What is a Priority Date in U.S. Immigration? A Complete Guide to the Priority Date in U.S. Immigration

December 4, 2025

The priority date in U.S. immigration is a critical concept for anyone waiting for lawful permanent residency status (“Green Card”). Because Congress sets strict annual limits on the number of immigrant visas issued in most categories, demand often outstrips supply, creating significant backlogs. Your priority date effectively acts as your

USCIS To Implements the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test

December 2, 2025

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced an update to its Policy Manual that re-introduces a modified version of the 2020 Civics Test—now called the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test. The update, once adopted, will apply to applications for naturalization (Form N-400 Application for Naturalization) filed on or after

EB-5 Visa Processing Time: How Long Do I Have to Wait for Approval?

November 30, 2025

If you are applying for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: “What is the EB-5 visa processing time?” The truth is, EB-5 processing times vary greatly depending on many factors, such as your nationality, the project you invest in, how the United States

EB-5 Petition and Application Fees Reduced by Court Order

November 26, 2025

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”)_ has posted a notice on its website that on November 12, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado issued a decision in Moody v. Noem staying certain EB-5 related petition and application fees that were implemented by the

U.S. Immigration Consultation 2025 | Process, Costs & Popular Visa Types

November 20, 2025

Starting the journey toward living in the United States often begins with a consultation session with a U.S. immigration lawyer. Some people immigrate through marriage, others through family, investment, or employment visa categories. In many cases, however, the rules and paperwork may feel overwhelming. With frequent updates to forms, fees,

Vietnamese Names Listed Incorrectly on U.S. Visas and Green Cards

February 12, 2022

There has always been a challenge with some U.S. government offices incorrectly listing Vietnamese citizen’s names on government documents such as visas and Form I-551 “Green Cards” because Vietnamese passports list names in order of last name (or “family name” or “surname”) followed by middle name then first name. This

Expediting Employment Authorization and Advance Parole Travel Documents

January 28, 2022

Five years ago, USCIS routinely took three months to issue employment authorization documents (EADs) and advance parole (AP) travel documents. Prior to the pandemic, USCIS was taking approximately six months to issue them. Now, USCIS can take nine months or longer to issue these documents. These delays create huge hardships to organizations

Biden Administration Initiative to Attract STEM Talent to the United States

January 26, 2022

Pursuant to a Biden Administration initiative, on January 21, 2022, the Departments of State (“DOS”) and Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced new actions related to STEM work authorization, J-1 Researchers, National Interest Waivers, and O-1 Extraordinary Ability Workers. You can read the White House Fact Sheet here. “The Biden-Harris Administration believes

DHS Drops Appeal of the U.S. District Court’s Ruling in Behring Regional Center LLC v. Mayorkas

January 13, 2022

On January 5, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), on behalf of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of a U.S. District Court’s ruling in the case Behring Regional Center LLC v. Alejandro N. Mayorkas, et al. (“Behring v. Alejandro”).

Status of the EB-5 Regional Center Program in January 2022

January 10, 2022

Six months have passed since the EB-5 Regional Center Program (“Program”) expired and Congress has still not taken any steps towards its renewal. Originally enacted in 1993, the Program was a pilot, or test, program and was never made permanent. The Program had been extended on a regular basis for

DOS Extends Certain In-Person Non-Immigrant Visa Interviews Through 2022

January 9, 2022

The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has extended the authority of consular officers to waive certain in-person non-immigrant visa interviews through the end of 2022. Along with B-1/ B-2 interview waivers, F, M, and J Academic visa applicant waivers have been extended to the end of 2022 under the

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CATEGORY

What is a Priority Date in U.S. Immigration? A Complete Guide to the Priority Date in U.S. Immigration

USCIS To Implements the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test

EB-5 Visa Processing Time: How Long Do I Have to Wait for Approval?

EB-5 Petition and Application Fees Reduced by Court Order

U.S. Immigration Consultation 2025 | Process, Costs & Popular Visa Types