On August 18, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is issuing updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual explaining how the agency will determine whether an individual applying for adjustment of status to lawful permanent...
Topic: Immigration Updates
USCIS Revises I-485 Permanent Residence/Adjustment Application
On August 19, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will publish a revised edition of Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (edition date: 09/18/26). The 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485 will replace...
Coalition Challenges DHS’s ‘Duration of Status’ Final Rule
On August 18, 2026, a coalition of organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. district court in Massachusetts challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final rule, published in July, that replaces the “Duration of Status” (D/S) framework for F-1...
Federal District Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Suspension of Immigrant Visas for Nationals of 75 Countries
On August 21, 2026, in Catholic Legal Immigration Network v. Rubio, the federal district court for the Southern District of New York struck down the Trump administration’s suspension in January 2026 of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries. At the time, the...
DOS Issues Guidance on Fixed Period of Admission for Sponsors of J Nonimmigrant Exchange Visitors
On August 10, 2026, pursuant to a final rule establishing a fixed period of admission for exchange visitors (J-1 nonimmigrants), international students (F-1 nonimmigrants), and others, the Department of State (DOS) issued guidance for J exchange visitor sponsors with...
DOS Establishes New Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force
Pursuant to recent executive orders, the Department of State (DOS) announced on August 12, 2026, that it has established a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to “[review] the activities of visa holders worldwide to identify instances of birth tourism, take action to...
E-Verify Status Change Report Expands
On August 11, 2026, E-Verify announced that the E-Verify Status Change Report has expanded in scope. Previously, the report only identified parolee (category C11) Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that were invalidated. It now identifies employees with asylum...
DHS Issues Interim Rule on Mandatory Electronic Filing
On August 10, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security announced an interim final rule, effective August 11, 2026, to allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to require mandatory electronic filing (e-filing) of certain benefit requests. The rule...
Overruling Precedent, BIA Now Says Leaving United States Temporarily Under Advance Parole Constitutes ‘Departure’
Overruling Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly—a 2012 precedent decision holding that a person who leaves the United States temporarily with a grant of advance parole does not thereby make a “departure” under the Immigration and Nationality Act and thus does not...
USCIS to Publish Revised Applications for Extension/Change of Nonimmigrant Status and Work Authorization
On August 14, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will publish revised editions of Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. USCIS said the forms “have...
