Headlines: DOS Updates Policy to Require In-Person Interviews for Most Nonimmigrant Visas – Effective September 2, 2025, the categories of applicants who may be eligible for a waiver of the nonimmigrant visa interview will be updated. All nonimmigrant visa applicants generally will require an in-person interview with a consular officer, with a few exceptions. Judge […]
Headlines: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Introduces New $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’; USCIS Releases List of Fees – The new fee will be charged to individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa at the time of visa issuance. Also, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced its new fees. DOS Announces Investigation of Harvard’s Participation in Exchange […]
Headlines: USCIS To Increase Fees for Various Immigration-Related Applications and Benefits – Applicants must submit the new fees with benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it will reject any form postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, without the proper fees. August Visa Bulletin Includes Updates, […]
Headlines: Judge Allows Class Action and Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Birthright Citizenship Ban – The judge said that “this court has no hesitation determining this situation warrants emergency injunctive relief and class certification.” DHS Ends TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua – The Temporary Protected Status designations for the two countries were set to expire on […]
Headlines: DOJ Announces Civil Division Enforcement Priorities, Including Denaturalization and Ending Sanctuary Jurisdictions – On June 11, 2025, the Civil Division of the Department of Justice issued a memorandum announcing its enforcement priorities under the Trump administration. Under the memo, among other things, a policy shift heightens the priority of civil denaturalization enforcement. Federal Judge […]
Headlines: Supreme Court Decision Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Leaves Birthright Citizenship Issue Unsettled – On June 27, 2025, in a case implicating President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision limiting federal courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions blocking executive orders and broad national policies. The decision did not address […]
FEATURE ARTICLE ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS: AN OVERVIEW –This article provides an update on electronic travel authorizations in several countries. COUNTRY UPDATES Italy – A new law introduces significant changes to eligibility criteria for Italian citizenship by descent. UNITED KINGDOM – The Home Office has released a comprehensive white paper outlining major proposed immigration reforms. Details: […]
Headlines: DOS Resumes Visa Processing for Foreign Students and Exchange Visitors, Announces Enhanced Social Media Vetting – The Department of State resumed visa processing for new and returning students and exchange visitors (F, M, and J nonimmigrants) but announced enhanced social media and online presence screening and vetting procedures. Consular posts may resume processing of […]
Headlines: Trump Issues Travel Ban on 12 Countries and Partial Ban on 7 Countries, With Exceptions –President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions. Federal Judge […]
Headlines: Trump v. Foreign Students, Continued: DOS Suspends All Student/Exchange Visitor Visa Applications While Considering Expansion of Social Media Vetting, Will ‘Aggressively’ Revoke Visas of Certain Chinese Students – In the most recent of a continuing series of actions taken against international students seeking to pursue an education in the United States, the Trump administration […]
