By Cyrus D. Mehta The H-1B visa program has been eviscerated through the promulgation of a final rule that would prioritize the allocation of H-1B visas in the lottery to those who are higher skilled and higher paid and through executive action. Relatedly, President Trump issued an executive order that would impose a $100,000 fee […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta Upon President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, the immigration landscape got radically altered. Immigrants were no longer viewed as assets to the United States. Rather, they were treated as invaders taking away American jobs and engaging in crimes. The “alien invasion” needed to be eradicated, and in order to achieve […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* The Trump administration recently announced two new policies that create additional hurdles to lawful immigration. The first policy, announced on December 16, 2025, is an expansion of the earlier Presidential Proclamation which restricted the entry of nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, […]
By Cyrus Mehta U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has posted a new form for the “Trump Gold Card” immigrant visa program, Form I-140G, Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program. The program requires a minimum “contribution” of $1 million along with a hefty application fee. Applicants may only file the form after they have […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On June 6, 2025, USCIS issued a policy alert stating that it would eliminate the automatic consideration of deferred action for Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJs) who are not yet able to apply for adjustment of status due to visa unavailability. SIJ is a classification that provides a pathway […]
In the wake of the tragic shooting of two National Guard members on November 26, 2025, one of whom has succumbed, Trump uses her death as a pretext to go after millions who had nothing to do with this attack. The alleged suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was paroled into the US from Afghanistan as part of […]
Immigration is one of the most complex areas of the law—so complex that even seasoned lawyers struggle to keep pace with shifting rules, changing interpretations, and unpredictable outcomes. Yet despite this complexity, people continue to come. They come because the United States has long represented freedom, opportunity, and the promise of a better future. But […]
When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it – always. MK Gandhi Zohran Mamdani has made history. He will be New […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* In a prior blog, we detailed Presidential Proclamation implementing a new $100,000 fee that applies to certain H-1B workers. The initial Proclamation created concern and confusion for H-1B beneficiaries and U.S. employers alike, as it left unclear which types of H-1B petitions would be impacted. On October 20, […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Manjeeta Chowdhary* H-1B status is typically limited to six years in up to three-year increments. One statutory exception is § 104(c) of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) (8 CFR § 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(E)), which permits three-year extensions for workers with an approved I-140 petition while no immigrant visa […]
