News & Updates
Announcements from our firm, plus plain-language summaries of policy and filing-fee changes that affect our clients. General information only — not legal advice about your specific case.
On Sept. 18, 2026, the President signed Proclamation 11069, "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers," published in the Federal Register on Sept. 23, 2026. It continues the limitations…
Federal Register: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers (opens in a new tab)→Also on Sept. 18, 2026, the President signed Executive Order 14431, "Enhancing Program Integrity and Interagency Coordination in the Administration of the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program," published…
Federal Register: Enhancing Program Integrity and Interagency Coordination in the Administration of the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program (opens in a new tab)→On Sept. 23, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Alert PA-2026-15, revising Volume 1, Part B, Chapter 6, Section E of the Policy Manual in its entirety, effective Oct. 23, 2026. It rescinds a 2023 policy…
USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-15 (opens in a new tab)→On Sept. 14, 2026 — one day before it was to take effect — a federal court postponed the effective date of the DHS final rule "Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay…
Presidents' Alliance v. DHS docket (D. Mass.) (opens in a new tab)→In Policy Alert PA-2026-13, issued Sept. 14, 2026 and effective immediately, USCIS set out detailed guidance on when it refers naturalized U.S. citizens for revocation of naturalization — commonly…
USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-13 (opens in a new tab)→On Sept. 10, 2026, Judge Edward J. Davila issued an Order Enforcing Preliminary Injunction in Medani v. Trump, No. 5:26-cv-06332-EJD (N.D. Cal.), ECF No. 93, after the plaintiffs went back to court…
Medani v. Trump docket (N.D. Cal.) (opens in a new tab)→Read that first line twice, because this one is already circulating as though it were settled law. On Sept. 11, 2026, DHS published a notice of proposed rulemaking, "Eliminating the Discretionary…
Federal Register: Eliminating the Discretionary 60-Day Grace Period (proposed rule) (opens in a new tab)→Two changes for employers filing H-1B and L-1 petitions landed on the same day, and both are in effect now. First, the fee. A DHS final rule, "9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for H-1B and…
USCIS: Form I-129 (current edition and fee notice) (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order in Medani v. Trump, No. 26-cv-6332, temporarily vacating USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193 — the…
USCIS alert: Court Order on Diversity Immigrant Visa Program Hold Policy (opens in a new tab)→On Sept. 4, 2026, DHS issued an interim final rule, "Registration of Lawful Permanent Residence for Children Born to Foreign Government Employees in the United States" (RIN 1615-AD24; DHS Docket No…
USCIS alert: DHS rule for children born to foreign government employees (opens in a new tab)→On Sept. 10, 2026, the government filed a notice of appeal in CLINIC v. Rubio, No. 1:26-cv-00858-JAV (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 98, taking the Aug. 24, 2026 judgment — a partial judgment entered under…
CLINIC v. Rubio docket (S.D.N.Y.) (opens in a new tab)→An interim final rule, "Affirmative Asylum Referrals Without Interview" (91 Fed. Reg. 47101), took effect July 28, 2026 and is in force now. It adds 8 CFR 208.9(a)(2), which permits an asylum officer…
Federal Register: Affirmative Asylum Referrals Without Interview (opens in a new tab)→A State Department final rule, "Visas: Visa Bond Program" (91 FR 48757, RIN 1400-AG33), took effect Aug. 3, 2026, making permanent a pilot program that began in August 2025. It revises 22 CFR…
Federal Register: Visas: Visa Bond Program (final rule) (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California certified a class and preliminarily enjoined two USCIS policy memoranda — PM 602-0192 and PM 602-0194 — in Red Eagle…
USCIS alert: Recent Court Order on Hold Policies (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 25, 2026, DHS published a proposed rule that would add a $103,265 fee to every H-1B cap-subject petition, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption, on top of all other…
Federal Register: Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions (opens in a new tab)→Dolly Parton died August 25, 2026, in Nashville, at 80. We're a few miles from Music Row, in a state she spent her life describing to the rest of the world, and the loss is close to home. Our tribute…
Read our tribute→In Policy Alert PA-2026-10, issued Aug. 25, 2026, USCIS ended the general waiver of the personal investigations authorized by INA § 335(a) — the "neighborhood investigations" legacy INS had abandoned…
USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-10 (opens in a new tab)→In a policy memorandum signed May 21, 2026, USCIS said adjustment of status is "a matter of discretion and administrative grace," not a routine approval, and directed officers to weigh an applicant's…
USCIS newsroom alerts (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 21, 2026, a federal judge ruled in CLINIC v. Rubio that the State Department's policy suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries was unlawful, vacating it nationwide…
CLINIC press release on the ruling (opens in a new tab)→DHS has proposed raising the N-400 naturalization fee from $760 to $1,330 on paper (or $710 to $1,280 online) and eliminating both the reduced-fee option and the fee waiver, with an exception…
Current USCIS filing fees (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 11, 2026, DHS published an interim final rule authorizing USCIS to require electronic filing for benefit requests that have been e-filing-eligible for at least 180 days — a threshold 22 forms…
USCIS newsroom alerts (opens in a new tab)→Corrected Sept. 16, 2026: the I-539 and I-765 half of this did not take effect. A federal court postponed the rule those two new editions were built to carry out, and USCIS is not accepting them. The…
USCIS: Form I-539 (current edition and court-order alert) (opens in a new tab)→On Aug. 18, 2026, USCIS issued new guidance on public charge inadmissibility, implementing a DHS final rule published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2026 that rescinds the 2022 public charge…
USCIS public charge guidance (opens in a new tab)→In a policy alert dated Aug. 5, 2026, USCIS said officers may deny a benefit request outright — without first issuing a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny — when the initial evidence…
USCIS newsroom alerts (opens in a new tab)→We're continuing to grow our capacity to serve clients outside Tennessee. Because immigration is a federal practice area, our attorney is authorized to represent clients in all 50 states, and virtual…
Book a consultation (opens in a new tab)→The Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin each month showing which priority dates are current for family- and employment-based categories. If you have an approved petition and are waiting on…
View the current Visa Bulletin (opens in a new tab)→USCIS periodically adjusts filing fees for forms like the I-130, I-485, and N-400. These government fees are separate from attorney fees and are paid directly to USCIS. We recommend confirming the…
Current USCIS filing fees (opens in a new tab)→USCIS lets you track a pending case with the receipt number on your I-797 notice. If your case status hasn't changed in a while, that's usually normal — but it's worth checking against current…
Check case status (opens in a new tab)→Processing times for I-130 petitions and adjustment of status continue to vary by service center and category. We track current USCIS processing time data for each case we file so clients have a…
Look up processing times (opens in a new tab)→Immigration policy changes are frequently announced through the USCIS newsroom before they reach general news coverage. If you want to follow developments that could affect your case, this is the…
USCIS newsroom (opens in a new tab)→We charge a flat $125 fee for a full consultation with our attorney, credited toward your retainer if you hire us. It's part of our effort to keep costs transparent from the very first conversation.
Start with a free intake call→Applicants for citizenship take a civics and English test as part of the naturalization interview. USCIS publishes the full question bank and free study materials, and we recommend starting well…
USCIS study materials (opens in a new tab)→Conditional permanent residents must file Form I-751 in the 90 days before their card expires. Missing the window can put your status at risk. If your two-year card is approaching expiration, reach…
Form I-751 instructions (opens in a new tab)→Only licensed attorneys and accredited representatives can give legal advice on immigration matters. USCIS maintains guidance on spotting notario fraud and verifying that whoever is handling your…
Avoid scams (USCIS) (opens in a new tab)→