Last Week’s Highlights in Immigration: Visa Bottlenecks & Enforcement Blitz 🚨

New Rules Limit Visa Interview Locations

The State Department now requires most nonimmigrant visa applicants to attend interviews in their country of nationality or residence. Previously, applicants could “shop” for faster slots in third countries, helping ease massive backlogs. Diplomatic and certain special visas are exempt. Existing appointments generally stand, but future scheduling will be harder for students, workers, and families trying to navigate U.S. immigration.

The PERM Takeaway: Employers may see extended delays for foreign nationals who need visas to travel for interviews or onboarding. Factor in longer lead times and consider remote-first strategies or staggered start dates to mitigate disruption.

---

USCIS Chief Defends Rule on “Anti-American” Views

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow defended a controversial new rule allowing officers to weigh “anti-American” views in immigration benefit decisions. He also previewed tighter citizenship tests, restrictions on student work programs, tougher H-1B oversight, and new fraud-investigation units with armed agents.

The PERM Takeaway: Heightened scrutiny means employers and law firms must double-check public-facing content, vet applicants more thoroughly, and ensure immaculate compliance records especially when sponsoring green cards or work visas that rely on officer discretion.

---

South Korean Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid to Be Sent Home

In the largest single-site DHS operation ever, U.S. agents detained 475 workers, over 300 of them South Korean nationals at a Hyundai facility in Georgia. Seoul confirmed they’ll be repatriated soon. This comes amid record South Korean investment in the U.S. auto sector.

The PERM Takeaway: Worksite compliance is under a microscope. Employers with foreign labor should prepare for unannounced audits and raids including robust I-9 procedures, public access files, and internal audit trails to protect both the company and employees.

---

Supreme Court Expands Immigration Agents’ Power in LA

In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration, letting immigration agents conduct “roving patrols” in Los Angeles with only “reasonable suspicion” factors like appearance, language, or work type now fair game. Justice Sotomayor warned this could hit Latino communities and even citizens.

The PERM Takeaway: Expect an uptick in enforcement actions and identity checks, particularly in industries employing large immigrant populations. Employers should proactively train HR and managers on employee rights and documentation procedures.

---

Major U.S. Firms Expand H-1B Visa Sponsorships in 2025

Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, JPMorgan Chase and other heavyweights expanded their H-1B sponsorships this year. Approvals jumped to 10,044 at Amazon alone, showing the continued reliance on foreign-born talent for specialized roles despite policy uncertainty.

The PERM Takeaway: The talent war isn’t slowing down and neither is demand for green card sponsorship. Employers who start PERM early can lock in priority dates, improve retention, and signal long-term investment in critical employees.