by Frank Alvarado | Dec 11, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. CBP Proposes Major Expansion of ESTA Data Collection DOS Expands Social Media Review to All H-1B and H-4 Applicants Holiday...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 11, 2025 | Immigration Updates
Distinguishing Proclamation-Based Entry Exemptions from USCIS Adjudication Pauses for Nationals of High-Risk Countries Summary Recent government updates have created confusion regarding whether dual nationals—such as a Canadian–Iranian individual—are subject to the...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 10, 2025 | Individual Services
Key insights from discussions with a former Deputy Chief of IPO. 1. USCIS’ Current View of EB-5 EB-5 is not viewed negatively within USCIS. Increased scrutiny reflects agency-wide trends, not hostility. 2. Mandamus: Use Strategically IPO has a dedicated team for...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 5, 2025 | Human Resources Services
The Supreme Court will review Executive Order 14160, President Trump’s January 20, 2025 directive instructing federal agencies to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States if their parents are undocumented or temporarily present, including...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 4, 2025 | Human Resources Services
Summary U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon reduce the maximum validity period for both initial and renewal Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for several categories of noncitizens. Beginning December 5, 2025,...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 4, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. Federal Agencies Pause Key Immigration Processes Online Presence Reviews for H-1B/H-4 Visas Begin December 15 DOJ Dismisses...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 4, 2025 | Human Resources Services
Effective December 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of State will expand its online presence vetting procedures to include all H-1B specialty occupation and H-4 dependent visa applicants at U.S. consular posts abroad. This policy mirrors the process implemented in June...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 2, 2025 | Global
WR Immigration’s November global immigration recap includes the latest on the UK’s public consultation regarding changes to Settlement requirements, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2026-2028, Japan’s updated eligibility criteria for Business Manager Visa...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 1, 2025 | Human Resources Services
Effective as of November 27, 2025 USCIS has released significant new guidance outlining how officers should evaluate discretion in Adjustment of Status adjudications. This update, contained in the USCIS Policy Manual (Vol. 7, Pt. A, Ch. 10), marks one of the most...
by James Pinedo | Nov 26, 2025 | Individual Services
In a major victory for due process and noncitizens’ statutory rights, a federal district court today issued a nationwide class certification order in Maldonado Bautista v. Garland, extending previously granted declaratory relief to all members of the newly...
by James Pinedo | Nov 25, 2025 | Global
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has launched MyHomeAffairsOnline, a new digital portal that allows individuals—particularly those living abroad—to apply for the reinstatement of their South African citizenship. The platform was created in response to a...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 20, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. Post-Shutdown Immigration Update: Current Status USCIS Advances Gold Card Program USCIS Weighs Stricter Review for...
by James Pinedo | Nov 19, 2025 | Investor Visas
USCIS has transmitted a draft Form I-140G—the petition proposed for use under President Trump’s forthcoming Gold Card program—to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for mandatory federal review. OMB approval is a key prerequisite to meeting the December 18...
by James Pinedo | Nov 19, 2025 | Naturalization
Overview U.S. citizenship applicants must demonstrate Good Moral Character (GMC) for the statutory period—generally the five years immediately preceding the naturalization application, or three years for applicants filing under the INA §319(a)...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 18, 2025 | Human Resources Services
DHS has issued a proposed rule that would rescind the public charge regulation in place since December 2022 and replace it with a significantly broader public charge framework implemented through policy guidance, rather than a formal regulation. The new approach would...
by James Pinedo | Nov 14, 2025 | Investor Visas
A major development in EB-5 this week: a federal court has reinstated the pre-April 2024 filing fees for the EB‑5 Immigrant Investor Program. As of today, the filing fee for Form I-526E is back to $3,675, plus the $1,000 Integrity Fund fee. USCIS has now updated is...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 13, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. State Department Broadens Health Review in Public Charge Determinations DHS Advances Plan to Expand Biometrics Collection...
by James Pinedo | Nov 7, 2025 | Investor Visas
If your EB-5 regional center has been terminated by USCIS, don’t panic. Learn your options—from re-affiliation to direct investment or appeal—to protect your immigration goals. USCIS oversight of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has intensified, and many regional...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 6, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. DOL Resumes Application Processing DHS Ends Automatic EAD Extensions for Renewal Applicants DOS Policy on Immigrant Visa...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 3, 2025 | Global
WR Immigration’s October global immigration recap highlights key developments, including the UK’s updated government fees for sponsoring employers, the UAE’s new AI Specialist Visa, Brazil’s expanded Visitor Visa activities, Spain’s in-country...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 3, 2025 | Human Resources Services
Effective October 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin imposing a $1,000 fee for individuals granted parole under INA §212(d)(5)(A). This new fee applies to most parole grants, including parole-in-place, re-parole, and humanitarian parole,...
by Frank Alvarado | Nov 3, 2025 | Human Resources Services
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has resumed processing of employer requests for prevailing wages and labor certification determinations for both temporary and permanent employment in the United...
by Frank Alvarado | Oct 29, 2025 | Human Resources Services
On October 29, 2025, DHS provided an advance notice of the Interim Final Rule (IFR) titled “Removal of the Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Documents” (8 CFR §274a.13(e)) to be published on October 30, 2025. The effective date is upon...
by Frank Alvarado | Oct 23, 2025 | Immigration Updates
For audio listeners, you can listen to our audio version of the News Digest here. You can also join our Immigration News Digest Newsletter here. USCIS Clarifies $100,000 H-1B Fee U.S. Chamber of Commerce Challenges $100,000 H-1B Fee November Visa Bulletin Brings...
by Frank Alvarado | Oct 23, 2025 | Human Resources Services
October 22, 2025 Update on the $100,000 H-1B Fee On October 20, 2025, USCIS issued further clarification on the Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers that was issued on September 19, 2025. In a nutshell, who is NOT subject to the...
