U.S. hits the brakes on Diversity Visa lottery after campus shootings
Mass visa-renewal cancellations strand H-1B workers abroad as social-media vetting starts
Federal judge appears wary of bid to block Trump’s $100k H-1B surcharge
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Holiday agency shutdown won’t extend compliance or visa-filing deadlines, regulators say
Federal offices will close December 24 and 26, yet statutory “business-day” clocks for immigration and travel-related regulations keep ticking. Employers must meet PERM, H-2, and RFE deadlines as usual, despite potential mail and courier delays.
Trump’s December 16 travel-ban proclamation adds 19 nations; Caribbean economies warn of severe blow
A proclamation released this week widens the Trump travel ban to cover 19 additional “full-ban” countries and 20 “partial-ban” states, including two Caribbean tourism hubs. Regional governments and U-S businesses warn of lost flights, cancelled study programmes and staffing gaps. Employers must triage affected travellers before the rules take effect on January 1 2026.
Enhanced social-media vetting triggers mass rescheduling of H-1B/H-4 visa interviews into mid-2026
U-S consulates have pushed thousands of H-1B and H-4 interviews into mid-2026 after rolling out mandatory social-media vetting. Stranded workers now face months-long absences, while companies scramble to adjust start dates, remote-work policies and tax planning.
Guardian probe finds DHS ‘Project Homecoming’ exit-bonus scheme leaving many migrants unpaid
A Guardian/Lens exposé shows that many migrants who agreed to ‘self-deport’ under DHS’s Project Homecoming never received the advertised US$1 000 incentive. Payment glitches, opaque eligibility criteria and long detention times undermine the programme’s legality and could expose employers to liability if they rely on it.
Shareholder activist asks Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet to quantify financial hit from Trump immigration reforms
SOC Investment Group has filed shareholder proposals asking Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet to spell out how Trump-era immigration changes, including a US$100 000 H-1B fee, will hit labour and logistics. The move signals growing investor concern that visa restrictions could hurt corporate performance.
Texas renews border-security disaster declaration, keeping Operation Lone Star powers alive
Governor Abbott has once again renewed Texas’s border-security disaster declaration, extending Operation Lone Star’s broad enforcement powers. The move could lengthen cargo and commuter wait-times at key U-S–Mexico crossings and creates additional legal exposure for non-citizen employees in affected counties.
Attorney warns H-1B holders stuck in India: long remote stints may jeopardise status on re-entry
With H-1B stamping dates pushed into 2026, a U-S immigration attorney says prolonged remote work from India could be seen as abandoning U-S employment, risking denial of re-entry. He urges workers to secure employer letters or unpaid-leave status and reminds firms to update compliance files.