January 2026 Visa Bulletin Issued: Dates for Filing EB Cut-Off Dates Will Apply; Minor Forward Movement in Both Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates; Significant Forward Movement in the Final Action EB-1 India Date
The U.S. Department of State has released its January 2026 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular immigrant visa application interviews and...
USCBP Issues Proposed Rule to Revise ESTA Application Process; Social Media Information Will be Required of Applicants
United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) has issued a Proposed Rule (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-10/pdf/2025-22461.pdf) that will make a number of changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), the mechanism that allows...
USCIS Reduces Maximum EAD Validity Periods from 5 Years to 18 Months
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised its Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain categories of foreign nationals, including applicants for adjustment of status. The...
United States Consulates in India Rescheduling Some H-1B and H-4 Visa Application Appointments Because of Social Media Vetting Mandate
United States consulates in India have begun canceling some H-1B and H-4 visa stamp application interviews originally scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026, and rescheduling these appointments for a later date. Although the cancelation and rescheduling of...
New Public Charge Announcements from Department of State and USCIS
Over the last month the Department of State (DOS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have issued new announcements related to the public charge ground of inadmissibility to the U.S. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) permits the...
United States Consulates to Expand Online Social Media Screening to H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants
The United States State Department (DOS) has announced that, beginning on December 15, 2025, consular officers adjudicating H-1B and H-4 visa stamp applications will conduct the same “online presence review” that has been conducted for F, M, and J visa applicants...
Canada Releases 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan
On November 5, 2025, the federal government released its Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028. The plan sets updated intake ranges for temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers, and revises permanent resident targets across...
December 2025 Visa Bulletin Issued: Dates for Filing EB Cut-Off Dates Will Apply; No Dates for Filing Movement in Any EB Category; Some Forward Movement in Final Action Dates
The U.S. Department of State has released its December 2025 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular Immigrant Visa application interviews and...
Following Restoration of FLAG Online Filing System, DOL Announces 33-Day Grace Period for Filing of PERM Applications With Expired Recruitment or Prevailing Wage Determinations
On October 31, 2025 the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an announcement that the agency had resumed processing of employer requests through the Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC’s) Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system for prevailing wages and...
New Overstay Management Program
Effective October 21, 2025, the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has launched the Overstay Management Program (Program Pengurusan Tinggal Lebih Masa) to streamline how overstay cases are managed for long-term pass holders. Key Points: Who’s impacted: Employment...