USCIS Completes Initial H-1B Cap Registration Selection Process for Fiscal Year 2026
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, as expected, it received sufficient electronic H-1B cap registrations during the initial registration period in March to reach the FY 2026 H-1B numerical allocations of 65,000 (for holders...
State Department Sends Cable to Consulates Requiring Social Media Review of All F, M, and J Visa Applicants
An investigative reporter (State Dept. demands 'enhanced' social media vetting of student visa applicants) has obtained a copy of a cable sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 26, 2025, to State Department employees entitled “Action Request: Enhanced...
Social Security Administration Freezes Enumeration Beyond Entry Program; Social Security Cards May No Longer Be Mailed to EAD or Naturalization Applicants
Yesterday, an investigative reporter revealed an unpublished internal memo from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), indicating that the SSA had temporarily paused its Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program. Through EBE, SSA automatically issues Social...
Litigation Over Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Reaches United States Supreme Court
After three separate federal courts issued nationwide injunctions preventing the federal government from enforcing or implementing the Trump administration’s January 20, 2025 Executive Order (“EO”) entitled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, the...
Trump Administration Issues Interim Final Rule on Foreign National Registration Requirement
As we reported on March 6, 2025, in our Alert, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on February 25, 2025 a new registration procedure for foreign nationals in the United States. This procedure was announced in an effort to comply with...
April 2025 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action EB Cut-Off Dates Will Once Again Apply; Very Modest Forward Movement Has Occurred
The U.S. Department of State has released its April 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...
USCIS Publishes Federal Register Notice on Collection of Social Media Information for Certain Applicants for Immigration Benefits
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published in the Federal Register a 60-Day Notice inviting comments on its intention to start gathering information concerning the "online social media presence" for the past five years of foreign...
Trump Administration Announces Foreign National Registration Requirement
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on February 25, 2025, a new registration procedure for foreign nationals in the United States. This has apparently been done in an effort to comply with the January 20, 2025, Executive Order...
President Trump Announces Intention to Introduce “Gold Card” Permanent Residence Program
President Trump announced on February 25, 2025, a potential “gold card” program to grant United States permanent residence, or green cards, to foreign nationals in exchange for a payment of US $5 million. It is not clear from the President’s statements if an...
U.S. Department of State Changes Nonimmigrant Visa Application Interview Waiver (i.e., “Dropbox”) Procedures and Requirements
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has revised its requirements for waiving interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants who are applying for visa stamps. Visa applications that are accepted without an interview are commonly referred to as being submitted...