This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
On September 19, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received a proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to amend regulations governing H-1B specialty occupation workers and F-1 students who are beneficiaries of timely filed H-1B cap-subject petitions.
DHS proposes to revise regulations relating to the employer-employee relationship and flexibility for start-up entrepreneurs, implement new requirements and guidelines for site visits in connection with petitions filed by H-1B dependent employers whose basic business information cannot be validated through commercially available data, and provide flexibility on the employment start date listed on the H-1B petition in limited circumstances. The proposed rule also includes details on addressing cap-gap issues for F-1 students changing to H-1B status, reducing misuse and fraud in the H-1B registration system, and clarifying the requirement that an amended or new petition be filed where there are material changes, including streamlining notification requirements relating to certain worksite changes, among other provisions.
After OMB reviews the proposed rule, it will be published in the Federal Register for public comment.
