United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a policy memo mandating new policy changes that will significantly impact the processing of various immigration applications, including pausing processing for various benefits requests and ordering the re-review and potential re-processing of previously approved applications.Who Is Affected? Individuals from 19 “High-Risk” Countries: Some restrictions apply to … Read more

As of December 15, 2025 Department of State announced it will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. To assist with this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), as … Read more

Oct 30 – USCIS published an interim final rule that is expected to be published today that will eliminate the maximum 540-day automatic extension of certain EADs for renewal applications filed on or after October 30, 2025. The Dept. of Homeland Security states that the change in policy is intended to enhance screening and vetting … Read more

USCIS has recently issued the following clarifications regarding the Proclamation, Restrictions on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers: Who is NOT subject to the $100,000 fee: ·      The Proclamation does not apply to any previously issued and currently valid H-1B visas, or any H-1B petitions submitted prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, … Read more

As Congress was unable to pass a FY 2026 appropriations bill or a temporary stopgap measure to extend federal funding beyond September 30, the federal government is officially shut down as of October 1, 2025. All but “essential” personnel are furloughed. The following is an overview of how the immigration-related agencies are expected to operate … Read more

Given the unclear language of the Proclamation, entitled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, that was issued abruptly on Friday afternoon and the lack of initial guidance from the federal agencies, there was much confusion and uncertainty regarding who would be impacted and how. As a result of the widespread confusion, the White House, USCIS … Read more

Yesterday evening, President Trump issued a Proclamation restricting the entry of anyone seeking to enter or reenter the U.S. in H-1B status without payment of a new $100,000 fee. The Proclamation, entitled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, is effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT Sunday, September 21, 2025. Anyone in H-1B status who is currently abroad should … Read more

Naturalization is the process by which a lawful permanent resident can apply to become a U.S. citizen. As part of this process, applicants (with some limited exceptions) are required to successfully pass English language reading and writing tests as well as a civics test. On September 18, 2025, USCIS announced that it is reimplementing the 2020 … Read more

On September 6, 2025, the U.S. State Department announced that, effective immediately, it has updated its instructions for all nonimmigrant visa applicants scheduling visa interview appointments: Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas (NIV) should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence. Nationals of countries where … Read more

Effective today, April 11, 2025, some foreign nationals in the United States will be required to register online with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and undergo biometrics collection and a background check. Please see here for USCIS’ published guidance on the requirement: Registration Requirement. Most foreign nationals present in the United States are considered … Read more