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New Executive Order Establishes the Gold Card—Pathway to Permanent Residency for Wealthy

On Friday evening, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order establishing a new pathway to permanent residency called “The Gold Card.” This program creates a fast-track green card option for wealthy individuals who make significant “gifts” to the U.S. government through the Department of Commerce. Highlights Although clear guidance on…

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New Executive Order Halts Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrant Workers Unless $100,000 Fee is Paid for New Petitions

The legal immigration landscape was shaken once again late Friday evening when the President issued a new proclamation barring new H-1B workers from entering the United States—unless their employers pay a $100,000 fee for each sponsored employee. The proclamation took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 21, and…

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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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According to New Poll Most Californians Reject Trump Administration’s Immigration Enforcement Tactics

A new UC Berkeley IGS poll shows that a strong majority of California voters disapprove of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. Nearly 70% of respondents said they are unhappy with how immigration is being handled in the state — and many reported emotional responses to images of raids, describing…

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Deadly Crash Leads to Temporary Pause of Work Visas for Commercial Truck Drivers Seeking H-2B, E-2, or EB-3 Classification

On August 21, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department is temporarily pausing the issuance of work visas for foreign nationals seeking employment as commercial truck drivers in the U.S. “Increasing numbers of foreign drivers behind the wheels of large tractor-trailers on America’s roads are putting…