Search
USCIS Temporarily Suspends Adjudication of H-2B Petitions Following Court Order
As of March 5, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily suspending adjudication of Form I-129 H-2B petitions for temporary non-agricultural workers while the government considers the appropriate response to the court order entered March 4, 2015, in Perez v. Perez, No. 3:14-cv-682 (N.D. Florida, Mar. 4, 2015).
USCIS Will Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2016 Beginning April 1, 2015
On April 1, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2016 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.
The congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2016 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.
USCIS Resumes H-2B Adjudications; Premium Processing Remains Suspended
Today, March 17, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will resume adjudications of H-2B petitions, but will continue to suspend premium processing until further notice.
Monday, March 16, 2015 the Department of Labor (DOL) filed an unopposed motion to stay the March 4 order of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Perez v. Perez until April 15. That order vacated DOL's H-2B regulations on the grounds that DOL had no authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue them.
DOL FAQs regarding Temporary Stay of the Court's Vacatur of 2008 Final Rule
The Department of Labor is making available Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding its implementation of the Northern District of Florida's March 18, 2015 decision to temporarily stay its earlier judgment in Perez v. Perez, No. 3:14-cv-682 (N.D. Florida, Mar. 4, 2015). As a result of this stay, the Department has temporarily resumed processing of requests for H-2B prevailing wage determinations and applications for H-2B temporary non-agricultural labor certification until April 15, 2015.
Delivery Service Error Guidance for FY2016 H-1B Cap Filings
USCIS would like to inform stakeholders about the proper action to take if cap-subject filings for fiscal year 2016 H-1B petitions are mishandled by delivery services. If a petitioner filed an FY16 H-1B cap petition in a timely manner, but received notification from the delivery service that suggests that there may be a delay or damage to the package, the petitioner may file a second H-1B petition with a new fee payment and the following:
District Court Grants DOL an Extension for H-2B Program
On April 15, 2015, the federal district court in the Northern District of Florida issued an order effectively permitting the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to continue issuing temporary labor certifications under the H-2B visa program through May 15, 2015. As a result, DOL will continue to process temporary labor certification applications under its 2008 H-2B regulations through May 15, 2015.
NPWC Processing Times (as of 11/07/2014)
|
Processing Queue |
Request Date |
Status* |
|
H-1B H-2B |
September - 2014 October - 2014 |
Current Current |
|
PERM |
August - 2014 |
Current |
|
|
Submission Date |
|
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Immigration Law
Guestbook Entry for Shyam Patil, United States
Name
Shyam Patil
Country
United States
State
NC
Rajiv's Comments in The South China Morning Post - India’s tech sector fears impact of Trump’s US$100,000 H-1B visa on US market
Published by: The South China Morning Post -23 September, 2025
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
“The imposition of a US$100,000 fee on H-1B visas represents an unprecedented shift in US immigration policy,” said Rajiv Khanna, a US lawyer providing immigration advisory services to global clients.
Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers
Release Date
10/20/2025
On September 19, 2025, the President issued a Proclamation, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Under the Proclamation, new H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025 must be accompanied by an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility.
Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - USCIS exempts F-1 to H-1B status change from the $100,000 fee, easing concerns for Indian students
Published by: The Times of India - October 21, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/uscis-exempts-f-1-to-h-1b-…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Comments in Newsweek - New H-1B Visa Crackdown Is Already Reshaping US Jobs Market
Published by: Newsweek - October 30, 2025
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com, said: “Status determinations are often complex and sometimes arbitrary. Months later, USCIS can find a status violation that was not anticipated, resulting in a $100,000 bill!”
USCIS Increases Screening, Vetting of Aliens Working in U.S.
Release Date
12/04/2025
Maximum validity periods of some Employment Authorization Documents will be reduced
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for certain categories of aliens. This update also incorporates changes to EAD validity periods made by recent legislation to ensure proper vetting and screening of aliens.
Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for H-1B and Dependent H-4 Visa Applicants
Last Updated: December 3, 2025
As of December 15, the Department will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”
Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - US to scan social media of all H-1B, H-4 visa applicants from December 15
Published by: The Times of India - December 04, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-to-scan-social-media-of…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com expressed dismay that a country which professes to be a shining beacon of free speech does not appreciate it.
Making America Safe Again: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services End-of-Year Review Demonstrates Impact of Rigorous Immigration Crackdown
Release Date
12/22/2025
Under the leadership of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, the agency has enhanced immigration screening and vetting protocols to protect communities and national security and has advanced immigration policies that put the national interest first.
Rajiv's Comments in The Indian Express - End of automatic EAD extensions in the US, likely impact on Indian immigrants
Published by: The Indian Express - November 02 , 2025
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/automatic-ead-extensions-us-work-impact-immigrants-indian-10341486/
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Comments in MSN - US visa holders face new uncertainty as 'prudential' revocations spike; anxiety looms large across Indian diaspora
Published by MSN news - December 25, 2025
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/us-visa-holders-face-new-uncertain…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - US visa holders face new uncertainty as ‘prudential’ revocations spike; anxiety looms large across Indian diaspora
Published by: The Times of India - December 25, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-visa-holders-face-new-uncertainty-as-prudential-revocations-spike-anxiety-looms-large-across-indian-diaspora/articleshow/126175668.cms
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Comments in Salon - New vetting rules slow H-1B visa processing, leaving workers in limbo
Published by: Salon - December 20, 2025
https://www.salon.com/2025/12/20/new-vetting-rules-slow-h-1b-visa-processing-leaving-workers-in-limbo/
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - Mass visa chaos: H-1B families stranded in India for months after US consulates cancel interviews
Published by: The Times of India - December 12, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mass-visa-chaos-h-1b-families-stranded-in-india-for-months-after-us-consulates-cancel-interviews/articleshow/125910898.cms#
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article: