Articles Posted in Employers

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On July 15, 2025, U.S. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar introduced the Dignity Act of 2025 known as H.R. 4393, a bipartisan immigration bill that aims to strengthen border security in the United States, provide certain undocumented immigrants with an opportunity to legalize their status, and reform the U.S. legal immigration system.

The bill is a revised version of the Dignity Act of 2023 and has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick breaks down each section of the Dignity Act touching on the bill’s major goals such as:

  • Border Security and Enforcement
  • Reform of the Asylum System
  • Legalization for Dreamers and Other Undocumented Immigrants
  • Benefits for American Workers and
  • Modernizing Legal Immigration

Border Security and Enforcement

The bill’s first major goal is to decrease illegal immigration with several measures aimed at strengthening border security and immigration enforcement. The bill would mandate the nationwide implementation of E-Verify to ensure that only authorized individuals are employed in the U.S., helping to deter illegal immigration through the workforce.

U.S. employers would face civil penalties for knowingly hiring individuals who are not legally authorized to work in the United States, as well as new penalties for employees and employers who knowingly submit false information through E-Verify.

The bill also funds the construction and modernization of physical and technological border infrastructure, including surveillance systems and sensors to improve detection and response capabilities at the border. Approximately $10 billion would be distributed until 2030 for the construction and modernization of ports of entry. To promote accountability, the Act includes oversight requirements for immigration enforcement agencies like ICE. Together, these provisions are designed to improve border control, discourage unlawful entry, and restore public trust in the immigration system.

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Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the July 2025 Visa Bulletin.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of July.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.

For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.

Please click here for more information.

Highlights of the July 2025 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of July?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives

  • EB-1 China will advance by 1 week to November 15, 2022

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 China will advance by 2 weeks to December 15, 2020

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

  • EB-3 India will advance by 1 week to April 22, 2013
  • EB-3 China will advance by 9 days to December 1, 2020
  • EB-3 All other countries will advance by 1.7 months to April 1, 2023

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When it comes to applying for a U.S. work visa, one of the most important — and often overlooked — decisions you’ll make is where to schedule your visa interview.

While most applicants automatically default to the U.S. embassy or consulate in their home country, that may not always be the fastest or most convenient option.

With backlogs, varying appointment availability, and differences in approval rates, choosing the right embassy can make a big difference in how quickly and smoothly your application is processed.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the key factors to consider — from current wait times to local requirements — so you can strategically select the best location for your visa interview and increase your chances of success.

Overview

In this guide, we will specifically cover visa interview appointments for the E-2, L-1, and H-1B visa categories, which are among the most common U.S. work and investor visas. Choosing the right U.S. embassy or consulate for your interview is particularly important for these visas because not every Consulate is experienced in handling these types of cases.

The Busy Embassy Myth

One common belief among visa applicants is the “busy embassy myth” — a belief that a busy U.S. embassy will cause visa processing delays. In reality, a busy embassy can make your visa process much smoother because it means that the post processes a high volume of E visas, and L visas, increasing your likelihood of success because of the Consulate’s experience with those cases leading to a fair adjudication.

Many high-volume embassies, like those in Canada or Mexico City, have streamlined systems, experienced officers, and more frequent appointment openings. Meanwhile, smaller posts may have limited staffing, fewer appointment slots, or stricter documentation review. Instead of assuming a less slow location is better, applicants should look at actual wait times, local procedures, and chances of approval when selecting where to apply.

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Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the June 2025 Visa Bulletin.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of June.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of June.

For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of June.

Please click here for more information.

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You have just learned that your work visa petition has been approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Now you are ready to attend your Consular visa interview bringing you one step closer to achieving your dream of working in the United States.

Unfortunately, receiving a USCIS approval notice does not guarantee the successful issuance of a visa by the U.S. Consulate. In fact, for some unlucky few that fail to pass their visa interview, the U.S. government can still revoke or cancel a petition that was previously approved by USCIS.

What can you do in this situation? Is this the end of the road? Learn everything you need to know about this important subject in this video.

Overview

Can the State Department revoke a work visa petition that was previously approved by USCIS?

Unfortunately, yes. After receiving an approval notice from USCIS, work visa applicants must still attend an in-person Consular interview to demonstrate their eligibility for the visa classification they are seeking. A Consular officer will question the applicant further to ensure they qualify for the visa and may request further evidence.

When a Consular visa interview goes south, not only can the visa application be denied, but the Consulate can also direct USCIS to revoke the underlying petition that was previously approved by the agency.

The petition revocation process begins when the State Department returns the application to USCIS along with the results of any investigation they have conducted.

Once USCIS has received the returned petition and the results of the investigation, they will issue a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) to the petitioner of the previously approved petition. The NOIR will include details about USCIS’ plans to revoke the underlying petition, as well as the discovery of new, derogatory information leading to the visa denial. A statement of facts underlying the revocation will be provided along with any evidence supporting the revocation.

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In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses a new executive order signed by President Trump called “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” instructing U.S. Consulates and Embassies worldwide to start laying off visa officers and local employees.

How will this impact those currently going through the non-immigrant or immigrant visa process?

What about employees inside and outside of the U.S. who need to visit a U.S. Consulate or Embassy for visa stamping?

Learn everything you need to know about this executive order in this video.

Overview

“One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” is a new executive order signed by the President that calls for major reforms of the Foreign Service, including U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

Specifically, the executive order calls for changes to recruiting, performance, evaluation, and retention standards, and the programs of the Foreign Service Institute, “to ensure a workforce that is committed to faithful implementation of the President’s foreign policy.”

In implementing the reforms, the order directs the Secretary of State to revise or replace the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) used by Consular officers when deciding whether to issue U.S. visas, and directs subordinate agencies to remove, amend, or replace any handbooks, procedures, or guidance used for issuing visas.

The impact of this executive order will be the reduction of visa staff and local employees working at U.S. Embassies and Consulates responsible for issuing visas.

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Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the February 2025 Visa Bulletin.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of February.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of February.

For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of February.

Please click here for more information.

Highlights of the February 2025 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of February?

Employment-Based Categories

Dates for Filing

  • No change from previous month 

Final Action Advancements

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 India will advance by two weeks to October 15, 2012

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

  • EB-3 India will advance by two weeks to December 15, 2012
  • EB-3 China will advance by one month to July 1, 2020

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Now that 2025 is in full swing, in this video, we will discuss our predictions for visa availability for employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, based on historical patterns and statistical information from the past year.

If you are waiting for your priority date to become current on the Visa Bulletin and want to know when your immigrant visa might be issued, you won’t want to miss this video.

Overview

Each year, the availability of immigrant numbers for employment-based preference immigrants is calculated based on Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

For FY 2024, the annual numerical limit for family sponsored immigrant visas was 226,000. Of these visas, only about 170,000 visas were actually allocated and issued to family sponsored immigrants. Approximately 58,000 visas were left unused in fiscal year 2024 due to country specific backlogs and scheduling delays.

That leaves a substantial number of unused family visa numbers that can potentially be transferred to employment-based visas in fiscal year 2025.

It is important to note that for fiscal year 2024, the Department of State determined that the employment-based annual limit would be 160,791, due to unused family-sponsored visa numbers from fiscal year 2023 being added to the employment-based limit for fiscal year 2024.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently published a final rule in the Federal Register aimed at modernizing the H-1B and H-2 work visa programs.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick shares the ways in which the final rule will impact H-1B workers, H2 workers, and their employers. In general, these changes will make it easier for H-1B workers to obtain visa renewals in the new year and will prevent workplace interruptions for F-1 international students seeking to change their status to H-1B.

The final rule impacting H-2 temporary workers will allow U.S. companies to hire seasonal workers more quickly and more efficiently than ever before.

H-1B Final Rule Highlights

  • Modernizes the definition and criteria for H-1B specialty occupations
  • Introduces cap-gap protections for F-1 students seeking a change of status to H-1B
  • Streamlines the processing of applications for individuals who were previously approved for an H-1B visa
  • Allows H-1B beneficiaries with a controlling interest in the petitioning organization to be eligible for H-1B status subject to certain conditions
  • Clarifies that employers must have a legal presence in the United States

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President Trump will soon return to the White House, bringing with him many changes in the world of immigration.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick shares the ways in which the Trump administration will impact the processing at visas U.S. Consulates and Embassies worldwide, including immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

This video also covers the latest updates regarding the operational capacity of U.S. Consular posts and Embassies as of November 2024.

If you are currently waiting in line for a visa interview at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad, you won’t want to miss this video.

Overview

President Trump will settle into the White House on January 20, 2024, bringing with him new appointments to cabinet level positions. His pick for Secretary of State is likely to be the Republican Marco Rubio, a known conservative who supports legal immigration and a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Nonimmigrant visa applicants may face new restrictions when applying at U.S. Consulates and Embassies. During the previous Trump administration, work visa applicants were under much heavier scrutiny than ever before. H-1B, O-1, L-1, and J visa applicants found it much more difficult to obtain approvals both at the USCIS and Consular level.

These challenges existed even for applicants seeking extensions of their work visa.

To avoid being subject to greater scrutiny, applicants should file their cases as soon as possible. If premium processing service is available for your petition, take advantage of it.

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