Schear Immigration Law Firm

20/05/2026

We are delighted to announce that Founding Partner, Jennifer Schear has been recognized once again as a Thought Leader in the field by Lexology Index Immigration 2026 rankings.

Thank you to our clients and community for the trust and confidence you place in us, looking forward to another year of excellence!

13/04/2026

Schear Immigration remembers those who perished in the Holocaust and the sacrifices made of earlier generations so that we may all live our lives in full freedom and dignity, both individually and as a nation 🙏

09/03/2026

To our dear friends and clients in Israel and the region, we hope you and yours are keeping safe during these challenging days.

Please note as of today, March 9, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Israel provided updated guidance according to the security situation, noting that all routine consular services at the Embassy in Jerusalem and the Branch Office in Tel Aviv have been suspended through March 13. Our office will be assisting in the re-scheduling of Embassy interviews when it becomes possible again.

For American citizens, emergency passport services are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, with no appointment required. Citizens are also welcome to fill out a crisis intake form found on the Embassy’s website as part of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts to coordinate flights out of the region.

https://il.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-jerusalem-march-9-2026-update-1/

Stay tuned as the situation remains fluid, while we continue to update and operate according to the restrictions issued by the Home Front Command.

Yours,
Schear Immigration

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02/02/2026

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap will open at *noon Eastern on March 4* and run through *noon Eastern on March 19, 2026*.

During this period, prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must use an online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.

Selections take place after the initial registration period closes, with selection notifications expected by March 31, 2026. A petitioner may then file an H-1B cap-subject petition, including a petition for a beneficiary who is eligible for the advanced degree exemption, if their registration for the beneficiary of the cap-subject petition was selected in the H-1B registration process.

*New for the FY 2027 Cap Season*

To note, The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule amending the regulations governing how USCIS selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries who can then file H-1B cap-subject petitions. The new H-1B selection process prioritizes allocating visas to *higher-skilled* and *higher-paid* aliens to “better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of American workers”. For the FY 2027 H-1B cap season, if the USCIS receives registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period that exceed the cap, they conduct a weighted selection from the unique beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations.

Furthermore, on Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump issued a Proclamation which we noted, where if a petitioner has their registration selected and is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, they may need to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition as a condition of eligibility.

For more information on the new H-1B process, visit our website section on the topic and see attached.

https://www.si-visa.com/news

19/01/2026

Congrats to our friends at Vast Data for their impressive valuation and new funding round!

Startup poised to raise billions from CapitalG and Nvidia, eclipsing Wiz’s previous high-water mark.

14/01/2026

Another important update regarding the six-month validity rule.

The US Department of Homeland Security recently updated its ruling on six-month passport validity, creating the "six months club" for members. Visitors traveling to the U.S. are normally required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the U.S.

However citizens of countries listed in the CBP's December 18 update, including Israel, are now exempt from the six month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay.

Good news for those who may have needed to immediately renew their passport before traveling.

Securing America's Borders

14/01/2026

Important to note, USCIS has updated fees for its premium processing service across a number of non-immigrant and immigrant classifications. In such cases the fee will increase from $2,805 to $2,965. The fee increase is effective March 1, 2026, and is intended to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025. Clients will continue to use Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, and in the case of L classifications will continue to give the helpful option to expedite replies to any petition submitted within 15 business days of receipt. For more information see here:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is publishing a final rule that will increase USCIS fees for premium processing to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.

25/12/2025

Congrats to our friends at Armis for their successful acquisition by ServiceNow!

The Israeli cybersecurity unicorn raised $435 million at a $6.1 valuation just last month.

25/12/2025

**H-1B Update: USCIS Final Ruling Governing the H-1B Selection Process**

An important update from the USCIS - the Department of Homeland Security has published a final ruling on the H-1B visa process that prioritizes allocation of visas to “higher-skilled, higher-paid aliens” and in its view better protects the U.S. workforce. The ruling is effective February 27th and will be in place for the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration season.

The new ruling is intended to replace the random lottery for selecting visa applicants and to counter what DOS views as historically abusive practices by U.S. employers.

For further information on the Trump Administration’s H-1B reform and impact on immigration practice, please contact our offices or see here:

The Department of Homeland Security is amending regulations governing the H-1B work visa selection process to prioritize the allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens to better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.

17/12/2025

Congrats to our friends at Dux for completing their seed funding round!

Founded by former IDF Talpiot officers, Dux emerged from stealth with $9 million to scale its agentic exposure management platform, which helps enterprises identify what vulnerabilities are actually exploitable and mitigate AI-driven cyber threats faster than traditional security tools