Immigration Glossary: Port of Entry Any location in the United States or its territories that is designated as a point of entry for aliens and U.S. citizens. All USCIS district offices and service centers are also considered ports of entry, because they become locations of entry for aliens adjusting to immigrant status. Disclaimer: This post […]
USCIS Reestablishes Screening & Vetting Standards — What It Means for Marriage-Based Green Cards On August 1, 2025, the USCIS issued a news release announcing that it is reestablishing a uniform baseline of screening and vetting standards, effective immediately. This update, reflected in the USCIS Policy Manual, revives more stringent criteria for interviews and background checks. […]
Marriage-Based Green Cards Are Moving Fast in 2025: What the Latest Data Reveals If you’re considering applying for a marriage-based green card, there’s encouraging news: 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most efficient years in recent memory for green card processing. Based on real case data from Lally Immigration Services, marriage-based adjustment […]
USCIS Medical Exam Form Update – New Edition Required Starting July 2025 By: Emily Williams* The USCIS recently issued an update to Form I-693, the Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. If you are applying for a green card using Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), you need to […]
DHS to Begin Screening Aliens’ Social Media Activity for Antisemitism: What This Means for Your Immigration Application In a significant move, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will now be screening the social media activity of aliens applying for immigration benefits, focusing specifically on antisemitic content and harassment. This new policy […]
FY 2026 H-1B Initial Registration Selection Process Completed The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just announced that it has completed the initial registration selection process for the FY 2026 H-1B visa. This means that employers who registered applicants for the H-1B visa lottery will now know whether their registrations were selected. For those whose […]
Green Card Approved – A Triumph After a Challenging Journey! This marriage-based green card case was a real rollercoaster, with so many hurdles and unexpected twists! On the day the green card interview, the USCIS made an unusual request – asking one of my clients to sign a “Waiver of Attorney’s Presence at Interview.” This […]
Trump’s Proposed Gold Card for Immigration: Key Points President Trump has proposed a new immigration initiative called the “Gold Card.” What is the Gold Card? The Gold Card would allow individuals who contribute significantly to the U.S. economy—through investments, specialized skills, or job creation—to gain permanent residency, with a potential path to citizenship. Why is […]
FY 2026 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 7 Release Date: February 5, 2025 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced important details regarding the FY 2026 H-1B cap initial registration period, which will open on March 7, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern and close on March 24, 2025, at 12:00 PM […]
USCIS Waives COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants In a significant policy shift, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective January 22, 2025, it will waive the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for individuals applying for Adjustment of Status (AOS). This important update brings relief to many individuals currently seeking to […]
