October 2025 » Page 2 of 3

H-1B

USCIS Clarifies Scope of $100k H-1B Fee

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) gave new guidance on the application of the new $100,000 H-1B application fee. USCIS announced the new H-1B fee only applies to individuals filing petitions outside of the U.S. after September 21, 2025. The announcement brought much-needed clarity for H-1B beneficiaries and sponsors. Enacted

October 22, 2025

DOL

Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Immigrant Labor

Availability of foreign and immigrant labor across different sectors of the U.S. reduced greatly with the government’s immigration enforcement efforts. The U.S. uses immigrant labor for both unskilled and skilled positions. Due to its policies, the U.S. could face a labor shortage at both ends of the spectrum. The implementation

October 21, 2025

ICE

Detained Citizens Raises Questions over ICE ID Methods

A U.S. citizen in Chicago was reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents despite carry documentation that proved their citizenship. The individual in question was detained and interrogated for roughly an hour by ICE agents that confronted them outside their workplace. The incident raises question on the extent

October 20, 2025

H-1B

Chamber of Commerce Files Lawsuit Against H-1B Fee

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (COC) filed a lawsuit blocking the proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee. The COC argues the new fee, which takes effect of the FY2027 H-1B lottery in March 2026, negatively impacts the tech, healthcare, higher education and manufacturing industries. The lawsuit is second major lawsuit against

October 20, 2025

immigration fees

New Immigration Parole Fees

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice implementing a new immigration parole fee. The fee is $1,000 for FY 2025 and subject to adjustment for inflation. Individuals paroled into the U.S. must pay the fee unless they qualify for an exception. The new parole fee doesn’t

October 16, 2025

family-based immigration

November 2025 Visa Bulletin

Introduction The U.S. Department of State has released the November 2025 Visa Bulletin kicking off the new government fiscal year. The Visa Bulletin provides an update on the availability of immigrant visas for both consular processing and adjustment of status applications for the month of November 2025. The bulletin includes

October 15, 2025

employment-based visa policy

Project Firewall: What Employers Need to Know

The Department of Labor (DOL) launched Project Firewall in September 2025. The move is part of a larger effort imposing increased government oversight of the H-1B program. Whether Project Firewall’s introduces permanent change is unclear. Key Enforcement Features Project Firewall enables the following: The DOL opening cases without complaint. Data

October 14, 2025

F-1

STEM OPT Application: Dos and Don’ts

Optional Practical Training for STEM Students (STEM OPT) lets F-1 students studying at U.S. universities apply for an additional 24 months of training. Applicants must receive a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. university. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) manages all STEM OPT application

October 14, 2025

F-1

F-1 OPT Application: Dos and Don’ts

Optical Practical Training (OPT) lets F-1 students work while temporarily studying abroad in the U.S. The program gives F-1 students up to twelve months of employment either during their studies or immediately afterward. Any time F-1 holders spend employed through OPT before finishing their studies rolls over to the period

October 14, 2025

Detention Policy

Federal Judge Rules Warrantless Detainment by ICE Unlawful

A U.S. district judge rule officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated an agreed-upon decree prohibiting warrantless detainment of individuals in the Chicago area. The judge found more than twenty such instances of unlawful detainment since January 2025. The ruling is a major condemnation of the so-called “collateral arrests”

October 10, 2025