Weekly Immigration Update: April 19–25, 2024

Partner Kevin Miner discusses how proposed H-1B salary threshold increases may raise employer costs and influence hiring strategies for specialized talent across industries.

In this Mobility Minute, Manager Pierangelo D’Errico discusses Portugal’s newly approved nationality law changes and the potential impact on Golden Visa applicants and other foreign residents.

Partner Rajiv Naik highlights the importance of transparency, clear guidance and human oversight as AI use expands in UK immigration tribunals.

Senior Associate Tuğba Özyakup outlines how Europe’s Entry and Exit System (EES) introduces digital tracking of non-EU short-stay travel across the Schengen Area, requiring more proactive planning, accurate record-keeping and awareness of increased border processing times to avoid delays and overstay risks.

Partner Chad Ellsworth discusses recent H-1B lottery changes, including salary-weighted selection and filing restrictions, and how they are influencing employer selection outcomes and hiring approaches for foreign talent.

Senior Associate Tracey Kimberly explores the recent increase in RFEs for EB‑5 I‑526E petitions, highlighting heightened USCIS scrutiny of source-of-funds documentation—particularly in cases involving loan-based investments and property sale proceeds.

Director Audrey Morew examines how Nordic immigration systems, while increasingly digital and efficient, can embed compliance risk earlier in the process—placing greater responsibility on employers to ensure data accuracy, internal controls and long‑term compliance from the outset.

Partner Rick Lamanna outlines Canada’s entry requirements for the FIFA World Cup 2026, highlighting visa and eTA processes, border expectations and special measures for participants to help travelers prepare for seamless entry during the tournament.

Partners Aaron Blumberg and Daniel Pierce discuss how a US pause on processing certain work permit applications including OPT creates uncertainty for international students and employers while early court rulings offer limited case-specific relief.

Senior Counsel Jo Antoons, Senior Immigration Managers Manuela Birsan and Andreia Ghimis, Senior Manager Wout Van Doren, Associate Pauline Chomel and Immigration Supervisor Elisabeth Kamm contributed to the European Migration Network (EMN) Belgium report "Labour Migration in Times of Labour Shortages in Belgium."

Manager Pierangelo D'Errico explores how Italy’s Investor Visa is emerging as a strategic alternative to diminishing EU golden visa programmes, offering high‑net‑worth individuals flexible residence rights, deferred investment timing, Schengen access and a structured—though not accelerated—pathway to long‑term EU residence.