In many respects, 2015 was a good year for foreigners seeking employment opportunities in United States. The job market has fully recovered, and the Obama administration extended work authorization to many more foreigners. 

Here is our selection of the top 10 work visa news stories of 2015. 

1. Obama administration approved the proposed regulation on STEM OPT Extension, which allows STEM students to work for 36 months after graduation. 
   


2. Certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants can start applying for work authorization(EAD).
   
   


3. Obama administration approved L-1B Visa Policy Memorandum which will make it easier for the employers to get L-1 visa for its employees.
   


4. USCIS received nearly 233,000 H-1B petitions during the 1 week filing period beginning at April 1.
   


5. Certain employers no longer have to pay additional filing fee of either $2,000 (H-1B) or $2,250 (L-1). However, the fees were restored and doubled in December.
   


6. Republican and Democratic senators introduced legislation that would make it easier for U.S. employers to hire more foreign specialists in science, technology and engineering.
   


7. Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin introduced a bipartisan legislation that would for the first time prioritize the annual allocation of H-1B visas.
   


8. Obama administration's executive actions to allow undocumented immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. were blocked by a federal judge in response to a lawsuit from Texas and 25 other states. 
   


9. Unemployment rate in the US was recorded at 5 percent in October 2015, the lowest in more than seven years. Monthly job gains over the last year now average 230,000.
   


10. Myvisajobs.com released its 10th Annual H1B Visa and Employment-based Green Card reports. The 2016 edition is expected to be released in mid January 2016.

U.S. employers are expected to file more than 200,000 labor condition application for H-1B visa in April. It is time for you toupdate your career profile and pitch potential employers now!