USCIS Just Raised the Stakes for Signature Mistakes on Forms
Every immigration lawyer has had a filing returned because of a signature problem. In the past, that usually meant correcting the issue and sending the package back. A recent change announced by the Department of Homeland Security suggests that, in some situations, the consequences could now be much more significant. Effective July 10, 2026, USCIS…
The Little Things That Often Become Big Immigration Problems
One of the reasons I enjoy practicing immigration law is that no two cases are exactly alike. Even when two clients appear to have very similar situations, the details are almost always different. After working in this field for over 30 years, having had the benefit of working with thousands of immigrants, and after reading…
What Does “Discretion” Mean in an Adjustment of Status Case?
In two recent posts, I wrote about the new USCIS policy memorandum describing Adjustment of Status as a form of “extraordinary relief,” and then about the possible legal challenges to that policy. This post focuses on the practical question underneath the entire issue: What does discretion actually mean in an Adjustment of Status case? That…
The Real Legal Fight Over the New USCIS Adjustment of Status Memo
Last week, I wrote about USCIS’s new policy memorandum reframing Adjustment of Status (“AOS”) as a form of discretionary relief that should only be granted in “extraordinary” circumstances. At the time, the biggest concern was practical. Immigration lawyers were trying to figure out whether USCIS officers would begin viewing ordinary family-based adjustment cases differently than…
Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing: Which Path Is Safer for Your Family?
In most family immigration cases, there are two possible paths. One is Adjustment of Status, where the green card process happens inside the United States. The other is Consular Processing, where the immigrant attends an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Both paths should lead to lawful permanent residence, but each process is…
USCIS Reframes Adjustment of Status as “Extraordinary Relief”
For decades, adjustment of status has been one of the most important features of the U.S. immigration system. It allows many individuals who are already lawfully present, or otherwise eligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act, to become lawful permanent residents without leaving the United States for an immigrant visa interview abroad. That process has…
New Public Charge Guidance: How the State Department’s Expanded Health and Financial Review May Affect Visa Applicants
Recent reporting confirms that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued new internal guidance—via a cable distributed to consular posts worldwide—significantly expanding how consular officers evaluate visa applicants under the public charge ground of inadmissibility (INA §212(a)(4)). Although the statute itself has not changed, this directive reshapes the analysis by placing far heavier weight…
USCIS Introduces New $1,000 Immigration Parole Fee — What You Need to Know
On October 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new Immigration Parole Fee following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under this law, any person paroled into the United States under INA §212(d)(5)(A) must pay a $1,000 fee, unless a specific statutory exception applies. This new requirement applies to all…
USCIS Resumes Neighborhood Checks for Naturalization Applicants.
Effective August 22, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is resuming personal investigations of aliens applying for naturalization, a policy outlined in their new Policy Memorandum PM-602-0189. This significant change means that the previous general waiver for these investigations is ending, and USCIS will now make decisions on conducting or waiving these checks on…
New USCIS Policy: Understanding How “Anti-American Views” Could Impact Your Immigration Case
Navigating U.S. immigration law can be complex, and recent policy updates from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have introduced significant changes, particularly concerning how “anti-American views” can affect your immigration case. Everyone who is seeking U.S. immigration benefits should understand these new guidelines. What’s Changing? Effective immediately for all pending and newly filed requests,…
