Search
Contact
Login
The State Department announced expanded screening and vetting procedures for F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applicants. Key Points: Per the State Department’s announcement, it “will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M,
The State Department raised its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4. The U.S. Embassy Jerusalem issued a security alert on June 16 directing all U.S. government employees and their families to continue to shelter in place in and near
In response to the ongoing security situation in Israel, the Population and Immigration Authority announced that visas for foreign nationals staying legally in Israel, that were valid as of June 12, 2025, are automatically extended until Sept. 30, 2025. Key Points: The visa extension applies to holders of the
The European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on revisions of the visa suspension mechanism to address certain challenges related to visa-free travel. Key Points: The revised rules include: New grounds to suspend visa-free regimes, including in cases of insufficient alignment with
The Hong Kong Labor Department implemented new measures under the Enhanced Supplementary Labor Scheme (ESLS) to safeguard employment priority for local workers. Key Points: After an employer has submitted an ESLS application to hire a foreign worker, subsequent applications submitted by the same employer will
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued policy guidance on how the agency processes Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, to prevent fraudulent exceptions to naturalization requirements. Key Points: Under this policy guidance, USCIS is focusing greater attention on the accuracy of medical certifications and
The government of Canada extended the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) until Dec. 31, 2025, to offer safe, legal immigration pathways and work opportunities to refugees and persons with similar protection needs. Key Points: The EMPP helps skilled refugees and other displaced people apply for
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Policy Manual with guidance on how the agency discloses derogatory information upon which an adverse decision is based. Key Points: The policy guidance states that a detailed description of the derogatory information will be provided to the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating its Policy Manual to clarify that a Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is only valid while the application the Form I-693 was submitted with is pending. Key Points:
The Labor Department posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests. PERM Processing Times: As of June 9, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in February 2024 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed in March
The U.S. State Department released the July Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced filings for employment-based visa preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart. China dates advanced slightly in every category and India showed slight advancement
The Trump administration’s Presidential Proclamation restricting entry to the U.S. from 19 countries has gone into effect as of June 9. The administration’s additional Proclamation restricting entry under student and exchange visitor programs at Harvard University has been put on
The Department of Homeland Security published notice in the Federal Register that the designation of Nepal for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will terminate on Aug. 5, 2025. Key Points: The notice states that the DHS Secretary determined that Nepal no longer continues to meet the conditions
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada introduced new legislation extending citizenship by descent beyond the current first-generation limit. Key Points: Currently, the Citizenship Act has a first-generation limit to citizenship by descent for individuals born abroad. The bill’s new framework for citizenship by descent would allow
The Trump administration issued two Presidential Proclamations on June 4 with the first taking effect June 9 and imposing full and partial travel restrictions barring entry to the U.S. for 19 countries, subject to certain exceptions. The second imposes restrictions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will only accept the updated Jan. 20, 2025, edition of the N-600K starting July 3, 2025. Key Points: The N-600K form is the application for citizenship and issuance of certificate used to apply for naturalization of a child under the age
BAL is once again recognized as a Band 1 immigration law firm in the Chambers USA Guide 2025, earning the highest tier ranking nationwide as well as for its California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia offices. BAL’s newest office in Georgia was also recognized in its first year with