As of August 28, 2026, applicants from the 75 countries hit by January’s immigrant visa pause have new reason for cautious optimism. A federal judge struck down the ban on August 21, 2026: in the 75 country visa ban ruling, the court found Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The decision requires immigrant visa processing to resume on a case-by-case basis…
Choosing between consular processing vs adjustment of status can feel like a coin toss with your future on the line. You might already live in Houston with a pending family petition, or you might be waiting overseas for a consulate date. Either way, the wrong choice can add months of delay, extra travel costs, or even a denied application. USA.gov’s immigration overview shows why picking the right route matters from…
Sponsoring a family member for a green card comes with one big hurdle: money. The affidavit of support proves you can support your relative without government help. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses this affidavit of support, known as Form I-864, to test your income. So, what happens if your paycheck falls short? Many sponsors assume it’s over, but you have real options. At Herrera Law Firm, founder Hector…
Growing companies often need one thing fast: a trusted employee inside their U.S. office. That need raises the L-1 vs H-1B visa question for many Houston employers. Each visa route moves talent differently, and the best fit turns on how your business is set up. The L-1 visa works well for companies with a qualifying office abroad. But the H-1B visa fits specialty occupation roles subject to a yearly cap…
As of August 17, 2026, the Department of Labor is preparing a new DOL labor certification rule. The change could reshape how employers sponsor foreign workers for green cards. Immigration analyst Stuart Anderson first reported the news on August 10, 2026, in a DOL rule report on employer sponsorship. His report says the rule could tighten PERM labor certification and add new hurdles for companies and immigrants. The source has…
As of Aug. 5, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can deny a green card, work permit, or citizenship case without first sending a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny. The change took effect Aug. 5, 2026, according to a USCIS policy alert from USCIS. This USCIS deny without RFE policy reverses years of standard practice that gave applicants a chance to fix missing paperwork.…
Families across Houston are asking what the new birthright citizenship executive order means for their children. President Trump signed the order on Aug. 6, 2026 — one of two executive orders issued that day — limiting birthright citizenship in cases tied to birth tourism and surrogacy. The White House confirmed the details in its fact sheet on the birthright citizenship executive orders, and the order is new enough that its…
Picking the wrong immigration lawyer can cost you months, thousands of dollars, and even your case. So before you sign a retainer, you need the right questions to ask an immigration lawyer. Houston has dozens of firms competing for your business, and not all of them handle your case type well. Some attorneys hand your file to a paralegal on day one. Others charge vague fees that balloon later. U.S.…
You want a green card, but no employer will sponsor you — so the comparison usually starts with eb1 vs niw. Both the EB-1A petition and the National Interest Waiver let you file for yourself and skip the employer completely, yet they judge you by very different rules. EB-1A looks at how far you have risen in your field, while the NIW looks at why your work matters to the…
You want to open a business in America, but the e2 visa cost keeps you guessing. Most investors go looking for one clear number, and that number simply does not exist. Federal law sets no minimum E-2 investment amount, so your real E-2 visa cost depends on the business plan you bring. Our investment immigration attorneys in Houston price these cases regularly, and the answer is never a single figure.…