Non-immigrant U.S. work visa for specialty occupations and certain roles
At the G7 in Évian-les-Bains, President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the US will defend India if Modi faces attack. The meeting has occurred as bilateral talks on an interim trade deal continue and Washington has proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 economies, including India, over alleged forced labour.
A federal judge in Boston has voided the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on H‑1B visa petitions, ruling the payment functions as a tax that Congress did not authorize. The administration has filed a notice of appeal, and parallel lawsuits and appeals are proceeding in other federal courts, leaving the policy's fate to the appeals process.
A wave of recent reporting shows graduates face a shifting labor market as AI reshapes entry-level work. Universities strike deals with AI firms while students push back against discussions of automation. Experts urge focusing on skill-building and AI literacy to navigate the coming changes.
The departments overseeing immigration enforcement have escalated operations, with arrests rising toward 2,000 daily and detentions climbing, amid a broader push to meet aggressive deportation targets. Multiple watchdogs and rights groups are raising questions about transparency and accountability.
India is expanding data centers as part of its AI push, with Visakhapatnam becoming a focal point for a Google-backed megaproject. Critics warn energy and water use may outpace long-term job creation, while officials hope the investment spurs regional manufacturing and foreign investment.
The Department of Homeland Security has finalised a rule replacing "duration-of-status" with fixed admission periods: most student and exchange visas will be capped at four years and foreign journalist visas at 240 days (90 days for mainland Chinese). The rule takes effect 60 days after Federal Register publication, allows extensions, and is entering congressional review.
The Justice Department has secured a $3.2 million settlement with OpenAI and Statsig over allegations they discouraged U.S. workers from applying for positions filled through the PERM process, including not posting jobs publicly and requiring paper applications. The settlement includes $1.2 million in penalties and $2 million to compensate affected U.S. workers; monitors will oversee hiring policies and reporting.