Starting September 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) will begin charging a $1 fee to register for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. This change comes from a final rule published in the Federal Register (90 FR 44524, 9/16/25). What’s Changing? Previously,...

The Trump administration has rolled back a long-standing safeguard in U.S. immigration enforcement: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are no longer required to complete detailed paperwork before making an arrest. For years, ICE agents had to document...

The U.S. Department of State has released the September 2025 Visa Bulletin, and it comes with both good news and some tough reality checks for immigrants waiting on their green card process. As the final month of the fiscal year, September often brings stalled...

On September 1, 2025, the United States quietly expanded restrictions on visas for nearly all holders of Palestinian passports. What began as limited security measures has now become a sweeping freeze that touches every corner of Palestinian civil life. What Changed?...

On July 3, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will waive multiple federal laws in order to speed up construction of a new border barrier in Cameron County, Texas. What the Waiver Does DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued the waiver under a...

Big news in the immigration world: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is reviving a tool that’s been out of use since 1991—neighborhood checks for naturalization applicants. This change has huge implications for anyone considering applying for...

On August 19–20, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rolled out a new directive that could have sweeping consequences for millions of low-income families. The order requires states to check the immigration or citizenship status of Medicaid and...

Policy Update – Effective Immediately On August 19, 2025, USCIS officially updated Volume 1 of its Policy Manual. That’s the core guidance manual used nationwide for discretionary adjudications. This change applies to any benefit requests pending or filed on or after...

On August 15, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new guidance on how officers will decide whether someone meets the “good moral character” (GMC) requirement for naturalization. What Changed? In the past, officers often focused mainly on...

It’s every immigration attorney’s nightmare—an ICE agent shows up at your office asking for information about a client. What happens next depends on whether you and your staff are prepared. Here’s your quick guide to protecting your clients, your license, and...