Becky von Trapp Immigration Attorney

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas: Warm Wishes From von Trapp Law PLLC

As we reflect on the past year, we know that 2025 has been an especially difficult and uncertain time for many in the immigration community. Changes in policy, long processing times, and heightened anxiety have made this year challenging for families, employers, and individuals alike. In the midst of these difficulties, we are deeply grateful for your trust and support. As a new law firm, it has been a true privilege to serve and stand alongside our clients and our community during such an important and vulnerable time. Your resilience inspires us every day. We wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, a peaceful holiday season, and a New Year filled with hope, stability, and new beginnings.

17/12/2025

We’re excited to share that we just secured another H-2B approval for a first-year applicant — approved without an RFE. 🎉 This result reflects careful case strategy, thorough preparation, and precise timing.

As we celebrate this win, we’re already hard at work on FY26 first-half (January) registrations for an April 1 start date — an ideal window for seasonal employers, including:
• 🏗️ Construction companies
• 🍦 Summer-only restaurants & ice cream shops
• 🌿 Landscaping and groundskeeping businesses
• And other seasonal and peakload operations

One important advantage of the H-2B program:

👉 Employers can sponsor up to 25 workers in the same position on a single petition, paying one set of USCIS filing fees. This makes the program a cost-effective and scalable solution for businesses with recurring seasonal labor needs.

If FY26 workforce planning is on your radar, now is the time to start. Early preparation truly makes the difference.

Here’s to continued momentum and helping seasonal businesses build reliable teams. 💪

13/12/2025

One of the first videos I made five years ago—on I-751 Divorce Waivers—is still just as relevant today.

If you know someone who entered into a good-faith marriage that didn’t work out, and they’re worried that a divorce might put their green card at risk, please share this with them and encourage them to reach out to me.

Happy holiday season. 🎄✨

13/12/2025

One of the first videos I made five years ago—on I-751 Divorce Waivers—is still just as relevant today.

If you know someone who entered into a good-faith marriage that didn’t work out, and they’re worried that a divorce might put their green card at risk, please share this with them and encourage them to reach out to me.

Happy holiday season. 🎄✨

09/12/2025

I started my immigration boutique firm in early April, and in just under nine months I’ve been honored to receive 20 five-star reviews. 💛

I’m deeply grateful for my clients and the trust they place in me. It’s a privilege to witness their joy when they receive the work visas or green cards they’ve worked so hard for — and to stand by them during the tough moments, whether responding to a challenging RFE or reopening a denial with new evidence.

When I first started practicing immigration law, a respected mentor told me: “Take every case seriously, and let your reputation grow from there.” I carry that advice with me every day.

Thank you to everyone who has allowed me to be part of their journey. I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a real difference. 🌿

03/12/2025

Is this your fastest track to US green card?

28/11/2025

Recently, I was appointed as an adjunct professor at Vermont Law School, to teach immigration law courses starting January 2026.

To go from being a nervous student trying to keep up to helping the next generation of students grow — it feels like life has come full circle.

I am thankful for every professor, mentor, colleague, and friend who believed in me before I truly believed in myself.

Wishing everyone a warm, peaceful, and grateful Thanksgiving.

24/11/2025

It is a great honor to serve as the Co-Chair of the Vermont Bar Association’s Immigration Division. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the Vermont community.

21/11/2025

Recently, I had the pleasure of being invited by the American Constitution Society (ACS) and the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) to speak at Vermont Law and Graduate School. It was a very well-attended event, and I was genuinely impressed by the next generation of future lawyers — their curiosity, engagement, and enthusiasm for immigration law were inspiring.

During the session, I shared updates on several fast-moving areas, including recent H-1B changes, nationalization standards, the new “gold card” framework, and other policy developments that are shaping today’s immigration landscape.

Grateful for the invitation, and excited to see so many students passionate about this work.

19/11/2025

I was quoted by Bloomberg Law alongside other immigration law experts on the proposed “gold card” program by saying:

“Congress created the EB-1 and EB-2 to reward merit,” said Becky Fu von Trapp, managing attorney at von Trapp Law PLLC. “The gold card just attempts to treat a financial gift as equivalent proof.”

The Gold Card was announced alongside the much-discussed $100,000 H-1B fee, yet it has received far less scrutiny. It has been frequently compared to the EB-5 investor visa program. Drawing on my experience with EB-5 dating back to the early 2010s, I reviewed the proclamation closely and offered my perspective.

In many ways, the Gold Card is an interesting policy experiment. With implementation details expected within 90 days, we will have to wait and see what shape the program ultimately takes.

President Donald Trump’s signature proposal to attract new immigrants to the US would allow the ultra wealthy a chance to buy visas traditionally reserved for the highest achieving foreign workers.

11/11/2025

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of presenting with ethics expert Michele Marchi at the New England AILA conference in Boston, where we unpacked one of the biggest themes reshaping immigration practice right now: the ethical use of AI.

AI isn’t optional anymore. It’s becoming part of the daily fabric of how we draft, analyze, and move cases forward. And under the rule of competence, we must stay current with the benefits and risks of relevant technology, which now unmistakably includes AI tools.

A few key takeaways we shared with colleagues:

• Early adopters hold a real advantage.
• You’re not only responsible for your own AI use, but also for how your paralegals and legal assistants use these tools.
• Every law firm should have an AI policy in place, even a simple one, to set expectations and guardrails.
• And despite all the power of these tools, human review is non-negotiable. AI can accelerate our work, but it can also hallucinate, and our judgment is the final filter.

Immigration law moves quickly, and AI is pushing the pace even more. It’s an exciting moment to rethink how we work and how we serve our clients.

10/11/2025