Visa Denials

Starting October 1, 2026, the State Department is expanding its online screening of visa applicants to include I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for Canadian and Mexican professionals, and TD visas for their dependents.

Applicants in these categories are now instructed to make all of their social media profiles “public” or “open” so consular officers can review them.

The new rule expands a vetting system that already applies to several other visa categories, including:

Diplomatic and Official Visas: A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5
Students: F-1, M-1, F-2, M-2
Temporary Workers and Trainees: H-1B, H-3, H-4 dependents of H1-B and H-3
Exchange Visitors: J-1, J-2
Fiancé and Dependents: K-1, K-2, K-3
International Cultural Exchange Participants: Q
Religious Occupations: R-1, R-2
Witnesses, Informants, and Victims: S, T, U

The State Department says it may use information from any available source to determine whether an applicant is eligible for a visa or presents national-security or public-safety concerns.

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 of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to enter the United States on parole while awaiting completion of the immigrant visa process.

DHS described the move as an effort to end what they described as the “abuse of humanitarian parole,” arguing that these programs allowed individuals to bypass traditional immigration procedures without sufficient vetting. Under the new policy, parole will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

The termination takes effect December 15, 2025, and parole for individuals already admitted under FRP will generally expire on January 14, 2026, unless they have a pending Form I-485 Application to Adjust Status that is postmarked or electronically filed on or before December 15 and it is still pending on January 14, 2026.

If an individual has a pending Form I-485, their parole will remain valid until either their period of parole expires or USCIS makes a final decision on their pending Form I-485, whichever is sooner. If the Form I-485 is denied, the period of parole will be terminated, and they will be required to depart the United States or seek relief through alternative legal pathways.