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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security published a Federal Register Notice (FRN) on Aug. 28, 2025, providing notice to the public on new and updated immigration-related fees that will take effect Sept. 30, 2025, and apply to fiscal year
The State Department announced that starting Nov. 1, 2025, the National Visa Center (NVC) will schedule immigrant visa applicants in their country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality. Key Points: In an Aug. 28 update, the State Department said it “is now requiring” immigrant visa
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that nearly all H-2B visa slots for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2026 have been filled. Key Points: As of Aug. 26, 2025, USCIS has approved 19,346 beneficiaries and has 10,725 pending petitions for the first half of
The Department of Homeland Security published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register today that would change the “duration of status” admission policy for F, J and most I nonimmigrant visa holders to a fixed time period. Key Points: Currently, F (academic student),
The Transportation Security Administration announced the implementation of the One Stop Security pilot program, allowing eligible international travelers to bypass TSA rescreening upon arrival in the U.S. Key Points: One Stop Security enables passengers arriving from certain foreign airports to skip TSA rescreening when connecting to
On Aug. 21, a federal judge ruled that the State Department cannot use the Trump administration’s travel ban to refuse the final processing of visa applications for a group of 84 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners. Key Points: On Aug. 21, Federal Judge Sparkle Sookanan of
Federal agencies announced several immigration-related actions and policies the week of Aug. 18-22 that could impact employers, including an ongoing review of all U.S. visas. Key Points: Nationwide U.S. visa review: Responding to a direct query from the Associated Press, on Aug. 21 the State Department
The Department of Homeland Security released an update regarding an Aug. 20 appellate court ruling allowing the agency to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for “aliens” from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua. Key Points: DHS published a Federal Register Notice on June
The Department of Home Affairs announced that individuals who hold certain Partner visas can submit their information for the permanent stage of their visa if it has been two years since they applied for the visa. Key Points: The announcement applies to individuals who hold
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shared an update regarding its compliance with a federal court stay postponing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua until Nov. 18, 2025. Key Points: On June 6, the Department of
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced it has published third quarter (Q3) of fiscal year (FY) 2025 public disclosure data and selected program statistics, along with an updated H-2B foreign labor recruiter list. Key Points: The OFLC’s Q3 release includes final determinations from Oct.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a memo on Aug. 15 providing guidance on the “good moral character” (GMC) standard as an eligibility factor for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. Key Points: USCIS calls the policy guidance “an improved direction for making GMC determinations and signals
The State Department updated global visa wait times on Aug. 18, 2025. The average wait times reported do not guarantee a visa applicant will get an appointment within a specific time. U.S. embassies and consulates regularly release additional appointment slots. Applicants who want an earlier appointment slot
China’s State Council is introducing a new visa category for eligible young science and technology professionals, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Key Points: The new K visa policy is being launched as an amendment to the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration
The Vietnamese government issued Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, providing greater flexibility and streamlined processes for companies managing foreign national workers in Vietnam. Key Points: Short-term work mission periods have been extended from 30 days up to three times per year to 90 days per calendar year. Foreign
The National Migration Institute (INM) is experiencing severe delays in immigration processing, disproportionately affecting cases submitted before the Immigration Office in Mexico City. Key Points: These delays are largely due to significant staffing changes and operational restructuring at INM. Online appointment availability is extremely limited for many immigration processes. Nationals
EducationUSA is hosting eight free education fairs across India from Aug. 9-17, connecting undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and their parents with accredited U.S. universities. Key Points: EducationUSA is a U.S. State Department network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries
BAL proudly celebrates the recognition of 57 exceptional attorneys in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. In another year of excellence, 28 attorneys were named to the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America and 29 attorneys