{"abstract":"In this final rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is revising its regulations affecting: highly skilled workers in the nonimmigrant classifications for specialty occupation from Chile, Singapore (H-1B1), and Australia (E-3); the immigrant classification for employment-based first preference (EB-1) outstanding professors and researchers; and nonimmigrant workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) classification. DHS anticipates that these changes to the regulations will benefit these highly skilled workers and CW-1 nonimmigrant workers by removing unnecessary hurdles that place such workers at a disadvantage when compared to similarly situated workers in other visa classifications.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","name":"Homeland Security Department","id":227,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/homeland-security-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/227","parent_id":null,"slug":"homeland-security-department"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2016/01/15/2016-00478.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":204,"title":8},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":214,"title":8},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":248,"title":8},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":274,"title":8}],"citation":"81 FR 2068","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective February 16, 2016.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["CIS No. 2515-11","DHS Docket No. USCIS-2012-0005"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2016-00478","effective_on":"2016-02-16","end_page":2084,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2016/01/15/2016-00478.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/01/15/2016-00478/enhancing-opportunities-for-h-1b1-cw-1-and-e-3-nonimmigrants-and-eb-1-immigrants","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2016-00478?publication_date=2016-01-15","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2016-01-15/2016-00478/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":17,"page_views":{"count":19660,"last_updated":"2026-10-23 12:15:06 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-01-15/pdf/2016-00478.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-00478.pdf?1452701718","publication_date":"2016-01-15","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2016/01/15/2016-00478.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1615-AC00":{"issue":"201510","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1615-AC00/enhancing-opportunities-for-h-1b1-cw-1-and-e-3-nonimmigrants-and-eb-1-immigrants","title":"Enhancing Opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 Nonimmigrants and EB-1 Immigrants","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201510&RIN=1615-AC00&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1615-AC00"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Letter from Marlene Johnson, NAFSA","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0045"},{"title":"Table of Changes - Instructions","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0024"},{"title":"Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0023"},{"title":"Instructions to Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0022"},{"title":"Work Force Fueled by Highly Skilled Immigrants","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0021"},{"title":"White House Report, Economic Benefits of Fixing our Broken Immigration System","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0020"},{"title":"The New American Fortune 500","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0019"},{"title":"Patenting Prosperity","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0018"},{"title":"Letter, Association of International Educators to DHS","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0017"},{"title":"Intellectual Property the Immigration Backlog and a Reverse Brain Drain","document_id":"USCIS-2012-0005-0016"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1615-AC00/enhancing-opportunities-for-h-1b1-cw-1-and-e-3-nonimmigrants-and-eb-1-immigrants","title":"Enhancing Opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 Nonimmigrants and EB-1 Immigrants"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=USCIS-2012-0005","supporting_documents_count":24,"docket_id":"USCIS-2012-0005","regulation_id_number":"1615-AC00","title":"Enhancing Opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 Nonimmigrants and EB-1 Immigrants","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2016-02-04T06:00:11Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":2068,"subtype":null,"title":"Enhancing Opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 Nonimmigrants and EB-1 Immigrants","toc_doc":"Enhancing Opportunities for H1B1, CW1, and E3 Nonimmigrants and EB1 Immigrants","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Aliens","Cultural exchange programs","Employment","Foreign officials","Health professions","Immigration","Penalties","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Students"],"type":"Rule","volume":81}