Subjects
USCIS Policy
Related articles
-
USCIS Says Adjustment of Status Is Now an 'Extraordinary' Remedy: What the New Policy Means
On May 22, 2026, USCIS announced a policy memo directing that most people seeking a green card from inside the U.S. apply through consular processing abroad instead, treating adjustment of status as an extraordinary remedy decided case-by-case. Here is what was announced and what it could mean for you.
-
DHS Proposes to Tighten Work Permits for Asylum Seekers: What the Proposed Rule Would Do
On Feb. 20, 2026, DHS proposed a rule that would change the filing and eligibility requirements for work permits based on a pending asylum application. Here is what the proposal would do, that it is not yet final, and what asylum seekers should watch for.
-
Good News for Faith Communities: DHS Drops the One-Year Wait for R-1 Religious Workers
An interim final rule eliminates the one-year foreign-residency requirement for R-1 religious workers who reach the 5-year maximum stay. Here is what changed and what it means for religious organizations and the priests, nuns, and rabbis they rely on.
-
H-1B Lottery Replaced by a Wage-Weighted Selection: What Employers and Workers Should Know
A DHS final rule replaces the random H-1B lottery with a weighted selection that favors higher-paid, higher-skilled positions, effective Feb. 27, 2026 for the FY 2027 cap season. Here is what changed and what it means for petitioners and beneficiaries.
-
USCIS Cuts Maximum Work-Permit Validity to 18 Months for Some Categories
USCIS reduced the maximum validity of Employment Authorization Documents from up to 5 years back to 18 months for several categories, effective for applications pending or filed on or after Dec. 5, 2025. Here is what it means and how it stacks with the end of automatic extensions.
-
USCIS Will Weigh 'Country-Specific Factors' for Applicants from 19 Designated Countries
Effective Nov. 27, 2025, USCIS guidance directs officers to consider negative country-specific factors when exercising discretion on applications from 19 designated high-risk countries. Here is what that means for affected applicants and how to prepare.
-
DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Work Permits: File Your EAD Renewal Early
An interim final rule ends the automatic extension of Employment Authorization Documents for renewals filed on or after Oct. 30, 2025. Here is what changed, who is affected, the TPS exception, and why filing your EAD renewal early now matters more than ever.
-
USCIS Expands Social-Media Vetting and Adds 'Anti-American Activity' as a Negative Discretionary Factor
USCIS updated its Policy Manual to weigh anti-American or terrorist-affiliated activity—and antisemitic activity—as negative factors in discretionary benefit decisions, and expanded social-media vetting. Here is what it means for applicants and why what you post can matter.
-
Asylees and Refugees Adjusting to a Green Card: USCIS Tightens Interview and Vetting Criteria
USCIS updated its Policy Manual to reestablish a uniform baseline of screening and vetting for interviews of asylees and refugees (and their derivatives) filing Form I-485. Here is what it means and how to prepare for a green-card interview.
