Weekly Immigration News Roundup: April 7

This week, Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar offers her insights on some of the latest headlines.

We released our H-1B lottery selection results

Manifest’s Fiscal Year 2027 data reveals how the new wage-weighted system has reshaped the odds, and how that could affect hiring strategies for employers hiring H-1B workers.

Urizar: “The rules of the H-1B game are changing, and so must your strategy. We now have evidence that higher wage levels will continue to have a meaningful advantage in the H-1B lottery.”

The VAWA case backlog hit record numbers

Nearly 200,000 petitions for domestic abuse survivors remained pending at the end of FY 2025. USCIS processing times data also shows VAWA I-360 applications can take as long as four years to complete.

Urizar: “There are legitimate reasons why these numbers may have grown. There is more awareness today about domestic violence today than even five years ago, and less stigma around coming forward.”

USCIS resumed processing select asylum petitions, reports claim

According to anonymous DHS sources, those from countries listed under the travel ban will continue to have their asylum cases frozen.

Urizar: “It’s important to remember that we don’t have official confirmation or guidance from government officials. Until then, I recommend all foreign nationals with pending asylum cases to hold tight and avoid making any major decisions that could jeopardize their application.”