On Tuesday, August 19th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated policy guidance clarifying that immigration officers will assess a range of factors when determining whether to grant a favorable exercise of discretion in the green card process—signaling a tougher stance that may create additional hurdles for applicants seeking…
On June 18, 2025, the State Department announced that U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world will resume scheduling appointments for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, introducing new guidance that includes stricter vetting procedures and an expanded review of applicants’ social media activity. Moving forward, all F, M, and…
The Trump administration is not letting up on its campaign to target international students applying for visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates, beginning with Harvard University students. On Friday May 30, 2025, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an internal cable to U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide requiring them…
In the latest clash between the Trump administration and the judiciary—Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for accusations of helping a man evade immigration authorities. This all went down on Friday April 25th after allegations that the…
Today March 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an advance copy of a notice in the Federal Register ending four Biden-era parole programs for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV). When The temporary parole period of aliens in the United States under the CHNV parole programs will…
New changes are being implemented for certain self-petitioners filing immigration petitions under the Violence Against Women Act, also known as VAWA. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that beginning in December they will be conducting in-person interviews for select VAWA self-petitioners who have an I-360 and I-485…
In this blog post, we discuss how Trump’s return to the White House on January 20th could impact employment-based visa applicants and their employers in the years ahead. While the Trump campaign has been very vocal about their zero-tolerance policy toward illegal immigration, much less has been said about employment-based…
The fallout of the 2024 Presidential election has left high-skilled foreign workers asking what the Trump administration may have in store for them in the new year. Perhaps the most vulnerable to attack is the H-1B work visa program, which was previously targeted by the Trump administration. A second term…
In this blog post, we discuss what undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. Citizens can expect after applying for Parole in Place using the new USCIS online application called Form I-131F. What to Expect After Filing Form I-131F Parole in Place Once you have properly submitted the Form I-131F using…
The recent Supreme Court decisions handed down in Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Dep’t of Commerce, have overturned a longstanding rule known as the “Chevron” doctrine, which eliminates the need for federal courts to defer to federal agency decisions and regulations moving forward. This move essentially strips…