Global Mobility Gridlock: Travel Bans, Visa Delays, and Green Card Backlogs in 2026

Ceridwen Koski, Partner & Managing Partner | Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP

Ceridwen Koski is a Partner and the Managing Partner of Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP’s Denver office, where she designs and runs workforce immigration programs — temporary visas, green cards, and I-9 compliance — for clients spanning finance, technology, healthcare, and other industries, from Fortune 50 companies to startups and entertainers. Before joining Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP, she was a Shareholder in the immigration practice of a major AmLaw 100 labor and employment firm.

• Education & Credentials

Ceri earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law in 2006 after completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2000. She is admitted to practice law in the states of New York, Colorado, and Arizona, providing immigration counsel to clients with nationwide and cross-jurisdictional workforce needs.

• Recognition & Leadership

Koski is ranked in Chambers USA 2026 for Immigration in Colorado (Band 1) and Nationwide (Band 4), with seven years of Chambers rankings overall. Peer and client feedback collected by Chambers describes her as pragmatic and responsive, with a strong ability to translate complex immigration regulations into clear, actionable advice.

• Professional Involvement

Ceri earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law in 2006 after completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2000. She is admitted to practice law in the states of New York, Colorado, and Arizona, providing immigration counsel to clients with nationwide and cross-jurisdictional workforce needs.

• Experience

Koski’s practice centers on expediting emergency visa appointments, ensuring Work-From-Home immigration compliance, and coordinating directly with government agencies on behalf of employer clients.

Miki Kawashima Matrician, Co-Managing Partner | Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP

Miki Kawashima Matrician is the Co-Managing Partner of Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP’s Boston office, where she manages the full range of employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant cases for multinational corporations, high-tech companies, startups, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations, and advises clients on corporate immigration policy, training, compliance, and risk management.

• Education & Credentials

Miki earned her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School, where her student note was published in the Boston College International & Comparative Law Review and she served as Senior Articles Editor. She also completed judicial internships with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (Boston Immigration Court) and the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Government and East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University. Before entering the legal profession, she worked as a professional Japanese translator, editor, and language teacher, further strengthening her cross-cultural expertise.

• Recognition & Leadership

Miki serves as Co-Managing Partner of Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP’s Boston office and has earned recognition as one of the leading immigration attorneys in Massachusetts. She has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America® beginning in 2023, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for 2021 and 2022 and was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2013 through 2021. She has also been ranked by Chambers USA as a Band 2 immigration attorney, with clients recognizing her professionalism, legal knowledge, and commitment to client service. Additionally, she has held leadership roles within the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), including serving on the Executive Board of AILA New England and being elected Chair-Elect of the chapter.

• Professional Involvement

Matrician serves as an Elected Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association nationally and is Immediate Past Chair of AILA’s New England Chapter for 2025–2026, having previously served the chapter as Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary in prior years. She also teaches Business Immigration Law as adjunct faculty at Boston University Law School and is active on WERC committees and regional relocation associations.

• Experience

Miki advises multinational corporations, emerging companies, healthcare organizations, nonprofit institutions, and technology employers on all aspects of employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant immigration law. Her experience includes developing strategic immigration programs, managing complex visa and permanent residence matters, and counseling employers on workforce immigration needs. Drawing from her own immigration journey, she emphasizes client education and transparent communication while creating carefully tailored immigration strategies. Her broad experience, combined with her understanding of cross-cultural issues and fluency in Japanese, allows her to effectively represent both global employers and international professionals navigating the U.S. immigration system.

SESSION 1 – Locked Out at the Border: Travel Bans, Interview-Waiver Rollbacks, and Visa Processing Delays in 2026 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm

This session covers the January 2026 expansion of the presidential travel ban, the September 2025 elimination of most nonimmigrant visa interview waivers, and the expanded social media vetting and administrative processing delays now disrupting international travel, hiring, and business continuity for global employers.

BREAK | 3:30pm – 3:40pm

SESSION 2 – Green Cards in Gridlock: EB-2/EB-3 Retrogression, PERM Backlogs, and Adjustment Strategy for 2026 | 3:40pm – 4:40pm

This session covers the 2026 employment-based visa bulletin’s unusual volatility, the causes of EB-2 and EB-3 retrogression, and how employers and counsel should sequence PERM filings, priority date protection, and adjustment strategy in a backlogged system.