On October 8, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would impose significant new fees on schools recommending F-1 students for Optional Practical Training (OPT). DHS proposes a $70,000 fee for an initial OPT recommendation and a $30,000 fee for the
Continue Reading A New Price Tag on OPT? DHS Proposes Unprecedented Fees for F-1 Practical Training
The second update this year reveals changes in the audit process and associated procedures.
ICE has quietly updated its Form I-9 inspection guidance for the second time this year. The August 31, 2026 update to the Form I-9 Inspection Under Immigration and Nationality Act § 274A Fact Sheet does not
Continue Reading Forms, Fines, and Functionality: What ICE’s Latest I-9 Inspection Update Means for Employers
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that E-Verify employers have until January 8, 2027, to download records for cases last updated on or before December 31, 2016. USCIS will then permanently dispose of those records. The announcement does not affect employers that enrolled in 2017 or later until next
Continue Reading More Than a Download: Using USCIS’s E-Verify Records Disposal Deadline as a Compliance Checkup
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador was set to expire on September 9, 2026. As of this writing, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that “[a]n announcement on El Salvador’s TPS will be made at the appropriate time. Until such announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. remain under TPS [and] retain protection.” USCIS has now reposted the same message on its TPS webpage for El Salvador, further confirming the agency’s position that Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries remain protected pending a formal announcement regarding the program’s future.
Continue Reading DHS Allows Salvadoran TPS Beneficiaries to Work and Remain, For Now
Massachusetts has enacted H.B. 5620, or the PROTECT Act, a new law designed to limit local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement, which creates immediate requirements for employers in the event they receive an ICE Notice of Inspection (“NOI”) for Forms I-9 or other employment records by subpoena, warrant or
Continue Reading Massachusetts PROTECT Act Requires Employee Notice Within 48 Hours of an ICE InspectionOn August 14, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released three key updates for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries and their employers. As expected, USCIS announced the final termination date for TPS for Somalia, as a District Court Judge has lifted the pause on the planned termination. At the
Continue Reading Another One Falls: Somalia TPS Terminates as USCIS Issues Ukraine and Sudan NoticesBy: Belma Burkic, Julie Barnard, and Mia Batista
On August 5, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Alert PA-2026-05, updating portions of the USCIS Policy Manual relating to evidentiary standards, Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs). The policy update expands USCIS’ authority to deny filings
Continue Reading USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-05: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What Employers Should Know
On August 11, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) quietly posted an update permitting certain Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries to demonstrate continued work authorization by presenting their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) together with an Individual Notice that USCIS will issue. While welcome, the update arrives weeks after
Continue Reading A New Twist in the Salvadoran TPS Saga: USCIS Authorizes Work Through September 9, 2026
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant expansion of the E-Verify Status Change Report, creating new compliance obligations for E-Verify employers and substantially increasing the number of employees who may appear on the report. Employers should review their internal processes now to ensure they are prepared to
Continue Reading E-Verify’s Expanded Status Change Report: What Employers Need to KnowJust hours after publication of our earlier alert, USCIS issued updated guidance confirming that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for both Burma (Myanmar) and South Sudan is terminated effective August 7, 2026. USCIS stated that TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under categories A12 and C19 for beneficiaries from both
Continue Reading Two More Down as the Bell Continues to Toll for TPS