Antonelawyer Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Antone, Casagrande & Adwers, P.C

The Future of the H-1B Program: Wage-Weighted Selection vs. the Traditional Lottery

Published on: January 29, 2026

For many years, the H-1B visa program allowed U.S. employers to petition for highly skilled foreign professionals when qualified U.S. workers were unavailable. Enrollment consistently exceeded the annual statutory cap, prompting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to allocate visas...

What Enhanced DHS Immigration Enforcement Means for HR Compliance

Published on: January 28, 2026

In recent years, U.S. employers have faced an increasingly vigilant Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its enforcement arms, particularly regarding worksite immigration compliance. With a renewed focus on tightening audits — especially Form I-9 inspections — HR leaders must adapt...

How the New $100,000 H-1B Fee Will Transform Employer Hiring Strategies in 2026

Published on: January 23, 2026

In late 2025, the U.S. government introduced a landmark change to the H-1B visa system: a one-time $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025. This dramatic increase, far beyond traditional filing costs, is...

The End of Visa Interview Waivers: How It Affects Business Travelers and Remote Workers

Published on:

In a significant shift for global mobility, the U.S. Department of State has effectively ended the broad visa interview waiver (often called “dropbox”) program for most nonimmigrant visas, beginning September 2, 2025, which was then updated September 18, 2025. Under...

Department of State Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing from 75 Countries

Published on: January 15, 2026

On January 14, after media reports of a forthcoming pause, the Department of State announced that it will be pausing the issuance of immigrant visas at consulates for 75 countries which will go into effect on January 21. This pause...

USCIS Expansion of Processing Hold for all High-Risk Countries

Published on: January 7, 2026

On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum to place a hold on all pending benefit applications for noncitizens listed Presidential Proclamation 10998. This Memorandum expands the existing USCIS processing hold to include the countries added to the high-risk...

Visa Revocations Under INA 221

Published on: January 2, 2026

INA section 221(i) provides the consular officer or the Secretary of State with discretionary authority to revoke a visa at any time, even after approval and when the visa holder is physically present in the United States. DOS will typically...

Travel Ban Update – December 16, 2025

Published on: December 17, 2025

On December 16, 2025, President Trump published a new proclamation restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals into the U.S. Previously, Proclamation 10949 directed the United States Government to fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following...

DHS Terminates Family Reunification Parole Programs

Published on: December 16, 2025

On December 12, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has terminated family reunification parole (FRP) programs for individuals from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. DHS has stated that this move has been...

Specialized Trainers Provision Under 9 FAM 402.2-5(E)(2)

Published on: December 12, 2025

A new subcategory has been added to permit specialized trainers to enter the U.S. for a temporary period to train or provide knowledge to U.S. workers on proprietary techniques, skills, or know-how for industrial equipment, machinery or processes that have...

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