On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued new policy guidance to place a hold on final adjudication of immigration benefits for individuals with a nationality or country of birth that is covered by the December 16, 2025 Presidential Proclamation titled: Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.
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Dec 18, 2025
On December 12, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Alert announcing new guidance governing the submission and reuse of photographs for immigration benefit requests. It is no longer accepting self-submitted photos and is limiting when USCIS-taken photos may be reused in benefit requests.
Dec 17, 2025
On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued a new Presidential Proclamation titled: Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States. This proclamation will take effect at 12:01 a.m.
Dec 9, 2025
On December 3, 2025, the Department of State announced that it will start conducting "online presence" reviews for individuals applying for H-1B and H-4 visa stamps, effective December 1
Dec 5, 2025
On December 4, 2025, USCIS announced that it will reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for several application categories, including Adjustment of Status applicants, from five years to 18 months. This change affects EAD applications that are approved after December 5, 2025. It does NOT affect the validity of EADs that were previously approved and does not apply to all EAD categories.
Dec 4, 2025
On December 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that, effective December 15, 2025, it will require that an "online presence review be conducted" for all H-1B visa sticker applicants and their dependents applying for an H-4 visa sticker.
Dec 3, 2025
On November 27, 2025, USCIS issued new policy guidance, directing officers to consider "relevant country-specific facts and circumstances such as those outlined in [Presidential Proclamation (PP)] 10949," during adjudications of benefit requests.
Nov 24, 2025
This document has been prepared by the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel to help the U-M community better understand current immigration laws and policies in the United States.
Oct 29, 2025
On 10/29/2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced an interim final rule that will end the practice of automatically extending EADs (employment authorization document cards) for individuals filing renewal applications in most EAD eligibility categories. The rule will take effect on October 30, 2025.
Oct 21, 2025
On October 20, 2025, USCIS issued guidance clarifying the scope of the Presidential Proclamation regarding H-1B petitions, specifically addressing the $100,000 additional payment requirement.