• Administration Plans to Reinstate and Expand Travel Restrictions
• USCIS Alters Forms Without Notice, Adds Grace Periods After Legal Challenge
• USCIS Proposes Requiring Social Media Access for Immigration Applicants
• EB-4 Immigrant Visas Exhausted for FY 2025

Administration Plans to Reinstate and Expand Travel Restrictions

Reports suggest the Trump administration is preparing to reinstate and possibly expand a travel ban affecting multiple countries, including Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, with potential additions like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The ban’s scope remains unclear, particularly for Afghan nationals with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or refugee status due to their service alongside U.S. forces. While an exemption has been recommended for SIV holders, approval is uncertain, and the shutdown of the State Department’s Afghan Relocation Effort office further complicates resettlement efforts.

Impact: If enacted, this policy could disrupt employment-based immigration, global mobility strategies, and workforce planning by restricting visa access, delaying relocations, and limiting talent mobility from affected countries.

USCIS Alters Forms Without Notice, Adds Grace Periods After Legal Challenge

On March 8, 2025, USCIS introduced updated immigration forms with grace periods of up to one month following a lawsuit by AILA and Benach Collopy LLP. The lawsuit challenged USCIS’s abrupt rollout of new forms without notice or a transition period, which put thousands of pending applications at risk of rejection.

USCIS had initially required immediate use of new editions on March 3^rd and March 4^th, invalidating prior versions without warning. After legal action, the agency announced it would exercise discretion in accepting older versions for a “reasonable period” before officially implementing grace periods. Some form updates reportedly address gender identity language and reinstate the term “alien.”

Impact: Global mobility teams should stay informed, work with legal counsel, and prepare contingency plans to maintain compliance and reduce workforce disruptions.

USCIS Proposes Requiring Social Media Access for Immigration Applicants

On March 5, 2025, USCIS announced plans to require immigration applicants to provide social media handles and platform names for identity verification, security screening, and vetting. The agency cited compliance with an executive order mandating uniform vetting standards and thorough inadmissibility screening.

The Department of State already collects social media information for visa applications filed abroad, and USCIS aims to implement a similar requirement. Public comments on the proposal are encouraged and will be accepted until May 5, 2025.

Impact: Employers should anticipate potential delays, guide employees on compliance, and collaborate with legal counsel to mitigate risks related to social media disclosures in immigration applications.

EB-4 Immigrant Visas Exhausted for FY 2025

The Department of State, in collaboration with USCIS, has announced that all available employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) immigrant visas for FY 2025 have been issued. This category, which grants approximately 10,000 green cards annually to religious workers and special immigrant juveniles, is now unavailable until the next fiscal year.

Embassies and consulates will not issue additional EB-4 visas until the annual limit resets on October 1, 2025, when processing for qualified applicants will resume.

Impact: Global mobility teams should explore alternative visa options, communicate potential delays to affected employees, and plan for the resumption of processing in FY 2026.