Oct 01, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
The first day of the federal funding lapse closed with clearer operational impacts across immigration and public services, even as Congress remained stuck. The Senate failed to advance competing stopgap measures, leaving no immediate path to reopen the government. Hiring & immigration: The E-Verify website now carries a shutdown banner stating that, "due to the lapse in federal funding," the system is unavailable and employers
Sep 30, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
Federal funding expires at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and agencies are preparing to execute legally required "lapse in appropriations" plans unless Congress passes a stopgap bill in time. Those plans furlough many non-excepted employees while keeping life-and-property functions running. The Office of Personnel Management has circulated special instructions for an orderly
Sep 29, 2025 AM EDT - Jason
With federal funding set to lapse at 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 1, Congress is racing to pass a short-term measure but has not yet reached agreement. If no deal materializes, agencies will begin executing "lapse in appropriations" plans-furloughing non-excepted staff while keeping life-and-property functions running. Social Security payments and mail delivery continue, but many administrative services
Sep 25, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
With a partial U.S. government shutdown days away, the White House ordered federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force (RIF) plans that could permanently eliminate positions in programs that would lose funding next week, according to new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The instructions raise the stakes well beyond familiar furloughs and come as negotiations over a stopgap bill remain stalled on Capitol Hill.
Sep 24, 2025 AM EDT - Jason
The new $100,000 H-1B fee for new petitions and a revived wage-priority selection plan are reshaping the U.S. skilled-worker pipeline. Here's the practical impact for Korean companies, students, and visa holders. The U.S. has moved fast to remake how employers bring in high-skilled workers. Over the weekend, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that a one-time $100,000 fee applies to new H-1B petitions filed on or after Sept. 21, 2025, while
Sep 22, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
After a flurry of weekend headlines, the U.S. government has now clarified how the new $100,000 H-1B fee will work. According to USCIS, the payment must accompany any new H-1B petition filed on or after 12:01 a.m. ET, Sept. 21, 2025. It does not apply to existing H-1B holders or renewals. Early media summaries framed the impact as starting with the 2026 cap; in practice, the USCIS text captures any new filing from Sept. 21 onward-including cap-exempt petitions filed this fall. Employers should budget and
Sep 22, 2025 AM EDT - Jason
Since our Sept. 21 story, the shutdown odds have ticked up. On Sept. 19, the Senate failed to advance both a Republican stopgap bill and a Democratic alternative, and as of Sunday night lawmakers indicated the Senate won't return for votes until Sept. 29, leaving only hours before funding runs out at midnight going into Oct. 1 (ET). The House is currently out but is slated to convene again this week ahead of the deadline, according to the Clerk's schedule.
Sep 21, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
The White House says the newly announced $100,000 charge tied to H-1B will apply to new petitions rather than to the installed base of current H-1B workers. The clarification comes after a confusing rollout that left employers and visa holders unsure whether the levy would be annual, whether it would affect extensions, and how it would interact with existing fees. With the focus now on first-time sponsorships,
Sep 21, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
With the federal funding deadline set for September 30, Congress remains at loggerheads and the odds of a partial government shutdown are rising. If funding lapses on October 1, immigration and employment-verification services will not grind to a total halt, but the impact will vary by agency. For Korean Americans, Korean employers, students, and visitors, the practical question is what can still move forward
Sep 20, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
The White House clarified on Saturday that the newly announced $100,000 fee for H-1B visas will apply only to new petitions, not to current H-1B holders, renewals, or re-entry of existing beneficiaries.
Sep 19, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
President Donald Trump is set to impose a $100,000 application fee on H-1B visa petitions, a sweeping move that could reshape skilled immigration and add substantial costs for employers that sponsor foreign professionals, according to the White House and multiple reports. The change, expected to be formalized by presidential proclamation, comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration and follows a high-profile raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy battery plant in Georgia, where hundreds of Korean workers were detained over alleged visa violations.
Dec 09, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 05, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
