Business Immigration Insights

The State Department has published the November Visa Bulletin.  The best that can be said of this month’s edition is that no category retrogressed.  The bad news is there was no forward movement either:  all remains status quo from October.

The State Department has published the much-anticipated October Visa Bulletin, the first issue of Fiscal Year 2025.  Although the new year brings a brand new allotment of visa numbers in all categories, not much has changed since last month, with one exception in the All Countries category.

Recent court decision continues trend of US making significant improvements in allowing the accompanying spouses of foreign workers to lawfully work in the United States.

The September Visa Bulletin brings no surprises.

Below is a summary that includes Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month, but first – some background if you’re new to these blog posts.  If you’re an old hand at the Visa Bulletin, feel free to skip the next paragraph.

The Department of State has revised its guidelines instructing consular officers with a new standard to apply in determining whether the United States has a public interest in granting waiver relief to certain nonimmigrant visa applicants.

On April 1, 2024, US Citizenship & Immigration Services announced the results of the FY2025 H-1B lottery:  more than 120,000 registrations were selected to meet the H-1B cap for the upcoming fiscal year beginning October 1.  Registrants who were selected were required to submit H-1B petitions to USCIS by June 30.

The August Visa Bulletin brings no surprises.

Below is a summary that includes Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month, but first – some background if you’re new to these blog posts.  If you’re an old hand at the Visa Bulletin, feel free to skip the next paragraph.

For the second time in the past ten years, the Supreme Court has upheld the doctrine of consular non-reviewability of visa decisions and denied relief to the U.S. citizen spouse seeking to challenge the denial of a visa to a spouse. 

Please join Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Immigration Team in a discussion of options for addressing common immigration challenges businesses face in 2024. This session will include potential visa options for employees, tips regarding consular interviews, and best practices for existing immigration programs. 

Congratulations to HuntonAK’s Labor and Employment, Immigration, and OSHA Practices, along with our 13 attorneys for their Chambers USA 2024 rankings!