The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap will be open from 12pm EST on March 7, 2025, through 12pm EST on March 24, 2025.

H-1B status allows foreign nationals to temporarily work for U.S. employers in a position that requires a bachelor’s degree or above. Congress has set a mandated cap of 65,000 H-1B visas per year, with 20,000 additional H-1B visas for professionals who have obtained a master’s degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution. Due to the limited number of visas, USCIS has implemented an annual H-1B registration process to randomly select beneficiaries who may then file a new H-1B cap-subject petition if selected. Employers must submit an H-1B registration for any foreign national workers they wish to sponsor for H-1B status. The registration process is simple and relatively inexpensive, requiring basic information from both the employer and the foreign national worker.Continue Reading USCIS Announced FY 2026 H-1B Cap Registration Period

By Andrea Hellrigel, Law Clerk

The Massachusetts Department of Family & Medical Leave (DFML) has announced the rates for the Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program for 2025, which will take effect on January 1, 2025.

For employers with 25 or more employees, the overall maximum PFML contribution for 2025 will remain unchanged at 0.88% of eligible wages. This includes a Family Leave contribution of 0.18% and a Medical Leave contribution of 0.70%. Employers are required to cover a minimum of 60% of the Medical Leave contribution but can deduct up to 40% of this contribution from employees’ wages. Additionally, employers can deduct 100% of the Family Leave contribution from employees’ wages.Continue Reading 2025 Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave Rate Increases

Andrea Hellrigel, Suffolk Law Student and Summer Associate

The option for remote work has become a new normal for many companies. With employees working throughout the country, sometimes thousands of miles away from a company’s human resources department, employers face new challenges complying with in-person requirements during the onboarding process. This is especially so, since the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced that as of July 31, 2023, temporary COVID-19 accommodations for Form I-9, which had excused employers from conducting inspections of I-9 documents in person, will expire.Continue Reading Employers Take Note:  In-Person Document Inspection for I-9 Forms Resumes