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Articles Posted in Immigrants

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USCIS Introduces New 2025 Naturalization Civics Test: What You Need to Know

On September 18, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the implementation of a newly revised civics test for naturalization applicants, known as the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test. This updated version builds on the 2020 test—and will replace the existing 2008…

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October 2025 Visa Bulletin – Start of Fiscal Year Brings Moderate Movement in EB Final Action Dates and Significant Movement in EB Dates for Filing, Family Sponsored Final Actions Dates Also Show Major Movement

We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the October 2025 Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For adjustment of status filings to permanent…

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New U.S. Visa Rules: Applying at U.S. Embassy in Your Place of Residence or Country of Nationality Now Required

Flickr Creative Commons Attribution Jeroen Akkermans In the last months, the U.S. Department of State released two significant policy updates that impact both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants. These updates focus on a core change: applicants will now be required to have their visa interviews in their place of residence…

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A New Enforcement Era: USCIS Gives Special Agents Law Enforcement Powers

Introducing sweeping changes, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has expanded its role by gaining law enforcement powers previously limited to agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Under a new final rule published today, USCIS will now recruit 1,811-classified special agents—fully empowered officers…

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Immigration Updates: DHS Terminates Venezuela’s 2021 Designation for Temporary Protected Status, and EB-2 Annual Limit Reached   

On September 3, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the 2021 designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) previously granted to Venezuelans by President Biden. The government’s actions mean that the 2021 designation for Venezuela TPS and any associated TPS-related protection and documentation for beneficiaries will expire on…

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Happy Labor Day from the Law Office of Jacob Sapochnick!

As we celebrate the contributions of hardworking individuals across the nation, we want to take a moment to thank you — our valued clients — for your trust and partnership. We’re proud to support individuals and families who work tirelessly to build new lives, strengthen their communities, and pursue opportunities…

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USCIS Updates Policy: Officers to Consider Evidence of Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism in Immigrant Benefit Requests

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…

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USCIS Announces Tougher Policy to Evaluate the Good Moral Character Requirement for U.S. Citizenship

On Friday August 15th, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new policy memorandum (PM-602-0188) increasing the scrutiny of applications for U.S. citizenship, as part of the Trump administration’s latest efforts to tighten eligibility for naturalization. Specifically, USCIS has directed immigration officers to evaluate additional factors when assessing…

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September Visa Bulletin: No Movement in the Employment-Based Categories, Minimal Movement for Some Family Sponsored Categories

We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the September 2025 Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and…

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New USCIS Policy Seeks to Intimidate Immigrants Applying for Green Cards by Threatening Deportation Proceedings

On August 1st the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced new policies that could make immigrants applying for green cards through family-based petitions more vulnerable to deportation. The changes appear in various updates to USCIS’ Policy Manual which states that immigration officials can begin removal proceedings for immigrants who…