The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily pausing the processing of adjustment of status applications for Diversity Visa Lottery winners, and related filings, following the recent shootings in New England. This was announced in a brief social media post by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule that replaces the longstanding random H‑1B cap lottery with a wage‑level‑based weighted selection system, set to take effect in time for the fiscal year 2027 H‑1B cap season beginning in March 2026. Under the new rule, beneficiaries registered…
The U.S. government has issued a revised travel ban that takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 1, 2026, significantly expanding restrictions on visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries and individuals travelling with Palestinian Authority–issued travel documents. Under the new presidential proclamation, immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are fully…
DHS Ends Family Reunification Parole Programs On December 12, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is terminating all categorical Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for citizens of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras, including their immediate family members. These programs allowed certain relatives…
The Trump Gold Card Program — established by Executive Order 14351 and to be launched December 18, 2025— represents one of the most significant changes to U.S. immigration policy in decades. Designed to create a pathway to U.S. permanent residency for wealthy foreign nationals willing to make substantial financial gifts…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated its Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain categories of aliens. The maximum validity period for initial and renewal EADs will be changed from 5 years back to 18 months for the following individuals:…
On December 2, 2025, USCIS issued a policy memorandum placing a hold on numerous immigration benefit requests and ordering the re-examination of previously approved cases. What the Memo Says: Key Provisions Pending benefit requests frozen for many nationals. USCIS is pausing processing of all pending immigration benefit requests if the…
A federal judge has issued a court order requiring that immigrants detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in downtown Los Angeles be granted access to their attorneys in a timely manner. The ruling comes after lawyers reported that detainees were frequently denied phone access, had…
The latest announcement from U.S. Department of State has sent ripples through immigration communities: the opening of registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV‑2027) has been delayed, and changes to the entry process are on the horizon. What’s happening? Traditionally, the DV-Lottery registration period opens in early October. This year,…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a new $1,000 immigration parole fee for most individuals granted parole into the country, effective October 16, 2025. Announced by DHS and USCIS under the H.R. 1 legislation, the fee applies at the time parole is granted, even if the application…