John Corgan

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The H-1B cap registration period for FY2026 will be held from March 7, 2025, until March 24, 2025, according to an announcement from U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services.

During this period, U.S. employers may nominate current or prospective employees they wish to sponsor for H-1B status. After the registration period, USCIS will conduct an electronic lottery to select up to 85,000 registrations, and employers will then be able to submit an H-1B petition on behalf of each selected registrant. In advance of March 7, employers should consider which current or prospective employees might benefit from H-1B status. The next registration period is expected to be held in March 2026.Continue Reading USCIS Announces Dates for H-1B Cap Registration

Effective January 11, 2025, Italy now requires the collection of biometric data, including fingerprints, from applicants for Schengen visitor (type C) and national entry (type D) visas. Biometrics will be collected during in-person visa appointments at Italian embassies and consulates. Implementation of the fingerprinting requirement comes as part of a broader immigration overhaul under Italy’s Decree Law 145/2024, which aims to modernize the country’s work visa procedures.Continue Reading Italy Updates Biometric Requirements for Visa Applications

On January 10, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of Romania to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Under the Visa Waiver Program, qualifying foreign nationals may travel to the United States as tourists and business visitors for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visitor visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate. Travelers are still required to apply for and receive advance permission for travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The addition of Romania follows prior expansions of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, with the additions of Qatar, Croatia, and Israel since 2021.

DHS expects ESTA’s online and mobile applications to open to Romanian citizens on or around March 31, 2025.Continue Reading Romania Added to U.S. Visa Waiver Program

On October 2, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance that clarifies and broadens the eligibility criteria for individuals with extraordinary ability on the path for U.S. permanent residence (a “green card”). The guidance applies to petitions filed under the employment-based, first preference category known as EB-1A, an immigration classification designed for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics who can demonstrate sustained acclaim either nationally (within one country) or internationally (within two or more countries).Continue Reading Extraordinary? Prove It! USCIS Issues New Guidance Regarding Evidentiary Criteria

Qatar

The Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Qatari citizens and nationals will be able to apply for travel to the United States as temporary visitors under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Effective December 1, 2024, Qataris can travel to the U.S. for business or tourism for up to 90 days without needing a visa. Instead, they will only need to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online. Qatar is the first Gulf country to be designated for the VWP.

While U.S. citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to Qatar for up to 30 days, beginning October 1, 2024, they are eligible to stay in Qatar for up to 90 days (with a valid passport).Continue Reading Qatar Added to U.S. Visa Waiver Program

As the federal fiscal year draws to a close on September 30, 2024, there are several notable updates from U.S. courts and federal agencies affecting the employment-based immigration system.

H-4 Employment Authorization Continues

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision on August 2, upholding the regulation that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend employment authorization to the spouses of certain specialty occupation workers. The Court affirmed that the employment authorization rule is consistent with the statutory framework and that DHS has the authority to grant work permits. In practical terms, this means that spouses of H-1B workers who have passed certain milestones in the green card process can continue to seek career opportunities by legally working in the United States.Continue Reading August 2024 U.S. Immigration Updates For Employers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the trial launch of E-Verify+, an advanced product to streamline the process for employers to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. Through this process, employees will receive a link to complete the Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) directly through E-Verify in one experience. A select group of users are testing E-Verify+ to assess and provide feedback in an effort to ensure the best possible product is available when it is released for wider use later this year.Continue Reading DHS Joins the “Plus” Trend; Launches Trial E-Verify+ Program

Effective August 1, 2024, Israel will require travelers from visa exempt countries to obtain an electronic travel authorization before departing for the country. Travelers applying for the authorization—known as ETA-IL—will receive a reply within 24-72 hours, and if their application is approved, will be allowed to enter Israel for business visits and tourism for up to ninety days at a time. The ETA-IL will remain valid for multiple entries over a two-year period or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever is sooner. The ETA-IL system opened as a voluntary pilot program for U.S. and German passport holders on June 1 and will open to all other visa exempt nationals on July 1. Israel’s introduction of the ETA-IL system comes as the European Union seeks to implement its own electronic travel authorization scheme for visa exempt nationals, which is expected to launch in 2025.Continue Reading Israel Introduces Electronic Travel Authorization Requirement

The European Commission has adopted a new set of rules that enable Indian, Saudi, Bahraini, and Omani nationals to obtain short-stay Schengen visas with longer validity periods. Under the new rules, Indian nationals may be eligible for two- and five-year multiple entry visas, based on their travel history. Saudi, Bahraini, and Omani nationals residing in their respective home countries are now eligible for five-year multiple entry visas. The expansion of visa validity periods reflects the EU’s determination that these nationals pose low migratory and security risks. The moves are expected to facilitate travel to Europe by reducing the frequency with which qualified nationals must apply for new short-stay visas.  Continue Reading EU Opens New Schengen Visa Options for Indian and Middle Eastern Nationals