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The Trump administration officially launched the Gold Card program on Dec. 10. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published Form I-140G, Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program, on its website — along with instructions, valid edition date (Nov. 19, 2025) and other filing details.
Key Points:
Additional Information: The Department of Homeland Security received emergency approval on Nov. 19 from the Office of Management and Budget to implement Form I-140G. The Trump Gold Card program was established by executive order 14351 as an immigration initiative marking an exclusive pathway to permanent residency in the U.S.
This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
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Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a Federal Register Notice (FRN) announcing planned updates to certain Form I-94 processes and changes to related systems, including the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), and requests public comments on the proposal be submitted by Feb. 9, 2026.
Additional Information: The FRN states that CBP will be submitting the information request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. At this time, changes in the FRN are not yet in effect. BAL will continue to monitor related developments to the proposed changes and provide updates.
Following the State Department’s mandate published on Dec. 3 expanding the requirement for “online presence review” to include all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, effective Dec. 15, 2025, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India announced visa appointments had been rescheduled via email.
On Dec. 9, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India posted the following update on its official X account:
“ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS – If you have received an email
advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission
India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date.
Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result
in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.”
Newsweek reported on Dec. 9 that the U.S. Consulates in Chennai and Hyderabad have sent applicants emails that read in part, “Due to operational constraints related to processing these visas and to ensure that no applicants issued a visa pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai must reduce the number of applicants each day.”
The State Department’s Dec. 15 mandate instructs all H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents, F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applicants to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”
Per the U.S. Embassy India announcement, visa applicants who receive an email advising that their appointment has been rescheduled will not be allowed entry if they appear on the date of their previously scheduled appointment.
The State Department has not issued further public guidance on the matter as of the publication date of this alert.
BAL clients are advised to consult directly with their BAL support team regarding this matter. BAL will continue to monitor related developments and provide updates.
Following the posting of PERM processing times as of Dec. 1, the Department of Labor posted the latest processing times for prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests.
As of Dec. 1, the National Prevailing Wage Center is processing PWD requests filed in July 2025 for H-1B and PERM OEWS* cases. For H-1B Non-OEWS* cases, the DOL was processing requests filed in May 2025 and earlier, and for PERM Non-OEWS cases, the department was processing requests filed in April 2025 and earlier.
*OEWS and Non-OEWS are the sources used for determining the prevailing wage for a job. OEWS stands for Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Non-OEWS refers to other sources used for prevailing wage determinations, such as collective bargaining agreements or private wage surveys.
Update on applications received for requested date of need from April 1, 2025 (fiscal year 2025 second half of the visa cap):
The Department of Labor reported that as of Dec. 6, a total of 8,947 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 120,553 workers.
Update on applications received for requested date of need from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026:
DOL reported that as of Nov. 29, a total of 3,876 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 73,234 workers.
H-2B Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD) processing times:
As of Dec. 1, the number of remaining requests for H-2B visa PWD applications received in November were 4,054. The number of remaining requests for September was 34 and for October was 32. The disparity between September, October and November reflects the impact of the government shutdown.
These dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for Redeterminations or Center Director Review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted. Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the total, which may cause the numbers for previous months to fluctuate.
Learn more about H-2B visas here.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced a new Express Entry category for international doctors, filling critical health workforce gaps by creating a simpler path to permanent residence.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
The Department of Labor posted the latest processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) as of Dec. 1. Prevailing wage determination (PWD) processing times have not yet been updated and still reflect PWD processing times as of Sept. 1. However, internal BAL reports show PWDs are being processed in approximately 5-6 months and currently July 2025 filed requests are being processed.
PERM Processing Times: As of Dec. 1, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in July 2024 and earlier. Those filed in November 2024 and earlier were under audit review and appeals for reconsideration to the certifying officer filed in August 2025 are currently under review.
These dates reflect the month and year in which cases were filed and are currently being adjudicated. The Reconsideration Request date for reviewing appeals reflects the month and year in which cases that are currently being reviewed were appealed. For various reasons, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
Average number of days to process PERM applications
These dates reflect the amount of time to process applications. Actual processing times for each employer’s PERM application may vary from the average depending on material facts and individual circumstances of the case. The OFLC is reporting the average processing time for all PERM applications for the most recent month.
U.S. Embassy Mexico announced that, effective Nov. 24, 2025, the embassy is operating at its new location. All consular services conducted in Mexico City, including visa interviews and services for U.S. citizens, are now conducted exclusively at the new embassy headquarters.
The embassy’s new address is: Presa Angostura 225, Colonia Irrigación, Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, C.P. 11500.
The visa section entrance is located at the corner of Casa de la Moneda and Calzada Legaria.
According to the embassy’s official X account, visitors should be aware that the following are not allowed inside the embassy: liquids, cellphones, electronic car keys, tablets, headphones or smartwatches. The embassy does not have security or parking.
For more information, visit the embassy website.
The State Department announced that, effective Dec. 15, 2025, it will expand the requirement for “online presence review” to include all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents.
Additional Information: BAL will continue to monitor related developments and provide updates.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a “hold and review” policy memorandum on Dec. 2, 2025, effective immediately, directing USCIS personnel to place holds on certain asylum applications and benefit requests and conduct a “comprehensive re-review” of benefit requests for certain foreign nationals from 19 identified “high-risk” countries.
Additional Information: BAL will continue to monitor related policy developments and provide updates.