USCIS Announced Initial H-1B Registration Period for Fiscal Year 2027
The H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and run through noon Eastern on March 19, 2026. During this period, prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.
Contact us with questions about the registration.
Client Flyer Available on Weighted Selection Process for Fiscal Year Year 2027 H-1Bs
On December 29, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule implementing a weighted selection process applicable to H-1B petitions. The new rule will generally favor the allocation of cap-subject H-1B visas to higher-paid workers, thereby disadvantaging international students (especially recent graduates). Registrants offered a position that corresponds to a Department of Labor (DOL) Level IV salary (the highest) will have four chances to be selected, a Level III will have three chances, a Level II will have two chances, and a Level I will have one chance. According to Forbes, in Fiscal Year 2025 approximately 90% of H-1B applications for international students were at Level I or Level II salaries due to lack of work experience.
Click here for a helpful client flyer that explains the Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Lottery. Contact us with additional questions.
DOL Rolls Out Enforcement Initiative for the H-1B Program
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a flyer for employers outlining “Project Firewall.” Project Firewall is, in the words of the DOL, an “enforcement initiative to protect highly skilled U.S. workers and maximum compliance with the H-1B visa program.” The flyer details employer obligations under the H‑1B program (as set forth in existing regulations) and provides guidance on how to report potential violations.
Click here to view the flyer.
Contact us with questions about H-1B compliance.
Trump Administration Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries
On January 14, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State would “pause” immigrant visa processing for individuals from 75 countries (this does not apply to nonimmigrant visas). No information has been provided on how long the pause will remain in effect. The list of countries includes:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
There is a dual national exemption applicable to nationals of the above counties who also have a passport from another country; if these individuals apply with the passport from a country that has not been included in the pause, they may receive final adjudications. Additionally, as with prior bans, there appears to be national interest exemption available on a very limited basis.
Importantly, as of February 1, 2026, USCIS has not issued a corresponding pause on adjustment of status adjudications for national of the 75 countries included in the DOS announcement.
Contact us with questions about the pause.
DHS Planning to Terminate Family Reunification Parole Processes Effective January 14, 2026, Endings EADs for Employees from 7 Countries; Federal District Court Stayed the Termination on January 10, 2026
On December 11, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of family reunification parole for nationals from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras and their immediate family members. According to the announcement, Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) would end on January 14, 2026. Immigration advocates immediately sued DHS in federal district court and the court stayed the termination of the program. We will provide updates on this developing situation as we learn more.
DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Somalia
DHS published a Federal Register notice formally Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, with the designation set to end on March 17, 2026. According to the Federal Register Notice, DHS estimates there are approximately 1,082 current approved beneficiaries under the TPS designation of Somalia. DHS will automatically extend EADs previously issued under Somalia’s TPS designation through March 17, 2026. Covered EADs include those that have the notation A-12 or C-19 under Category with a “Card Expires” date of March 17, 2023, or September 17, 2024. Employers may include reference to the Federal Register announcing the automatic extension of the EAD on the Form I-9 to demonstrate continuing work authorization. Employers must then reverify TPS Somalia beneficiaries who presented these EADs before they start work on March 18, 2026.
Contact us with questions about TPS.
PartnerAbigail Walsh has over 20 years’ experience in a wide range of immigration matters. She represents multinational and domestic corporations, their employees and private individuals in business immigration matters before U.S ...
PartnerVictoria Donoghue has an extensive background in immigration law, advising clients on the full range of issues related to employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Her experience includes handling complex Requests for ...
