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. […]
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 […]
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.
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, […]
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 […]
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, […]
The U.S. government has intensified visa scrutiny for Chinese and Hong Kong nationals, targeting students, researchers, and professionals in critical technology fields. HR and People Operations teams must act quickly to mitigate compliance risks, anticipate processing delays, and support affected talent. Policy Shift: U.S. Increases Visa Scrutiny for Chinese Nationals The U.S. Department of State, […]
The Issue As a follow up to our May 30, 2025 blog post on the State Department’s temporary pause in scheduling of visa interviews for individuals applying for F, M and J nonimmigrant visas, the State Department issued a press release on June 18th announcing that U.S. consular posts have now been provided with guidance […]
Updated 9/9/25 Overview: What HR Needs to Know Employers managing corporate immigration support for employees with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Venezuela must stay informed on key work authorization dates. With ongoing litigation and shifting policies, it’s essential to maintain Form I-9 compliance and proactively plan alternative immigration strategies. This guide, revised as of September […]