On November 5, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has published a Federal Register notice terminating South Sudan's designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), effective January 5, 2026. The Systematic Alien Verification for...
Topic: Immigration Updates
Annual Asylum Fees Paused in Response to Court Order
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on November 7, 2025, that in accordance with an October 30, 2025, court order, it has paused the issuance of Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) notices. "Any applicant who has received a notice from USCIS instructing...
USCIS Receives ‘Overwhelming’ Number of Applications for New ‘Homeland Defender’ Positions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on November 6, 2025, that since starting its hiring campaign for "Homeland Defenders" on September 30, the agency "has received an overwhelming 35,000-plus applications—the most for any position in agency...
Court Sets Expedited Briefing Schedule for $100K H-1B Fee Challenge
The judge hearing a legal challenge to a $100,000 fee on employers seeking to sponsor an employee for an H-1B visa has ordered that all legal briefings in the case be completed by December 8, 2025. Judge Beryl Howell's order specifies that the government must file its...
OFLC Announces Extensions and Emergency Procedures in Light of Shutdown
Due to the federal government shutdown, the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced on November 5, 2025, that it is implementing several temporary changes to its standard procedures related to applications and documents affected by...
OFLC Resumes Application Processing; Delays Expected
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has resumed processing of employer requests for prevailing wages and labor certification determinations for temporary and permanent employment in the United States. OFLC's...
Steve Yale-Loehr Comments on Wole Soyinka’s U.S. Visa Revocation in The New York Times
In Nigerian Nobel Laureate Says the U.S. Revoked His Visa, Steve noted that although Nigerian author Wole Soyinka's criticism of President Trump could have made him a target for visa revocation, not showing up to an interview also could have provided the State...
Presidential Determination Limits Refugee Admissions to Historic Low of 7,500 in FY 2026, Prioritizes Afrikaners From South Africa
A Presidential Determination published on October 30, 2025, limits refugee admissions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 to 7,500 and prioritizes Afrikaners from South Africa: "The admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to...
DHS Publishes Interim Final Rule Ending Automatic Extension of Certain EADs
Effective October 30, 2025, an interim final rule published the same day ends the automatic extension of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) (Forms I-766) for those who have timely filed an application to renew an EAD in certain employment authorization...
Steve Yale-Loehr Quoted by the Times of India
In H-1B Fears Cool, Companies Hiring From U.S. Campuses to Gain, Steve commented on the Trump administration's decision to exempt those who are already in the United States, including foreign students, from a new $100,000 H-1B application fee. Steve said this means...
