Lidice Samper, Esq.

Firm Position5 min read

Three Immigration Comment Deadlines in Five Days: November 9, 10 and 13. What Employers Should File, and Why Data Beats Opinion.

The OPT fee proposal closes November 9, the 60-day grace period proposal November 10, and the proposal to end deference to prior approvals November 13. Together they would change how employers hire graduates, separate workers and extend status. One calendar, one checklist, and how to write a comment the agency has to answer.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of November 3, 2026

Firm Position7 min read

What an EB-1 or NIW Self-Petition Costs: Legal Fees, Government Fees, and the Total

An EB-1A or NIW self-petition costs the attorney's flat fee, quoted after an evaluation of the case, plus $1,015 or $1,315 in USCIS petition fees, and at least $1,440 more per adult when you file for the green card itself. Here is every government fee, sourced, with totals for a single applicant and a family of four.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026

Private Client6 min read

November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Four Family Categories Jump a Full Year, and USCIS Is Taking Filings on the Earlier Chart

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin moves F1, F2B, F3 and F4 forward by a full year for most countries, advances EB-2 by three months and EB-3 Other Workers by five, and leaves India EB-2, EB-4 and EB-5 where they were. USCIS says every family and employment applicant must use the Dates for Filing chart this month. Who can file now, and why filing is no longer the same as being safe.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of October 26, 2026

Corporate Immigration6 min read

DHS Proposes a $70,000 OPT Fee. Comments Close November 9.

ICE has proposed a $70,000 fee for a student's first Optional Practical Training recommendation and $30,000 for every later one, payable by the school before the recommendation can be entered in SEVIS. Comments close November 9, 2026.

Includes OPT and STEM OPT Recommendation Calendar and Fee Exposure Worksheet

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of October 21, 2026

Firm Position7 min read

Visa Options for Startup Founders: O-1, E-2, EB-1A, and NIW

A founder's realistic U.S. options are the O-1A, the E-2 treaty investor visa, and two self-petitioned green cards, EB-1A and the National Interest Waiver, with International Entrepreneur Parole as a narrower alternative. Here is how they compare, and which founder each one fits.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 29, 2026

Private Client7 min read

E-2 or EB-5? A Decision Guide by Nationality, Budget, and Green Card Goal

Three questions decide most investor visa cases: is your nationality on the E-2 treaty list, how much capital can you commit, and do you need a green card. This guide walks through each and ends with a decision table.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 29, 2026

Corporate Immigration7 min read

The Government Froze Green Card Sponsorship at Microsoft, Adobe and Six IT Firms. Here Is Who Is Exposed.

On October 8, 2026, the Vice President and the Secretary of Labor announced that the Department of Labor will not accept or process permanent labor certifications for eight employers under federal investigation. The workers most exposed are H-1B employees approaching six years without a green card filing. Every other sponsor should read this as a warning about recruitment and layoffs.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of October 13, 2026

Private Client7 min read

EB-5 in 2026: $800,000 vs $1,050,000, Job Creation, and Processing Times

The EB-5 minimum is $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project and $1,050,000 elsewhere, with 10 full-time jobs required per investor. Here is how the amounts, the job rules, the set-aside visas and the January 1, 2027 inflation adjustment fit together, and what drives the timeline.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 29, 2026

Private Client6 min read

EB-5 Fees More Than Double on November 30. The Binding Deadline Is No Longer January 1.

USCIS published its EB-5 fee rule in final form on September 30, 2026. The initial regional center investor petition goes from $3,675 to $7,850 for any package postmarked on or after November 30. Two regional center fees fall on the same date, so for sponsors the deadline runs in the opposite direction.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 30, 2026

Private Client5 min read

Where You Apply for an E-2 Now Matters as Much as What You File

Since the fall of 2025, most E-2 applicants must interview in person and apply in their country of nationality or residence. Add the January 2026 travel proclamation, and consular strategy has become part of the case.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client5 min read

E-2 Families: Your Spouse Can Work. Your 20-Year-Old Is on a Clock.

E-2 dependents have more flexibility than most families expect, and one hard limit most families discover too late. What spouses and children can and cannot do, and how to plan around age 21.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client6 min read

Guaranteed Returns Are Not an EB-5 Feature. They Are a Denial.

An EB-5 investment must be genuinely at risk. Redemption rights, debt arrangements, and guaranteed buybacks have disqualified investors for nearly three decades, and the statute now says so directly.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client6 min read

Nine Questions to Ask a Regional Center Before You Wire $800,000

An EB-5 investment is two decisions at once: an immigration filing and a private placement. Most investors diligence the first and trust the second. A finance checklist for the investment side.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client6 min read

The Gold Card Is Not a Faster EB-5. It Is a Different Bet.

The Gold Card program asks for a $1 million gift to the Treasury and rests on an executive order now in federal litigation. EB-5 asks for an investment and rests on a statute. Investors should compare them on legal footing, not just price.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client6 min read

First U.S. Passports Are Moving Online. What Changes, What Does Not, and What New Citizens Should Do Now

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online starting next year, through the new America.gov. Here is what was actually announced, what is still unknown, and what newly naturalized citizens, families and employers should do in the meantime.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 29, 2026

Corporate Immigration7 min read

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Returns, EB-2 and EB-3 Move Back for Most Countries

The first bulletin of fiscal year 2027 brings EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India back from unavailable, but moves EB-2 and EB-3 backward for most of the world. Here are the October dates against September, the State Department's retrogression note, and what employers, self-petitioners, investors and families should do now.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of October 5, 2026

Private Client7 min read

How Much to Invest for an E-2 Visa: What Counts as Substantial, With Real Business Examples

The E-2 treaty investor visa has no minimum investment. What it has is a proportionality test, an at risk requirement and a marginality rule, and four illustrative businesses show how those three tests decide how much is enough.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 25, 2026

Corporate Immigration6 min read

DHS Wants to End the 60-Day Grace Period. Comments Close November 10.

A proposed rule published September 11 would remove the 60-day grace period for E, H-1B, L-1, O-1 and TN workers. If it is finalized, the termination date becomes the status termination date. Comments are due November 10, 2026.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026

Private Client6 min read

There Is No E-2 Minimum. That Is the Problem.

The E-2 treaty investor visa has no fixed dollar threshold, which means consular officers apply judgment. Three tests decide most cases: substantial, at risk, and not marginal.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 17, 2026

Private Client7 min read

EB-5 or E-2? Start With the Family, Not the Investment Amount.

The two investor paths are routinely compared on price. The better comparison is nationality, control, timeline, children's ages, and what the family needs the status to do in five years.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 17, 2026

Private Client7 min read

Source of Funds Is an Audit, Not a Letter. Build the Paper Trail Before You Wire.

Most EB-5 requests for evidence are not about the project. They are about the money. How to reconstruct where investment capital came from, and how it moved, the way an auditor would.

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 17, 2026

Private Client6 min read

EB-5 Grandfathering Ends September 30. Here Is What a Filing Actually Protects.

Regional center petitions filed on or before September 30, 2026 keep statutory protection if Congress lets the program lapse. That protection is narrower than most marketing suggests, and a rushed filing can forfeit it.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 17, 2026

Firm Position6 min read

USCIS Can Now Deny Your Petition Without Asking a Single Question First

USCIS restored officers’ full discretion to deny petitions outright on August 5, 2026, without first issuing an RFE. The twelve-week response period is gone, and the change applies to everything already pending.

Lidice Samper, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026

Private Client6 min read

EB-5's First Inflation Adjustment Lands January 1, 2027. The Trigger Is Your Filing Date.

The EB-5 minimum investment adjusts for inflation on January 1, 2027, the first adjustment since the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act. The statutory trigger is the date your petition is filed.

Includes EB-5 Filing Decision Framework, 2026/2027

Lidice Samper, Esq. in collaboration with Kloss MartinoAccurate as of September 2, 2026

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law and agency policy change frequently; the analysis above reflects our understanding as of the date noted. Readers should consult counsel regarding their specific circumstances.