Eighteen months ago, we published a blog post explaining a new executive order titled "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," which President Trump signed on his first day back in office in January 2025. That order sought to end automatic citizenship for many children born on U.S. soil — specifically, children whose parents were undocumented or in the country on temporary visas. We told you then that the order would face immediate and serious legal challen

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to the United States, international fans and travelers are racing against time to secure their U.S. visas. To manage the immense demand and global backlogs, the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with FIFA, launched a voluntary fast-track scheduling tool known as the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS). It is important to remember that FIFA PASS is not a visa category, does not grant immigration status, and does not gu

Since USCIS released its new Adjustment of Status policy memorandum last Friday, our office has received a very large number of questions regarding marriage-based green cards, pending I-485 applications, DACA, Advance Parole, and whether green cards inside the United States are still possible. At this stage, one of the most important things to be careful about is misinformation. There are already many exaggerated claims online suggesting that marriage green cards have been el

Today, USCIS released a new policy memorandum emphasizing that Adjustment of Status (AOS) is a discretionary form of relief and an “extraordinary” benefit that allows applicants to avoid the ordinary immigrant visa process through a U.S. consulate abroad. Since the announcement, we have already received many questions and concerns from clients and community members, so we wanted to provide an initial overview and practical analysis of what this policy memo may mean moving for

El 10 de abril de 2026, el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS) emitió un nuevo memorando de política (PM-602-0198) que pone fin a la consideración automática de la acción diferida para personas a las que se les ha otorgado el Estatus de Inmigrante Juvenil Especial (SIJS). Esta política, que entrará en vigor el 10 de mayo de 2026, representa un cambio significativo en la forma en que los beneficiarios de SIJS obtienen la autorización de empleo mi

On April 10th, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy memorandum (PM-602-0198) ending the automatic consideration of deferred action for individuals granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). This policy, taking effect on May 10th, represents a significant shift in how SIJS beneficiaries obtain work authorization while waiting for visa availability. What is Changing? Since 2022, USCIS automatically considered granting deferred action

On January 14, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule that fundamentally changes the residency requirements for R-1 nonimmigrant religious workers. This update removes the long-standing obligation for workers to reside outside the United States for a full year after reaching their maximum period of stay. What has changed? The most significant shift is the removal of the mandatory "one-year gap" between R-1 periods. No Minimum Wa

Many families have recently reached out with questions about deferred action and work permits for youth who have been approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). This update reflects the situation as of November 20, 2025. In June 2025, USCIS ended its long-standing policy of granting SIJS-based deferred action to youth with approved SIJS petitions who are waiting in the visa backlog. This change effectively eliminated the related path to work authorization for many

The Nightmare Scenario Maria and David were married and living in the U.S. They'd filed for her green card through marriage. After months of waiting, they attended their USCIS interview together. It went well. The officer was satisfied. Now they just had to wait for the final approval. Then David died suddenly. Just like that, everything changed. The petition was in his name. The interview was based on their marriage. And now he was gone. Maria faced an impossible question: D

If you or someone you know is planning to apply for Military Parole in Place, there are some key changes to be aware of: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱) PIP applications are no longer accepted at local USCIS field offices. Everything now goes to one centralized location: USCIS Attn: I-131 PIP 10 Application Way Montclair, CA 91763-1350 Please note: Applications sent to local field offices will be rejected, so make sure y

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