Headings:
New $ 100, 000 Cost on H- 1 B Entries by Presidential Pronouncement, USCIS Clears Up — On September 19, 2025, President Trump released a Governmental Proclamation calling for a $ 100, 000 charge for certain H- 1 B petitions where the employee is outside the USA.
Trump Management Reveals Gold & & Platinum Immigration Program — The Trump Management has actually announced a plan for three new immigration paths: the Gold Card, the Business Gold Card, and the forthcoming Platinum Card.
Court Renews Venezuela’s TPS Classification — The Ninth Circuit has actually upheld an area court decision recovering Venezuela’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.
State Department Puts a Price Tag on the Diversity Visa Lotto– One Buck — Starting September 16, 2025, every confident Variety Visa lottery game participant should pay the token charge at the time of registration.
USCIS Reveals New Naturalization Civics Examination — USCIS is reintroducing a modified civics test that will relate to applicants submitting on or after October 20, 2025
USCIS Announces First-Half FY 2026 H- 2 B Visa Cap Gotten To — Companies based on the cap and seeking to employ H- 2 B employees to start between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, can no more submit brand-new applications.
Egypt Gets To Variety Visa Cap for FY 2025 — The U.S. Division of State (DOS) revealed that Egypt has actually reached its annual restriction under the Diversity Visa (DV) Program for 2025
EB- 5 Unreserved Visa Cap Grabbed FY 2025 — The United State Department of State has actually introduced that the unreserved category of EB- 5 immigrant financier visas has reached its annual limitation for 2025
State Department Broadens Visa Meeting Waiver Qualification; DHS Recovers Hungary’s ESTA Qualification — DOS revealed updates to its interview waiver policy for nonimmigrant visa applicants and DHS restored Hungary’s ESTA qualification.
Korean Employee Detentions Revitalize Concerns Over B- 1 Visa Usage — The detention and swift elimination of numerous South Oriental workers at a Georgia electric vehicle battery plant this month has actually reignited dispute over making use of the short-term business visa.
An Area of Dreams for California Immigrants — In this New York Times article, reviewed the rolling acres of Sonoma Region, where lies a baseball ruby.
AVITS Currently Includes Real-Time DS- 160 Recognition — There’s a new function in the Department of State’s AVITS visa organizing system: real-time DS- 160 validation.
USCIS NTAs During the H- 1 B 60 -Day Moratorium — An increase in Notifications to Appear (NTAs) issued when an employer withdraws an H- 1 B request, also when a change-of-employer (COE) or change-of-status (COS) application has actually been timely submitted within the moratorium.
October 2025 Visa Publication Released with Remarkable Progression– Forward motion in vital employment-based categories (especially for India), creates a valuable possibility for lots of to submit very early and safe advantages.
Information:
New $ 100, 000 Fee on H- 1 B Entrances by Presidential Proclamation, USCIS Makes Clear
On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a Governmental Pronouncement calling for a $ 100, 000 charge for certain H- 1 B petitions where the employee is outside the United States. Effective September 21, 2025, united state entrance will be restricted unless the application is gone along with by this settlement. The restriction is short-lived (12 months, through September 20, 2026 however may be prolonged.
The Pronouncement does not end the H- 1 B program. Employers may remain to submit extensions, changes, and transfers for H- 1 B employees currently inside the United States. Pending or authorized requests for employees who remain in the U.S. will certainly not be subject to the brand-new cost. Nevertheless, global traveling is highly prevented, as returning employees might face the new payment need. The Department of Homeland Safety and security may excuse individuals, firms, or sectors if employing H- 1 B employees is in the “nationwide interest,” though the criterion for these exceptions is not yet defined. Cap-exempt entities (universities, nonprofits) are not especially carved out however may qualify under this exception.
On September 20, 2025, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow provided a memorandum trying to clarify application of the Pronouncement. According to USCIS, the $ 100, 000 fee applies only prospectively, to applications not yet submitted. The Announcement does not apply to beneficiaries of requests submitted before the reliable day, beneficiaries of approved petitions, or people holding validly issued H- 1 B visas.
Regardless of this explanation, key concerns stay unanswered. The memorandum does not specify whether the cost relates to applications asking for a modification or extension of condition, or a modification of employer. It likewise leaves open the opportunity that USCIS might try to limit the cost to cap-subject applications in the FY 27 lotto game, yet no confirmation has actually been offered. Moreover, the USCIS assistance leaves from the Announcement’s language, developing disparities that enhance uncertainty.
Trump Management Unveils Gold & & Platinum Migration Plans
On September 19, 2025, the Trump Management introduced a strategy for three new migration pathways: the Trump Gold Card, the Trump Corporate Gold Card, and the upcoming Trump Platinum Card. These programs stand for a departure from the traditional job-creating EB- 5 immigrant investor design, introducing donation-based routes to existing employment-based permit groups.
The Trump Gold Card would certainly permit individuals to certify under the EB- 1 A “extraordinary ability” or EB- 2 “nationwide interest waiver” classifications by making a nonrefundable $ 1 million contribution to the united state federal government. Gold Card holders would certainly be dealt with like other long-term citizens, based on globally tax and reporting responsibilities, and their condition can be withdrawed under the very same rules that put on immigrant visas.
For companies, the Trump Corporate Gold Card requires a $ 2 million donation to fund an employee. Sponsorship could be transferred in between employees, though it continues to be vague whether a transfer would be feasible after the initially funded worker protects a permit.
The administration also previewed a Trump Platinum Card, which would include a $ 5 million contribution and enable receivers to spend up to 270 days in the United States annually without U.S. taxation on international income.
Application of these programs is anticipated within 90 days, however applications can not yet be filed until the Division of Homeland Protection and the Department of Business concern detailed procedures.
Court Reinstates Venezuela s 2023 TPS Designation
In a major judgment for hundreds of hundreds of Venezuelans residing in the united state, the Ninth Circuit has upheld a district court decision recovering Venezuela’s 2023 Temporary Safeguarded Standing (TPS) classification. The court located that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s February 2025 attempt to vacate and end the nation’s TPS status was “approximate and capricious” and surpassed her statutory authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The choice indicates that greater than 300, 000 Venezuelan nationals who count on TPS protections– most of them partners and parents of united state citizens– can remain shielded from deportation and keep their work permission up until October 2, 2026 The court highlighted that DHS’s sudden reversal overlooked well-known treatments, fell short to speak with other firms, and relied on pretextual thinking as opposed to authentic country problem evidence.
USCIS has given that validated that Venezuela’s 2023 TPS designation is restored, with securities and job permission extended under the terms of that designation. Qualified Venezuelan nationals may continue to request or restore TPS, securing their capability to live and function lawfully in the USA while conditions in Venezuela stay dangerous.
On Friday, September 19, 2025, the administration submitted an emergency allure with the U.S. Supreme Court. Independently, the 2021 TPS classification for Venezuela will terminate on November 7, 2025
State Department Places a Cost on the Diversity Visa Lotto — One Dollar
The State Department has actually instituted a new policy for the Variety Visa (DV) lottery game: a $ 1 registration cost. Beginning September 16, 2025, every confident participant has to pay the token fee at the time of registration.
Why the adjustment? Officials state it’s about justness– changing the expense problem from the little group of winners to every person who throws their name in the hat. Victors who progress in the process will certainly still encounter the common $ 330 visa application fee, now even the long-shot dreamers must chip in. Settlements will certainly be processed through a safe and secure federal government website throughout registration, and applicants are advised to stay sharp to frauds, as the main U.S. federal government web site is the only legitimate payment channel.
It’s a small cost with a large message: even the lottery game of American opportunity has a cover cost.
USCIS Unveils New Naturalization Civics Test
USCIS has revealed the very first modifications in a prepared multi-step overhaul of the naturalization procedure, reestablishing a revised civics examination that will put on applicants filing on or after October 20, 2025 Called the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, the update is a customized version of the 2020 examination, which briefly changed the long-standing 2008 version prior to being curtailed.
The brand-new examination broadens the civics question bank from 100 to 128 feasible concerns. Candidates will certainly be asked up to 20 concerns and have to address at the very least 12 correctly to pass. Unlike in 2020, examiners will quit asking questions when a candidate has actually either passed or failed, streamlining the procedure.
USCIS has highlighted that the upgrade is intended to supply a much more thorough evaluation of applicants’ knowledge of U.S. history and government, while additionally declaring that the process is uniform and fair. Upgraded research study products are currently readily available on the USCIS site, and the firm will momentarily maintain 2008 examination resources online for those who filed prior to the shift.
This notes the initial step in what the firm has actually referred to as a wider effort to “enhance adaptation, advertise a unified American identity, and safeguard the obligations of citizenship.” Future adjustments to the naturalization process are expected to comply with.
USCIS Announces First-Half FY 2026 H- 2 B Visa Cap Gotten To
United State Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revealed that the quota for H- 2 B non-agricultural worker visas for the initial fifty percent of fiscal year 2026 has actually been reached on September 12, 2025 Employers seeking to employ H- 2 B workers for beginning dates in between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, who go through the cap can no longer file new applications under that cap period.
Nonetheless, particular petitions stay qualified: H- 2 B employees that are excluded from the cap, those altering employers, prolonging status, and various other non-cap-subject applications will still be taken into consideration.
Companies preparing to use the H- 2 B program ought to monitor USCIS updates closely for when the second-half cap opens for April 1, 2026 work begin date.
Egypt Reaches Variety Visa Cap for FY 2025
The U.S. Division of State (DOS) announced that Egypt has reached its yearly limitation under the Variety Visa (DV) Program for 2025 As of September 15, no additional DV- 2025 visas will certainly be released to Egyptian nationals.
By legislation, no single country can obtain greater than seven percent of the 52, 056 variety visas readily available each . Egypt struck that limit on September 15 th , making it the very first nation to reach the cap for the 2025 program year.
DOS stressed that choice in the lottery game does not guarantee a visa. Each year, more individuals are picked than the variety of visas offered, to make up applicants that may not qualify or who decline to pursue the process.
EB- 5 Unreserved Visa Cap Reached for FY 2025: New Applications on Hold Until October
The U.S. Department of State has introduced that the unreserved group of EB- 5 immigrant capitalist visas has actually reached its yearly restriction for fiscal year 2025, reliable as of mid-September. Consequently, no new EB- 5 unreserved visas will certainly be issued by U.S. consulates or authorized for change of status until the brand-new fiscal year begins on October 1
This USCIS/DOS action impacts the section of the EB- 5 program designated under the unreserved visa classifications (known by their codes C 5, T 5, I 5, R 5, RU, NU), which make up about 68 % of EB- 5 visas. It also includes extra scheduled visas carried over from prior years, in accordance with the EB- 5 Reform and Honesty Act of 2022
For EB- 5 candidates, this implies that unless they are using under among the reserved subcategories (i.e. targeting backwoods, high-unemployment areas, or facilities tasks), they need to wait up until October to proceed. The backlog continues to be hefty for nationals of countries with high need; for instance, the “Last Activity Date” for China stays in December 2015, while India has advanced but is still based on a long haul.
While the annual cap shows steady need for the investor-immigrant pathway, the pause highlights exactly how rapidly visa numbers are being tired. The reset on October 1 provides a new beginning, but candidates planning for EB- 5 under unreserved categories are advised to act early and to discover set-aside classifications that continue to be existing to stay clear of delay.
State Department Expands Visa Interview Waiver Eligibility; DHS Brings Back Hungary s ESTA Eligibility
On September 18, 2025, the U.S. Division of State (DOS) introduced an update to its interview waiver plan for nonimmigrant visa candidates, effective October 1, 2025 The plan expands consular police officers’ authority to forgo in-person meetings for certain low-risk applicants, such as renewals and details visa categories, when regional conditions allow. The DOS mentioned that all waivers will certainly remain to be chosen a case-by-case basis, with nationwide safety and security and program honesty staying top priorities.
In a related development, the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) validated that Hungary’s eligibility for the Electronic System for Traveling Authorization (ESTA) has actually been restored. Hungarian nationals are once again able to make an application for traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, which permits temporary brows through without first getting a visa. AILA noted that the reinstatement adheres to diplomatic conversations and reflects Hungary’s conformity with united state safety and security demands.
Both companies emphasized that vacationers ought to assess main updates and get in touch with the appropriate sites prior to making plans, as plans continue to be subject to change.
Oriental Employee Detentions Revive Inquiries Over B- 1 Visa Use
The detention and swift elimination of numerous South Korean workers at a Georgia electric car battery plant this month has actually reignited debate over making use of short-term service visas for tasks that edge right into unauthorized work. The employees, most of whom had actually gotten in the United States on company site visitor visas or under the visa waiver program, were aiding with tools installment and task configuration when U.S. migration authorities intervened. Within days, most were returned to South Korea, triggering diplomatic issue and increasing alarm systems about the chilling result such enforcement activities can carry future financial investment in united state production jobs.
The debate highlights a longstanding stress in migration regulation: the B- 1 visa is meant for restricted activities like meetings, supervision, or training, but the line in between acceptable “business” and restricted “job” has usually been objected to. Firms argue that short-term technological duties are vital to releasing major projects, while regulatory authorities watch such techniques as a circumvention of employment-authorized visas.
This is not a brand-new problem. In 2013, the Indian IT firm Infosys encountered one of the biggest migration negotiations in history–$ 34 million– over allegations it used B- 1 visas to bring international employees to the USA for job jobs that ought to have needed H- 1 B visas. Although criminal charges were eventually dropped, the situation underscored just how dependence on organization visas for project-critical labor has long been looked at by U.S. authorities.
Without more clear regulations or brand-new options for short-term technical job, combined with an enforcement-first administration in the White House, firms might reevaluate evaluating the limitations of company visas, or might prevent bringing manufacturing jobs to the USA altogether.
A Field of Dreams for The Golden State Immigrants
In this New york city Times write-up , read about the rolling acres of Sonoma Area, where pinot noir and chardonnay vines stretch toward the horizon, there lies a baseball ruby– sculpted not by the big leagues, yet by the calloused hands of winery employees. For more than two decades, it has been a refuge where laborers, line chefs, electrical experts, and the like have traded their handwear covers of toil for natural leather mitts, finding in the split of a wooden bat a respite from life’s larger burdens.
Yet this year, the Vinedos (or the Vineyards), members of the amateur Bay Location Latin Organization, struggled to field a full lineup. Fear has actually slipped in together with the vines. With the return of ICE raids under a brand-new administration, many players stay home, skeptical of a knock on the door or a darkness in the parking area.
Still, the field continues to be. Manuel Vallejo, the vineyard supervisor that initially dreamed it right into existence, tends both grapes and video game, knowing both are bound by the sweat of immigrant labor. Young men like Ervin, a Nicaraguan asylum hunter, concerned the field to neglect their hazard, so for a couple of innings. “When I’m on the baseball field, I forget every little thing,” he says.
In the waning summer season light after another game, with ranchera tunes drifting and an American flag fluttering near home plate, the game sustains, delicate and fleeting, however no much less sacred. For in this winery field of dreams, baseball is not simply a sport. It is treatment. It is resistance. It is hope.
AVITS Now Features Real-Time DS- 160 Validation
AILA lately provided a technique alert highlighting a new function in the Department of State’s AVITS visa scheduling system: real-time DS- 160 recognition. Rolled out in collaboration with DOS, the tool promptly cross-checks candidates’ DS- 160 number, key, and date of birth versus the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
If the details matches and the DS- 160 hasn’t currently been used, candidates can move on seamlessly with charge payment and organizing. Otherwise, they’ll be prompted to confirm their information in CEAC prior to attempting again. This modification straightens with the DOS’s earlier demands that DS- 160 s be submitted at least 2 company days prior to an interview, and mirrors comparable systems like Yatri and Traveldocs. In essence, this new device implies fewer surprises later in the process.
While the attribute aims to simplify scheduling and minimize mistakes, practitioners need to be planned for some missteps as the system remains to present. Candidates may experience disruptions if the recognition fails, making it vital to double-check information before entry.
As AVITS remains to evolve, real-time DS- 160 validation is a step in the direction of higher performance in consular handling. While the modification period might bring some first bumps, the long-lasting objective is a smoother, much more trustworthy visa organizing experience for candidates and professionals alike.
USCIS NTAs During the H- 1 B 60 -Day Grace Period
AILA reports a rise in Notifications to Appear (NTAs) provided when a company takes out an H- 1 B request, even when a change-of-employer (COE) or change-of-status (COS) petition has been prompt filed within the moratorium. The 60 -day grace period was intended as a protect under 8 CFR ยง 214 1 (l)( 2, in which H- 1 B professionals who lose their jobs can remain in the United States for up to 60 days to find new employment or modification status without being considered out of status. Yet current practice shows that this protection is tearing. The withdrawal step, required to end an employer’s wage obligations, currently sometimes actually triggers the very removal notification it was implied to stop.
USCIS indicates a February 2025 policy memo increasing its authority to issue NTAs when requests are rejected or withdrawed. Yet the memo also stressed discretion. The legal inequality is striking. H- 1 B portability under air conditioner 21 enables an employee to start for a brand-new employer once a non-frivolous request is submitted. Immigration judges commonly reject these NTAs due to the fact that the workers continue to be legitimately existing and authorized for employment. However already, the damages is done: professions interrupted, travel plans iced up, and households put through unnecessary concern.
By dealing with employees with pending, bona fide filings as potentially out of standing, USCIS is improving a long-lasting defense for high-skilled employees. At minimum, this overreach not only cools working with, yet also indicates to international ability that the United States is a high-risk area to stake an occupation. Up until the company realigns with its very own regulations, the 60 -day moratorium remains much less a cushion than a catch waiting to capture.
October 2025 Visa Notice Launched with Notable Progression
The October 2025 Visa Publication has actually been released , marking the start of a new fiscal year and a reset of yearly visa limits. USCIS has actually introduced that candidates must utilize Graph B (Dates for Declaring) this month for both employment-based and family-sponsored classifications. This means many individuals may be eligible to submit change of status applications quicker, opening benefits like job and traveling permission while they await their permit.
Emphasizes consist of ahead activity throughout many employment-based classifications, with particularly meaningful relief for Indian nationals in EB- 2, EB- 3, and EB- 5 EB- 1 remains present for a lot of nations, developing chances for faster filings, while EB- 5 set-aside classifications remain fully existing worldwide. However, EB- 5 Unreserved for China has retrogressed by three months. Family-sponsored groups additionally see moderate but constant progress.
Employers must capitalize on this early-year energy to reassess immigration techniques, move rapidly on pending instances, and identify workers that might now be qualified to file. Staff members need to confirm their qualification and prepare documents to submit immediately. Performing currently can decrease unpredictability and protected useful acting advantages while waiting on permit authorization.
Company in the News
Regarding Friday’s Presidential Proclamation on H- 1 B entry restrictions and fee, Cyrus Mehta was estimated in this Forbes article , this Times of India short article on the alleviation to H- 1 B employees, and this different Times of India write-up about the expensive cost.
Cyrus Mehta was estimated in this Times of India short article: BIA Judgment Ends Bond for Illegal Entrants in US– But Overstays and Laid Off H- 1 Bs Still Qualified, in addition to this Law 360 post