Does the Supreme Court’s New Border Decision Affect Your Green Card or Citizenship Case?
Editor’s Note (July 2026): This article discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Blanche v. Lau and its practical impact on lawful permanent residents. As with all immigration matters, future court decisions, agency guidance, or legislative changes may affect how this decision is applied. This article reflects the law as of the date of…
A Federal Court Has Vacated the USCIS “Hold and Review” Policies. Here is What That May Mean for Your Case.
One of the biggest immigration stories over the past several weeks has not involved a new statute or an executive order. Instead, it came from a federal courtroom. I’ve been following the litigation in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, et al. v. USCIS with considerable interest because of the number of families whose cases appeared to…
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…
Form N-400 in 2026: What Every Applicant Should Know Before Applying for U.S. Citizenship
USCIS has changed how it reviews naturalization cases. Here is what to know before filing Form N-400 in 2026 and how to protect your application.
What is the National Visa Center?
Immigrant visa petitions are generally processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), but depending on where/when you apply for your immigrant visa, the National Visa Center (NVC) may play a vital role in processing your petition. This is especially the case for immigrants planning on using Consular Processing to receive an immigrant visa to…
Citizenship Series Part 2: Automatic Acquisition of Citizenship after Birth
As discussed by Part 1, there are 4 specific conditions that must be met on or after February 27, 2001: In this part of the Citizenship Series, we will discuss the specifics of these requirements and whether they may be applicable to you. In the event all these conditions were met before your 18th birthday,…
DHS designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. This designation of TPS will allow eligible nationals from Ukraine to apply for protected status and also to apply for a work permit (which is optional). What are…
New USCIS Policy allows certain applicants to obtain Employment Authorization Documents that will be valid for 2 years
On February 7, 2022, USCIS updated its General Guidelines on the Maximum Validity Periods for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), or work permits, for certain filing categories. This guidance allows eligible applicants to obtain EADs that will be valid for 2 years when they file initial or renewal EAD applications (filed on Form I-765). Before this…
New USCIS Policy Guidance provides more favorable interpretation of shared residence requirement for VAWA Petitioners.
On February 10, 2022, USCIS issued a Policy Guidance alert addressing certain changes to its interpretation of the shared residence requirement for petitioners under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Specifically, USCIS will no longer require VAWA petitioners to currently reside or to have resided in the past with his or her abusive spouse during…
USCIS Extends Flexibility Measures for responding to certain Requests
On December 30, 2021, USCIS announced that in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic it would extend (for the sixth time) additional flexibility measures and grant additional time to certain applicants, petitioners, and requestors who were responding to certain agency requests. This extension is a continuation of the original extension that USCIS announced on March…
