The H-1B visa program has been the subject of intense scrutiny and controversy over the past few years with high denial rates causing significant challenges for companies seeking to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. However, the H-1B visa landscape has experienced a dramatic shift under the Biden administration. With new leadership at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and changes to USCIS policies, the READ MORE READ MORE

COVID-19 continues to worsen the increasingly large visa backlog in the United States, increasing wait times for individuals trying to enter the United States, and recent reports have noted the significant and often detrimental economic impact of those long wait times. In response, employers have started to seek alternatives, including relying on remote work performed overseas. The United States Visa Backlog The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected READ MORE READ MORE

Every year, approximately 5,000 people enter the United States from abroad to be religious workers. However, extensive immigration backlogs are forcing religious workers out of work, and in some cases, even forcing them to leave the country. The R-1 Visa Process One mechanism through which religious workers gain legal status in the United States is the R-1 visa. The R-1 visa permits nonimmigrants to enter the United READ MORE READ MORE

The L-1B nonimmigrant visa program is regularly utilized by companies to transfer employees with specialized knowledge from foreign countries to the United States. According to a recent analysis, the program continues to experience significant denial rates, raising questions about the underlying causes of the phenomenon.  L1-B Visa Program The L1-B Visa Program allows employers to transfer certain nonimmigrant employees from foreign offices to offices within the United READ MORE READ MORE

U.S. to Change Asylum Procedures, Also Admit 100,000 Refugees from Ukraine This week, the Biden Administration issued a new rule that will allow for asylum officers at the U.S.-Mexico border to adjudicate claims for protection from removal made by immigrants who fear persecution in their home country. The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) explained that this rule was part of an effort to shorten the time between a READ MORE READ MORE