Work

Can you earn money in the US if you don't have a full work permit? The answer depends on your immigration status — and getting it wrong can put your case at risk. Here's what the options actually look like, and what every immigrant should know before taking a job.

Millions of immigrants in the US have valid work authorization but don't know all the ways they can legally earn income. Traditional jobs are one option — but contract platforms and gig work may also be open to you, depending on your status. Choosing the wrong path could put your immigration case at risk.

A near-collapse at a Manhattan skyscraper on July 7, 2026 exposed years of ignored safety warnings at one of New York City's biggest construction projects. Behind the crisis is a subcontractor with a long record of worker deaths, safety fines — and a federal lawsuit for stealing wages from immigrant employees. For immigrant construction workers across the city, the story raises an urgent question: do you know your rights?

The H-2B temporary work visa cap for FY2026 filled so fast that USCIS had to run a lottery — and that was just for the first half of the year. With demand for seasonal workers at record highs and over 149,000 positions requested in a single filing window, thousands of workers and employers were left without visa numbers. Here is what happened and what you can still do.

If you are waiting on a work visa or work permit decision and want it faster, it will now cost you more. USCIS raised its premium processing fees on March 1, 2026 — and any petition mailed after that date with the old fee will be rejected. Here is what the new amounts are and how to make sure your filing goes through.

A proposed federal rule could force employers to pay H-1B workers up to 33% more — or stop sponsoring them altogether. The Department of Labor put the plan forward in March 2026, and the comment period is already closed. If your job, your visa, or your green card application depends on employer sponsorship, this rule could change everything.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who rely on work permits to stay employed legally in the US are facing a major policy shift. The federal government is proposing new rules that would cut work permit validity, add biometrics requirements, and strip work authorization from some groups entirely. If you are a parolee, TPS holder, or have deferred action, this directly affects your ability to work.

A man living illegally in the US filed 242 fake work permit applications — and 66 people actually received those permits before anyone noticed. Now all 66 work permits have been revoked, and the people who used them face deportation. This case shows how immigration fraud can destroy the lives of both the victims and the people who trusted the wrong person.

A. B. spent five years being sexually harassed and exploited at a Manhattan shoe factory — too afraid to speak up because of her immigration status. A federal program called DALE was supposed to give workers like her a work permit and protection from retaliation. The Trump administration shut it down before her lawyers could file her application.

Your marriage-based work permit has been pending for over a year? Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin explains what may be wrong and what steps to take.

Elderly immigrant women in New York City have worked 24-hour shifts for years — lifting patients, losing sleep, and suffering permanent injuries. When lawmakers refused to act, these workers turned to the United Nations. Now the UN is calling their working conditions a possible form of forced labor.

Your US work visa is expiring — here's exactly what to do: file Form I-129 at least 6 months early, avoid common mistakes, and keep your status protected. Step-by-step guide for H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, and more.

A man in the Northern Mariana Islands filed hundreds of fake work permit applications and collected thousands of dollars from immigrants who trusted him. Sixty-six people got work permits they were never entitled to. Now those permits are gone — and deportation proceedings have begun.