Immigration Blog
Blog
August 4, 2025
Social Security Administration Halts Mailing of SSNs for Immigration-Related Applications
As of March 19, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has quietly paused a key program that made it easier for many immigrants and nonimmigrants to get Social Security numbers (SSNs). The Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program is on hold for 90 days while SSA reviews its policies. There’s no guarantee it will return after […]
July 31, 2025
Trump’s new travel ban and how it impacts applicants
President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban affecting 19 countries. It blocks or limits U.S. visas for millions of people; travel from 12 countries will be fully stopped, while 7 others will face partial restrictions. If you’re from one of these countries or have family or workers who are, here’s what the new […]
July 26, 2025
DHS resumes foreign student visas with social media requirements
The U.S. State Department will start scheduling appointments again for international student visas. However, they will now require all applicants to make their social media accounts public so they can check them more closely. Officials have been told to look carefully at social media for any signs that applicants might be against the people, culture, […]
July 23, 2025
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Repercussions on Immigration
The House of Representatives has passed budget reconciliation bill H.R. 1, titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which introduces major changes to the immigration fee structure. As the Senate works on its own version of the reconciliation bill, many of the immigration-related provisions remain consistent with those in the House-passed version. The bill allocates […]
June 20, 2025
Understanding VAWA: Immigration Protection for Abused Spouses, Children, and Parents
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) offers protection for immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. This federal law allows abused spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens (USC) or lawful permanent residents (LPR) to apply for legal immigration status in the United States without the abuser’s help or knowledge. While the law’s name implies […]
June 17, 2025
Green Card through Registry Provision
The Green Card through Registry provision is a section of U.S. immigration law that allows individuals who have lived in the United States continuously since before January 1, 1972, to apply for lawful permanent residence (LPR), even if they are currently in the country without legal status. This option is available to people who meet […]
June 15, 2025
Fast-Tracked Asylum Denials
The Trump administration introduced a policy to fast-track asylum cases by allowing immigration judges to dismiss “legally deficient” applications without holding a hearing. This change outlined in an April 11 memo from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), aims to ease the burden on the overwhelmed immigration court system, which is grappling with nearly […]
June 12, 2025
Diversity Lottery & 2026 Results
The Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, also known as the Green Card Lottery, is a U.S. government program that provides a pathway for individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States to obtain permanent residency. Each year, up to 55,000 diversity visas are made available through a random selection process to applicants […]
May 25, 2025
USCIS Updates Policy to Recognize Only Two Biological Sexes
On April 2, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a significant update to its Policy Manual. This change reaffirms the federal agency’s recognition of only two biological sexes: male and female. This update follows an executive order issued on January 20, 2025, titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological […]
May 23, 2025
USCIS to Screen Social Media for Antisemitic Activity in Immigration Applications
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new policy that will consider antisemitic activity on social media, as well as the physical harassment of Jewish individuals, as negative factors when reviewing immigration benefit requests. This move aims to bolster national security and prevent individuals with extremist or antisemitic views from gaining legal […]