Introduction The R-1 Non-immigrant Religious Worker Visa, codified under Section 101(a)(15)(R) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and 8 CFR §214.2(r), offers a dedicated pathway for foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States temporarily to perform religious duties in a professional or vocational capacity. Unlike employment-based visa categories such as the H-1B […]
Introduction The U.S. economy relies heavily on seasonal and peak‑load industries—such as hospitality, landscaping, tourism, seafood processing, amusement parks, and construction—that are underserved by the domestic labor pool. To address this gap, the H‑2B non‑immigrant visa provides a legal avenue for temporary, non‑agricultural foreign workers to fill these essential roles. Unlike the specialty‑occupation‑based H‑1B visa,
Visitor visas (B-1/B-2) continue to serve as the primary gateway for foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States temporarily for business, tourism, or medical purposes. However, in 2025, applicants face a host of new procedural and policy challenges that complicate an already stringent application process. These developments arise from evolving U.S. Department of State
Emerging Legal Challenges in U.S. Visitor Visa Applications (B-1/B-2) in 2025 Read More »
Overview In recent months, U.S. immigration policy has undergone profound procedural and enforcement shifts—particularly affecting employment-based visa applicants and their sponsoring employers. These changes, driven by post-pandemic normalization, enforcement realignment, and resource constraints, are altering how foreign professionals enter and remain in the United States. Here, we outline the key challenges affecting employers and skilled
Emerging Challenges in Employment-Based Visa Applications: A Legal and Strategic Read More »
Emerging Obstacles for Student Visa Applicants Elimination of Third-Country Interview Options Visa applicants can no longer avail of interview slots in countries other than their country of residence. This change—spurred by policy shifts—forces students to schedule appointments domestically, exacerbating booking delays and reducing flexibility for those caught in cumbersome waitlists. Universal In‑Person Interviews Effective recently,
Overview In a significant shift in immigration policy, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced enhanced scrutiny of marriage-based green card applications, particularly those filed by foreign nationals married to U.S. citizens. The new framework places increased emphasis on fraud prevention, evidentiary compliance, and post-adjudication monitoring of conditional lawful permanent resident (LPR) cases.
Green Card Under Scrutiny: USCIS Tightens Review of Marriage-Based Immigration Petitions Read More »
Overview On August 15, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement a critical policy change regarding how it determines the age of certain derivative beneficiaries under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). This change directly affects children who are derivative applicants in family-based and employment-based immigrant visa categories and seeks to clarify
USCIS Issues Policy Update on CSPA Age Calculation Read More »
Effective August 29, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new electronic payment system allowing applicants to authorize immigration fee payments directly from a U.S. bank account via Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer. This change represents a significant modernization effort aimed at simplifying the application process, reducing payment-related errors, and increasing
USCIS Modernizes Fee Collection with New Electronic Payment Method Read More »
August 2025 – The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced stricter standards for assessing the requirement of “Good Moral Character” (GMC), a critical criterion for naturalization. This update is expected to make the path to U.S. citizenship more challenging for certain applicants, particularly those with legal or ethical issues in their background.
USCIS Tightens Rules on “Good Moral Character” for U.S. Citizenship Applicants Read More »
