Headlines:
DOS Ends Third-Nation Nonimmigrant Visa Appointments – Nonimmigrant visa candidates, with just a few exceptions, should schedule their appointments on the U.S. embassy or consulate of their nation of nationality or residence.
Annual Cap Reached for EB-1 Immigrant Visas; October Visa Bulletin Launched; Non secular Staff Class to Expire – U.S. embassies and consulates can’t problem extra immigrant visas within the EB-1 inexperienced card class till the beginning of the brand new federal fiscal yr on October 1, 2025. The Visa Bulletin for October additionally notes that the E-4 Sure Non secular Staff inexperienced card class expires on September 30, 2025.
Supreme Courtroom Says Authorities Can Proceed to Detain Individuals in Los Angeles Space for Now; Sotomayor Dissents – The Supreme Courtroom granted, with out clarification, an software for keep of a district court docket’s injunction in a case that challenged immigration officers’ follow of detaining people within the Los Angeles space based mostly on sure traits.
Particulars:
DOS Ends Third-Nation Nonimmigrant Visa Appointments
On September 6, 2025, the Division of State (DOS) introduced that nonimmigrant visa (NIV) candidates usually should schedule their appointments on the U.S. embassy or consulate of their nation of nationality or residence. Third-country visa appointment scheduling is mostly not permitted, with restricted exceptions. Candidates should have the ability to display authorized residence within the nation the place they’re making use of, if eligibility is predicated on residency.
DOS up to date directions on its web site over the weekend accordingly. Candidates with current NIV appointments that have been scheduled earlier than the September 6 replace will usually not be canceled, however going ahead, candidates who apply outdoors their nation of nationality or residence “would possibly discover it tougher to qualify for the visa,” DOS mentioned, and visa charges is not going to be refunded or transferred. Candidates who want to use outdoors their nation of nationality or residence ought to anticipate longer wait occasions. Nationals of nations with out routine NIV operations should apply at a chosen U.S. embassy or consulate as listed within the chart on the DOS web site.
DOS outlined exceptions for candidates searching for A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO visas, diplomatic/official visas, or journey below the UN Headquarters Settlement. Restricted exceptions can also apply for humanitarian, medical, or overseas coverage causes.
Annual Cap Reached for EB-1 Immigrant Visas; October Visa Bulletin Launched; Non secular Staff Class to Expire
On September 8, 2025, the Division of State (DOS) introduced that each one immigrant visas within the Employment-Primarily based First Desire (EB-1) class for Fiscal 12 months (FY) 2025 have been issued. Because of this, U.S. embassies and consulates can’t problem extra immigrant visas within the EB-1 class till the beginning of FY 2026 on October 1, 2025. This follows the same announcement by DOS concerning immigrant visas within the EB-2 class final week.
DOS has launched the October Visa Bulletin. As of October 1, 2025, new visa numbers will grow to be out there, and processing will resume for certified candidates, together with these within the EB-1 class.
The Visa Bulletin for October additionally notes that the E-4 Sure Non secular Staff (SR) class expires on September 30, 2025. No SR visas could also be issued abroad, or remaining motion taken on adjustment of standing circumstances, after midnight on September 29, 2025. Visas issued earlier than that date might be legitimate solely till September 29, 2025, and all people searching for admission within the non-minister particular immigrant class should be admitted into america by midnight on September 29, 2025.
The bulletin notes that the SR class is listed as “Unavailable” for all international locations for October. If Congress extends the class, DOS mentioned “it’s possible it should grow to be out there efficient instantly.”
Supreme Courtroom Says Authorities Can Proceed to Detain Individuals in Los Angeles Space for Now; Justice Sotomayor Dissents
On September 8, 2025, the Supreme Courtroom granted, with out clarification, an software for keep of a district court docket’s injunction in Noem v. Perdomo, a case that challenged immigration officers’ follow of detaining people within the Los Angeles space based mostly on traits resembling their obvious race or ethnicity, whether or not they spoke Spanish or English, the situation the place they have been discovered (resembling a automotive wash or bus cease), and the kind of job they appeared to work. The keep implies that the federal authorities can proceed to cease and detain folks below these situations in Los Angeles whereas litigation continues.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred. He mentioned there was unlawful immigration within the Los Angeles space in “extraordinary numbers” and that U.S. immigration officers subsequently have prioritized immigration enforcement there. “The Authorities typically makes transient investigative stops to examine the immigration standing of those that collect in areas the place persons are employed for day jobs; who work or seem to work in jobs resembling building, landscaping, agriculture, or automotive washes that usually don’t require paperwork and are subsequently enticing to unlawful immigrants; and who don’t communicate a lot if any English,” he mentioned. “If the officers study that the person they stopped is a U. S. citizen or in any other case lawfully in america, they promptly let the person go. If the person is illegally in america, the officers might arrest the person and provoke the method for elimination.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, noting that in the course of the raids, “groups of armed and masked brokers pulled as much as automotive washes, tow yards, farms, and parks and started seizing people on sight, usually earlier than asking a single query,” in some circumstances dealing with folks roughly and detaining them. She mentioned folks, together with U.S. residents, additionally have been taken from Residence Depots, tow yards, farms, recycling facilities, church buildings, and parks. She famous that the federal authorities’s practices have intimidated folks within the space and that the federal government is probably going violating the Fourth Modification and relying solely on generalizations that deal with giant segments of the inhabitants with suspicion. “The Authorities, and now the concurrence, has all however declared that each one Latinos, U. S. residents or not, who work low wage jobs are honest recreation to be seized at any time, taken away from work, and held till they supply proof of their authorized standing to the brokers’ satisfaction.” Justice Sotomayor opined, “We must always not must stay in a rustic the place the Authorities can seize anybody who appears Latino, speaks Spanish, and seems to work a low wage job. Slightly than stand idly by whereas our constitutional freedoms are misplaced, I dissent.”
