused. The next question is usually whether the decision can be appealed. In most cases it cannot, and the legal...
Our October 2026 newsletter brings together U.S. and Canadian immigration topics affecting employers, foreign workers, international students, and families. This edition covers H-1B developments, proposed OPT fees, the CPT lawsuit, EB-1A adjudication trends, and the differences between USCIS Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny.
You’ll also...
U.S. employers that sponsor skilled foreign workers are watching several changes at once, including the proposed OPT fee and the October 8 announcement that Microsoft, Adobe, and others are suspended from PERM, which we cover separately. Some are asking whether part of a team could work from Canada. Here are the main...
