State Department to Require Public Social-Media Profiles for F, M and J Visa Applicants
Portland’s Waterfront Walk Highlights U.S. Communities’ Role on World Refugee Day
DHS asks appeals court to revive $100,000 H-1B visa fee
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DHS Urges Appeals Court to Reinstate Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Fee, Calling It a Legitimate Visa Surcharge
DHS asked the First Circuit to pause a lower-court ruling that voided the Trump-era $100,000 fee on H-1B consular petitions, insisting the charge is a lawful visa surcharge, not an unauthorized tax. The filing revives cost uncertainty for employers sponsoring overseas talent and could determine whether the hefty fee returns for petitions filed this summer.
DHS asks appeals court to keep Trump-era $100,000 H-1B application fee alive
DHS asked the First Circuit on 19 June to pause a district-court ruling that voided the Trump-era US $100,000 surcharge on certain H-1B petitions. A stay would let the government keep collecting the fee while the appeal proceeds, leaving employers to budget for a high-stakes variable cost. Companies using consular processing are most exposed and should build contingency funds and time buffers into their FY 2027 mobility plans.
2026 H-1B season ends with wage-weighted lottery, lower demand and new costs
USCIS closed the FY 2027 H-1B filing window with a wage-weighted lottery, a court-contested US$100k consular fee and a 72 % collapse in registration volume since 2024. High-salary roles gained an edge while low-wage petitions suffered, forcing employers to rethink compensation, workforce location and backup visa options.
DHS Pilot Lets Local Police Use ICE Facial-Recognition App for Street Immigration Checks
A DHS privacy filing shows ICE has given more than 1,000 local police departments access to a new facial-recognition phone app that matches street-level photos against 250 million federal immigration and travel records. Civil-liberties groups warn of dragnet surveillance and misidentification, while employers should prepare for a rise in on-the-spot immigration checks affecting mobile staff.
Everything Changed for the H-1B in 2026: Wage-Weighted Lottery, $100k Fee, and Plunging Registrations
A deep-dive report released 19 June lays out three shifts that re-defined the 2026 H-1B season: the new wage-weighted lottery, a contested $100,000 supplemental fee for consular cases, and a 72 percent drop in registrations since 2024. The changes favor high-salary, U.S.-based candidates and force employers to rethink global-talent pipelines and budgets.
Court-ordered end to USCIS “travel-ban” adjudication holds still not speeding cases
A 5 June court ruling overturned four USCIS policies that had put thousands of cases from travel-ban countries on indefinite hold, but a 19 June practice alert warns that filings are still sitting untouched. Employers should use the ruling—and USCIS’s own acknowledgment—to press for action, or consider litigation if adjudications do not restart soon.
State Department moves to revoke 600 visitor visas tied to ‘birth-tourism’ rings
The State Department has started cancelling more than 600 B-1/B-2 visas after uncovering commercial networks that arranged for foreign nationals to give birth in the U.S. The crackdown highlights the administration’s intent to police visitor-visa fraud and could complicate future applications for anyone associated with "birth-tourism" trips.
Federal Judge Orders ICE to Free Wisconsin Mosque Leader, Citing First-Amendment Retaliation
A federal judge in Indiana ordered ICE to release Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, finding that his three-month detention likely violated the First Amendment because it was retaliation for pro-Palestinian speech. The decision creates a free-speech precedent that foreign employees may invoke against retaliatory immigration detention and underscores the need for employers to have rapid-response plans.
Justice Department plans 250 denaturalization cases by October, official says
CNN obtained a memo showing the Justice Department intends to file about 250 denaturalization lawsuits by 30 September, the biggest such push in modern times. Employers must prepare for the possibility that naturalized workers could lose citizenship and therefore work authorization, triggering I-9 and export-control compliance issues.
USCIS Confirms End of ‘Travel-Ban Benefit Holds’ After Court Vacatur—but Employers Still Wait
A Duane Morris client alert explains that USCIS has formally scrapped four policies that froze immigration benefits for nationals of “travel-ban” countries after a federal court vacated them on 5 June. Although the agency says it is complying, employers have yet to see stalled H-1B, I-485, and EAD cases move, prompting calls for congressional inquiries and possible mandamus actions.
Federal court vacates USCIS ‘global asylum hold’ policies, but backlogs linger
A Rhode Island district-court order that voided USCIS policies pausing benefits for ‘travel-ban’ nationals is now effective, but stakeholders report no surge in adjudications. Companies should press USCIS for action or consider litigation to break persistent backlogs.
Everything that changed in the 2026 H-1B season—wage-weighted lottery, $100k fee and shrinking demand
A 19 June deep dive summarises the 2026 H-1B overhaul: the lottery is now wage-weighted, a US $100k consular fee applies to many overseas applicants, and total registrations have fallen to a ten-year low. Mobility managers must adjust wage offers, budgets and contingency plans before the next filing season.
House Author of Haiti TPS Bill Cheers Senate Companion, Keeping 300,000 People’s Status Alive
Rep. Laura Gillen applauded the filing of a Senate companion to her House-passed bill extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals to 2030. The move keeps renewal hopes alive for more than 300,000 Haitians whose work authorization expires in early 2026, giving employers and mobility managers another potential pathway to retain critical workers.
TSA launches ‘ConfirmID’ paid screening for passengers without Real ID
TSA introduced ‘ConfirmID,’ a US$45 identity-verification process for domestic passengers who arrive at security without Real ID-compliant documents. The paid option offers a last-minute workaround but adds cost and potential delays, prompting companies to reinforce ID-compliance reminders for travellers.
DHS clarifies how dairy farms can qualify for H-2A workers
DHS issued a memo confirming that dairy farms can qualify for H-2A visas if they document seasonal labor peaks, providing long-sought clarity for an industry that has battled chronic worker shortages. Employers should prepare detailed seasonality evidence and budget for housing obligations.
Senators unveil ‘Land of the Free Act’ to repeal Cold-War-era deportation clause
On 19 June, three Democratic senators filed legislation to eliminate INA § 237(a)(4)(C), a 1950s foreign-policy provision recently used to detain Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi. Repeal would shield international students and workers from deportation based on political speech, offering multinational employers and universities greater legal certainty.
Juneteenth shutdowns to delay passport, visa and ACH processing through Monday
Because Juneteenth is observed on Friday, 19 June, federal offices, USCIS service centers and U.S. consulates are closed. FedACH and Fedwire suspend transactions until 21 June, postponing payroll, remittances and some international transfers. Mobility managers should reschedule visa appointments and adjust travel and payment timelines.
Visa Waiver reminder: ESTA eligibility list highlighted as summer travel peaks
An international press roundup emphasised ESTA prerequisites for citizens of 23 visa-waiver countries as U.S. summer travel surges. Corporations should double-check that last-minute visitors meet passport-validity and travel-history requirements to avoid boarding denials.
Justice Department sues Virginia over new anti-ICE laws on masks and 287(g) pacts
DOJ on 19 June sued Virginia to overturn forthcoming laws that would criminalise masked officers and bar local 287(g) agreements with ICE. The agency says the measures jeopardise officer safety and conflict with federal supremacy in immigration enforcement. A quick injunction could avert enforcement chaos at Virginia worksites and jails.