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Trow & Rahal, PC Trow & Rahal is a business immigration law firm helping businesses, families, athletes & entrepreneurs.

Attorneys Stephen Trow, Linda Rahal, and Cynthia Hemphill, owners and shareholders of Trow & Rahal, P.C. are widely recognized as leading business immigration attorneys and have a solid reputation within the legal community, as evidenced by their inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. Their reputation for high ethical standards has earned them recognition in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Having helped clients with their immigration issues for several decades, they know that immigration issues affect many aspects of an individual’s professional and personal life. Developing solutions quickly and effectively can be critical. As your immigration law firm, Trow & Rahal will stay on top of rapidly changing regulations, steer around the roadblocks in the system, and when needed, craft a customized solution to help you cross the finish line and receive the benefits you require.

10/19/2026

The U.S. Department of State has expanded online presence screening for TN visa applicants, adding a preparation step for professionals seeking to work in the United States.

Effective as of October 1, applicants for TN visas are instructed to set all social media profiles to “public” or “open” so they can be reviewed during visa processing. The requirement also applies to spouses and eligible children applying for TD dependent visas.

This update also applies to visa applications at U.S. embassies and consulates before travel. Mexican citizens generally need a TN visa, while Canadian citizens generally request TN admission directly at a port of entry without obtaining a visa.

For affected applicants, preparing for a visa interview now includes making social media profiles accessible for review. Employers coordinating start dates or international travel should confirm whether the employee needs a visa and allow for the visa application process before their planned arrival.

Trow & Rahal helps professionals and employers understand changing immigration requirements and plan their next steps.

Did you know that some familiar American breakfast favorites have histories that cross oceans? For World Food Day, we ar...
10/16/2026

Did you know that some familiar American breakfast favorites have histories that cross oceans?

For World Food Day, we are taking a look at the food traditions that immigrants and newcomers brought to the American breakfast table.

Bagels arrived with Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late nineteenth century. Long before they became a staple of coffee shops and supermarket shelves, they were part of the food traditions immigrants carried into their new communities.

English muffins have a direct immigrant connection, too. Samuel Bath Thomas emigrated from England in 1874 and opened a Manhattan bakery in 1880, where his griddle-baked muffins helped establish the breakfast favorite still associated with his name.

Waffles have deep European roots, with Dutch settlers helping introduce them to America. Here, they evolved into a breakfast staple served with syrup, rather than primarily a dessert or special occasion food.

Doughnuts also owe part of their American history to Dutch fried-dough traditions. Early versions known as “olykoeks,” or oily cakes, helped lay the groundwork for the doughnuts we recognize today.

These foods changed as people shared recipes, opened bakeries, and adapted traditions to life in a new country. Their stories show how immigration has shaped something as familiar as our morning meal.

World Food Day calls attention to hunger and access to nutritious food around the globe. As we recognize that purpose, we can also appreciate the people and cultures behind the foods we share.

Which breakfast favorite would you choose: a bagel, an English muffin, waffles, or a doughnut?

Pati Jinich came to the United States with a background in political science. She went on to build a career helping peop...
10/15/2026

Pati Jinich came to the United States with a background in political science. She went on to build a career helping people understand one another through food.

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we celebrate the Mexican-born chef, author, and television host whose immigrant journey connects Mexico City, Texas, and the Washington, D.C. area.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Jinich moved to Texas with her husband after they married. Adjusting to life in Dallas brought challenges, including speaking English and finding her place in a new culture. Cooking became a way to stay connected to Mexico and share that connection with others. She taught Mexican cooking to friends and neighbors and worked as a production assistant on the PBS series “New Tastes from Texas.”

After moving to the DC area, she returned to her academic path, earning a master’s degree in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University and working at the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy research center. It was the job she had once dreamed of, but her interest in food continued to grow.

She enrolled in evening classes at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and eventually left policy work to pursue cooking. In 2007, she became resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, where she began teaching classes and hosting dinners.

That work grew into cookbooks and “Pati’s Mexican Table,” bringing Mexican recipes, regional traditions, and the people behind them into American homes. Through “La Frontera,” she has also introduced viewers to the lives and cultures of communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Her impact extends beyond introducing a new dish. By sharing meals and listening to people’s stories, she gives audiences a fuller understanding of communities they may know only through headlines. Her work encourages curiosity about Mexico and recognition of the culture that Mexican immigrants contribute to American life.

Jinich has spoken about once feeling caught between identities and learning to see that experience as a source of strength. Her journey reminds us that building a life in a new country can also create opportunities to share the places, traditions, and experiences that shaped us.

From RFE to NOID to EB-5 APPROVAL! This week, we are celebrating an especially gratifying EB-5 approval for a petition t...
10/14/2026

From RFE to NOID to EB-5 APPROVAL!

This week, we are celebrating an especially gratifying EB-5 approval for a petition that had been pending since 2023.

The challenge? A highly complex source and path of funds.

The investor’s funds originated with a large family company, and profits moved through the bank accounts of two separate intermediary holding companies, ultimately reaching the investor’s investment company. Every step of that financial journey had to be carefully documented and explained. Financial documents for each company and years of bank statements were filed with detailed charts of the flow of funds through each company and then to the investor's personal bank account(s).

After responding to both a Request for Evidence and a Notice of Intent to Deny, our meticulous documentation and advocacy helped bring this long-pending case to a successful conclusion! The case was finally APPROVED!

Complex cases require patience, persistence, and attention to detail. We could not be happier to see our client finally receive this long-awaited approval.

Congratulations to our client!

10/13/2026

: If you are planning a trip outside the United States while your green card application is pending, you should double check your travel documents before you depart.

If you have a pending Form I-485, leaving the country without advance parole will generally cause USCIS to consider your application abandoned. There are exceptions for certain travelers in H or L status, but the rules depend on your immigration status and circumstances.

Before making travel plans, talk with your immigration attorney about whether you can travel, what documents you need, and how your trip could affect your application.

A little planning before departure can prevent consequences later.

10/12/2026

A new DHS proposal could make practical training significantly more expensive for international students and the schools that support them.

Published October 8, the proposed rule would require schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to pay $70,000 per F-1 student before making an initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) recommendation, followed by $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation after that initial fee, including a STEM OPT extension.

OPT allows eligible international students to gain work experience directly related to their studies. Schools recommend students for OPT, while U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decides their applications for employment authorization.

Under the proposal, schools would have to pay before issuing the recommendation. DHS also acknowledges that schools could pass the cost to students or employers.

These costs could create substantial barriers to practical training and complicate hiring plans for employers seeking international graduates.

The fees are not currently in effect. Public comments are due November 9, 2026, and DHS proposes implementation 60 days after publication of a final rule.

For students, schools, and employers, this is a development to monitor closely as they plan for future OPT participation.

As the 2026 Nobel Prizes are announced this week, here is a fact worth celebrating: Immigrants account for about 35% of ...
10/09/2026

As the 2026 Nobel Prizes are announced this week, here is a fact worth celebrating: Immigrants account for about 35% of U.S.-affiliated Nobel laureates in the academic fields studied by George Mason University’s Institute for Immigration Research.

Looking at prizes awarded from 1901 through 2024 in chemistry, economics, medicine, and physics, researchers identified 142 immigrant laureates among 410 laureates affiliated with the United States.

Behind that number are people who crossed borders to study, teach, conduct research, and pursue ideas that went on to benefit others. Their achievements are a reminder that when knowledge and opportunity can travel, the impact can reach far beyond one country.

Congratulations to this year’s Nobel laureates! We look forward to learning more about their work and the journeys that brought them to it.

Many of us have encountered Luis von Ahn’s work, whether we know his name or not. When he came to the United States from...
10/08/2026

Many of us have encountered Luis von Ahn’s work, whether we know his name or not.

When he came to the United States from Guatemala at age 17, he wanted to study mathematics. He had no idea that his work would eventually reach millions of people around the world.

At Duke University, he studied math. At Carnegie Mellon University, he helped develop CAPTCHA, the familiar test designed to distinguish people from automated programs online. It gave websites a way to slow bots that could create fake accounts, interfere with search results, or claim large numbers of event tickets.

Von Ahn then asked a different question: Could the time people spent solving those tests accomplish something else, too? His answer was reCAPTCHA. Earlier versions helped protect websites while asking users to decipher words scanned from old books and newspapers, contributing to the digitization of historical archives.

Then he came up with his next idea. He wanted to make education universally free and tackle global inequality. With Severin Hacker, he co-founded Duolingo to make language learning available to more people. As of the second quarter of 2026, Duolingo reported 140.6 million monthly active users.

Learning another language can help people pursue opportunities, understand another culture, and connect with people whose experiences differ from their own.

Von Ahn’s journey from Guatemala to building tools used around the world is a powerful example of the contributions immigrants make both here in the United States and far beyond it.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize Luis von Ahn for turning curiosity into tools that help people access information and learn from one another.

This week we are delighted to celebrate the approval of an EB-1B Outstanding Researcher petition for an internationally ...
10/07/2026

This week we are delighted to celebrate the approval of an EB-1B Outstanding Researcher petition for an internationally recognized expert in sanctions and other forms of economic statecraft. The petition was approved through premium processing within 15 business days of filing without a request for evidence (RFE).

This case is an excellent reminder that EB-1B remains a powerful option for researchers and professors with at least three years of experience. While approval rates for extraordinary ability (EB-1A) and national interest waiver (NIW) cases have fallen substantially in the last year, outcomes for EB-1B Outstanding Researcher cases remain remarkably stable for qualifying individuals.

EB-1B is available to researchers or professors who have:

✔️ A qualifying sponsoring employer;

✔️ At least 3 years of professional teaching or research experience in the academic field; and

✔️ Persuasive evidence that they are recognized internationally as outstanding, such as well-cited publications in academic journals, service as a peer-reviewer, and media coverage for their work.

In preparing this case, we focused on those core legal standards and built a cohesive, criteria-driven record in which each piece of evidence reinforced that our client had international high-level recognition in her field. We highlighted the international circulation and impact of the client’s published research; citations showing that scholars, policymakers, and institutions relied on that work; major media attention; membership in a highly selective professional association; peer review activity; and strong expert support letters.

For researchers who fit the category, EB-1B continues to be one of the strongest and most reliable options in the employment-based immigration landscape.

Congratulations to our client, and kudos to our team on another great result.

September brought a remarkable number of immigration developments. In case you missed it, our September 22 newsletter br...
10/06/2026

September brought a remarkable number of immigration developments. In case you missed it, our September 22 newsletter brings several of them together in one place.

We cover the court order postponing the new duration of status rule, developments affecting H-1B employers, changes to Form I-485, growing USCIS backlogs, and more.

Immigration rules and policies can change quickly. Our newsletter explains we know and what questions we are continuing to watch.

Read the September 22 newsletter: https://www.trowrahal.com/library/t-r-immigration-newsletter-september-22-2026.cfm

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