Hot Summer Topics

Updates announced in the March 2026 Visa Bulletin indicate continued steady (and in some cases surprising) advancement of visa processing queues and relief from visa availability backlogs, especially in the employment-based second and third preference (EB-2 and EB-3) categories.

On Feb. 24, the Senate Armed Services Committee convened a hearing to confront the United States’ deepening reliance on China for critical minerals, a dependency both parties now view as a profound national security risk.

Contractors – of all tiers – are often surprised to learn they may be considered a “special employer” of individuals who actually work for independent third parties—such as temporary staffing agencies or equipment rental companies—on their projects. Even more surprising, contractors (including owners who self-perform) can be held primarily responsible for the negligent acts or omissions of these third-party workers because of this “special employer” status. How can a contractor become primarily liable for someone they do not pay, do not withhold taxes for, do not provide benefits to, and who is officially employed by another company?