In addition to the language of the memo itself, other attorneys are already reporting new lines of questioning at marriage-based I-485 interviews, particularly in cases involving B-2 visitor visa entry prior to adjustment filing. Reported questions include: Why did you choose to adjust status instead of consular processing? Were there any factors preventing you from consular processing abroad?...
On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued a new policy memorandum emphasizing that Adjustment of Status (“AOS” or Form I-485) is an “extraordinary” discretionary benefit and not something intended to routinely replace normal immigrant visa processing abroad. The memo has understandably generated significant concern, and our office has been flooded with questions over the past several days. At least...
USCIS has announced the registration window for the Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B cap season and confirmed that this year will be the first time the agency implements the new wage-weighted lottery system. Together, these updates represent one of the most significant changes to the H-1B process in years and will directly affect employer strategy, budgeting, and selection odds. The initial H-1B...
We are pleased to announce the approval of an I-601 waiver (Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility) for a client who had been subject to the 10-year unlawful presence bar. At the time of approval: The applicant had been outside the United States for more than six years The I-601 waiver had been pending for over three years The U.S. citizen spouse had been raising a child alone...
USCIS has officially released Form I-140G, the immigrant petition for the new Gold Card Program established by Executive Order 14351. The form and instructions provide the first complete look at eligibility criteria, financial requirements, and extensive due-diligence obligations that applicants must satisfy. While public attention has focused on the program’s financial gift thresholds, the...
USCIS has announced a significant shift in its security and vetting procedures following Presidential Proclamation 10949 and recent national-security incidents. These changes include broad adjudication holds, mandatory interviews, and a comprehensive re-review of pending and previously approved cases involving nationals of 19 “high-risk countries.” The new requirements are outlined in USCIS...
From Reactive to Proactive Enforcement On September 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Project Firewall, a new enforcement initiative under which the agency will actively investigate employers for compliance with H-1B program requirements. Historically, H-1B investigations were generally reactive — meaning the DOL typically opened reviews only after a worker filed a...
On September 21, 2025, a presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 supplemental payment requirement for certain new H-1B filings and restricted entry for some H-1B nonimmigrants. USCIS has now issued guidance clarifying how the rule applies in practice. Below is a summary focusing on which H-1B cases are affected and which are not. What the Rule Covers (Impacted H-1B Filings) New petitions...
As of September 2025, PERM Labor Certification processing continues to show modest improvement. Employers and foreign workers should still prepare for a multi-stage timeline—but signs point to sub-15-month adjudication times returning soon, based on both Department of Labor (DOL) disclosures and real-world tracking from our clients. Current PERM Processing According to DOL’s official...
We’re continuing to see surprisingly fast processing times for family-based adjustment of status applications—at least from the Baltimore Field Office. On May 8, 2025, we shared that I-130/I-485 packages filed in March 2025 for the parents of a U.S. citizen had already been scheduled for an interview. At the time, this seemed like a rare acceleration. But the pattern has since continued. As...
