Traditionally, business immigration law has existed in relative isolation, with issues so narrowly and rigidly constrained that legal professionals focusing on other areas did not have cause to be aware of immigration-related issues. Times are changing, though, for employment lawyers and those specializing in procurement and services contracting.

Over the past several years, the agency charged with adjudicating immigration benefits requests, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), has gradually evolved its review process and has adopted a more searching inquiry of employment visa adjudications. Skyrocketing denial and request for evidence (RFE) rates have been widely reported and discussed, but the data does not help understand the reasoning of USCIS adjudicators for those trying to understand these numbers.