Month: July 2025

Enforcement on the Rise: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Reshapes Immigration & Form I-9 Compliance for U.S. Employers

Webinar Replay Matthew Meltzer and Michael Turansick unpack the employer compliance and enforcement implications of the recently passed 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill.” This informative session is geared toward HR professionals, legal teams, and business leaders aiming to strengthen their I-9 and E-Verify protocols before audits increase. Watch the full recording […]

Written by on July 31, 2025

Edlow Nomination Signals Enforcement Centric Approach at USCIS

The Issue  On March 10, 2025, President Trump’s nominated Joseph Edlow to serve as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). His nomination is subject to Senate confirmation which should begin within the next few months. On July 15, 2025, Mr. Edlow’s nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 52-47.  […]

Written by on July 25, 2025

“Big Beautiful Bill” Includes Significant Increases in Funding for Immigration Enforcement and Adds New Fees on Immigration Benefit Requests 

The Issue  The Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill (a/k/a “the Big Beautiful Bill”) signed into law by President Trump contains unprecedented increases in funding for immigration enforcement and imposes significant new fees for immigration benefit requests. The new fees are effective immediately, although the Departments of Homeland Security and State are still in the process of […]

Written by on July 18, 2025

USCIS Announces that Fiscal Year 2026 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached

USCIS announced that the H-1B cap quota for fiscal year 2026 (meaning H-1B petitions submitted with lottery registrations in March 2024) has officially been filled.

USCIS ran the lottery initially in March. No further registrations will be selected. Companies are able to register the same and new candidates for the H-1B cap in the FY 2027 lottery in March 2026. Submission in 2025 will not have any impact on the likelihood of selection in 2026.

USCIS is in the process of sending non-selection notices to registrants and their attorneys through their online accounts. The status for properly submitted registrations that were not selected for the FY 2026 H-1B numerical allocations will show:

“Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration.”

Meltzer Hellrung will save these notices in its records.

For additional information about filing in the FY 2027 lottery please contact your Meltzer Hellrung attorney. We expect to start opening new applications in January.

Written by on July 18, 2025

Update on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Designation for Haiti 

Important Update (July 2, 2025): A District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has granted a request to set aside the Secretary of DHS’ decision to terminate TPS for Haiti as of September 2, 2025. As a result, the previous extension date of February 3, 2026, for Haiti’s […]

Written by on July 11, 2025

Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Honduras and Nicaragua: Impact on Employers  

Overview of TPS Termination  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras and Nicaragua. Both designations officially ended on July 5, 2025, with a transition period concluding on September 8, 2025. This change has significant implications for HR and People Operations teams managing corporate immigration support, […]

Written by on July 11, 2025

Supreme Court Decision on Birthright Citizenship Allows for Partial Implementation of Trump Administration Executive Order 

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  On July 10, 2025, a federal judge in New Hampshire granted nationwide class-action status to a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025, proclamation restricting birthright citizenship and issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the President’s from going into effect throughout the country. The judge also stayed his order for seven days, […]

Written by on July 10, 2025