Worldwide: Work Visas

As covered in our latest client alert, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released a policy memorandum that stated that individuals must return to their home countries to apply for green cards except in “extraordinary” cases.

In this episode of the Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration Insights Podcast, host Kate Kalmykov is joined by GT colleagues Jen Hermansky and Michael Eisenstadt to analyze the USCIS Policy Memorandum issued on May 21, 2026...

Employers hiring foreign nationals face critical immigration compliance decisions within the first moments of onboarding. Understanding work authorization categories, Form I-9 requirements, and worksite restrictions can prevent costly violations while supporting new employees. Learn which red flags should prompt immediate consultation with immigration counsel and how to structure a consistent onboarding protocol.

The EEOC has replaced its Strategic Enforcement Plan with a new National Enforcement Plan that fundamentally shifts the agency's enforcement philosophy and priorities.

Mergers and acquisitions can create complex compliance challenges for companies employing foreign nationals on work visas.

Premium processing for U.S. immigration petitions has undergone significant operational changes, with receipt notices arriving later than expected, adjudication timeframes becoming unpredictable, and new complications arising from travel bans and security reviews. These shifts are affecting employers and applicants who rely on expedited processing, raising questions about the reliability and value of this service despite increased fees.

On May 21, 2026, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that claims that Adjustment of Status (AOS), a benefit obtained by filing a Form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status to USCIS, is a benefit granted as a “matter of discretion and administrative grace,” and is an “extraordinary” form of relief rather than entitlement — even where statutory eligibility is met.

USCIS has reframed adjustment of status as an "extraordinary discretionary benefit" rather than a standard pathway to permanent residence, requiring applicants to demonstrate unusual circumstances and undergo...

On May 21, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, claiming to “reaffirm” that adjustment of status (AOS) under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 245, 8 USC 1255, is a matter of “discretion and administrative grace” and an extraordinary form of relief, rather than a routine alternative to consular immigrant visa processing.