The Trump Administration was busy this Thanksgiving drafting a new Policy Advisory titled, Additional National Security Measures for Immigrants Including Consideration of Country-Specific Factors. The details of the new policy are in the Policy Alert: Impact of INA 212(f) on USCIS’ Adjudication of Discretionary Benefits (PA-2025-26). Countries Impacted: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, … Read more
On August 15, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security published PM-602-0188, a Policy Memorandum with the subject, “Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral CharacterEvaluation Standard for Aliens Applying for Naturalization.” KEY POINTS The policy memorandum from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) outlines a new more “comprehensive and holistic standard” for evaluating an … Read more
On May 5, 2025, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a memo revoking protections for pregnant women, infants, elderly individuals, and individuals with serious medical conditions. CBP had policies in place for these most vulnerable members of our society to ensure their safety and dignity. The policies included commonsense provisions for providing … Read more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify flexibilities that may be available to benefit requestors/applicants during and after an emergency or unforeseen circumstance. The update explains that during certain emergencies or unforeseen circumstances that may present unanticipated challenges to immigration benefit requestors, USCIS may use its discretion to implement … Read more
USCIS is now requiring that the Form I-693 Medical Examination & Vaccination Record be submitted with the I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status to Legal Permanent Resident. Rather than issue an RFE for the Form I-693 Medical Examination, USCIS may reject the I-485 Application if it is filed without a medical. It is important to … Read more
USCIS UPDATES POLICY MANUAL GUIDANCE FOR T VISAS USCIS has revised its guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Classification for Victims of Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons; Eligibility for “T” Nonimmigrant Status Final Rule. This rule was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2024. USCIS’ updated policy guidance … Read more