What You Missed in Immigration: Suspensions, Shutdowns, and the $100K H-1B Sticker Shock

Milow LeBlanc
Dec 22
5 min read

Your weekly roundup of the biggest, need-to-know immigration news

If last week felt unusually heavy for immigration policy, that’s because it was. From sweeping suspensions and expanded travel bans to new compliance hurdles and growing corporate pressure, the headlines signal a tighter, more volatile environment for both foreign nationals and the employers who rely on them.

Diversity Visa Lottery Gets the Pause Button After Campus Tragedies

The Trump administration suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery following shootings at Brown University and MIT, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claiming the suspect obtained permanent residency through the program. The green card lottery typically issues up to 50,000 green cards annually to individuals from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates. The administration hasn't announced how long the suspension will last or whether permanent changes are coming.

The PERM Takeaway: While the DV Lottery suspension doesn't directly impact employer-sponsored immigration, it's a stark reminder that discretionary programs can vanish overnight when tied to national security concerns. This underscores why employment-based pathways like PERM offer more stability they're rooted in economic necessity and employer investment, not luck of the draw. For companies building long-term workforce strategies, relying on merit-based, employer-sponsored routes has never looked smarter. When lottery tickets get pulled from the table, strategic PERM sponsorship remains your most reliable bet.

January 2026 Visa Bulletin: Small Steps Forward, Giant Leaps for Some

The Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for January 2026, showing modest movement across most categories but significant gains for select groups. Family-based categories for Mexico saw the biggest jumps, with F-1 and F-2B advancing six months. On the employment side, EB-1 moved forward for China and India, EB-2 advanced three months for most countries, EB-3 India inched ahead slightly, China's EB-3 Other Worker category leapt a full year, and EB-5 India jumped two years. Most other categories remained static.

The PERM Takeaway: These incremental movements highlight the reality of green card backlogs progress happens, but often in frustratingly small doses. For employers sponsoring EB-2 and EB-3 workers, especially from backlogged countries like India and China, these modest advances mean years-long waits continue. The lesson? Start PERM processes early and set realistic expectations with foreign national employees about timelines. A three-month advance might sound promising, but when someone has been waiting five years, it's barely a dent. The earlier you file, the sooner your employees join the queue. In the world of priority dates, time is the only currency that matters.

Travel Ban 2.0: Trump Doubles Down, 39 Countries Now on the List

President Trump issued a sweeping proclamation expanding the U.S. travel ban from 19 to 39 countries, effective January 1. The update includes full bans for travelers using Palestinian Authority documents and upgrades several countries from partial restrictions to full visa suspensions. Numerous African and Caribbean nations were newly added. The administration justifies the expansion by citing gaps in screening protocols and information-sharing with affected countries.

The PERM Takeaway: This dramatic expansion creates immediate hiring challenges for employers recruiting talent from newly banned countries. If you have PERM cases in progress for candidates from affected nations, consular processing just became significantly more complicated or impossible. Now is the time to diversify your recruitment strategies and consider adjustment of status pathways where applicable. For companies with global operations, this also means reassessing which offices can serve as talent pipelines. The travel ban isn't just about tourism, it directly impacts your ability to bring sponsored employees to the U.S. Review your pending cases with immigration counsel immediately and prepare contingency plans for affected workers.

USCIS Photo Policy Gets a Three-Year Haircut

USCIS tightened its biometrics photo reuse policy, now allowing reuse only if an applicant's photo is less than three years old. Anyone with older photos must attend a fresh biometrics appointment before USCIS will issue green cards, work permits, or other documents. This replaces both pandemic-era flexibility and the 2024 age-based rules. The change applies broadly but excludes certain forms like N-400, I-90, N-600, and I-485, meaning many applicants should expect new appointments.

The PERM Takeaway: On the surface, this seems like administrative housekeeping, but it adds another layer of processing time and scheduling uncertainty to already lengthy green card timelines. For employers managing adjustment of status cases post-PERM approval, factor in additional biometrics appointment delays when projecting when employees will receive their green cards and unrestricted work authorization. This is especially important for employees on expiring H-1B extensions or those approaching six-year limits. Every extra step in the process is another opportunity for delays. Build buffer time into your immigration roadmaps and keep employees informed about realistic timelines.

Denaturalization on Steroids: 100-200 Cases Per Month Incoming

The Trump administration is dramatically escalating denaturalization efforts, instructing USCIS field offices to send 100–200 potential cases per month to federal litigators in fiscal year 2026. This represents a seismic shift from historical norms, which averaged only about a dozen denaturalization cases annually. According to internal guidance obtained by The New York Times, the push targets naturalized citizens suspected of fraud or material misrepresentation during their naturalization process. USCIS frames this as part of broader anti-fraud initiatives.

The PERM Takeaway: While denaturalization cases target naturalized citizens rather than PERM applicants directly, this aggressive stance should alarm any employer sponsoring foreign nationals. The message is clear: immigration scrutiny doesn't end at green card approval or even citizenship. Employers must emphasize accuracy and completeness throughout the entire PERM and adjustment process. Any inconsistencies, omissions, or errors no matter how minor they seem can become ammunition years later. Work with experienced immigration counsel, maintain meticulous documentation, and counsel employees about the critical importance of truthfulness at every stage. In today's environment, "good enough" paperwork isn't good enough anymore.

Shareholders to Corporate Giants: Explain Your Immigration Math

A shareholder group is demanding that Amazon, Walmart, and Alphabet disclose how Trump's immigration policies including a shocking new $100,000 H-1B visa approval fee are impacting their operations and bottom lines. SOC Investment Group argues that rising hiring costs and potential labor shortages pose material financial risks that investors deserve to understand. The group is also asking how immigration raids are disrupting trucking and agricultural supply chains. If the companies refuse to include these proposals on next year's proxy ballots, litigation may follow.

The PERM Takeaway: When shareholders start asking hard questions about immigration policy impacts, you know workforce immigration has moved from HR issue to boardroom concern. That rumored $100,000 H-1B fee isn't just a policy proposal, it's a potential business model destroyer for companies relying on foreign talent pipelines. For employers, this is a wake-up call to audit your immigration dependencies and costs. How many H-1B renewals do you process annually? What would a six-figure fee per approval do to your hiring budget? More importantly, are you investing enough in PERM sponsorships to convert H-1B workers to permanent residents before fee structures make nonimmigrant visas financially untenable? The math is changing fast, and companies that don't adapt their immigration strategies to this new reality risk both talent losses and shareholder backlash.

Bottom Line: This week's headlines read like an immigration policy blitz: programs suspended, travel bans doubled, denaturalization ramped up, and potential six-figure visa fees looming. For PERM-dependent employers, the through line is unmistakable stability and predictability in workforce immigration are evaporating. The only rational response? Accelerate PERM processes, diversify recruitment strategies, document everything obsessively, and prepare for immigration costs and timelines to get worse before they get better. In an environment this volatile, proactive green card sponsorship isn't just smart HR....it's survival strategy.