Headlines:
USCIS To Enhance Charges for Numerous Immigration-Associated Functions and Advantages – Candidates should submit the brand new charges with profit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers mentioned it can reject any kind postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, with out the correct charges.
August Visa Bulletin Consists of Updates, Retrogressions, Predictions – The Division of State’s Visa Bulletin for August 2025 consists of updates on the retrogression of the EB-2 Remainder of World class, and visa availability within the EB-3 and Different Staff classes and the EB-5 Unreserved classes for India and China.
H-1B Cap Reached for FY 2026; New H-1B Proposed Rule Will Prioritize Increased Salaries – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) has acquired sufficient petitions to achieve the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa common cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. superior diploma exemption, generally known as the grasp’s cap, for fiscal 12 months 2026. Additionally, USCIS plans to suggest a brand new rule for evaluate that will resurrect the primary Trump administration’s efforts to prioritize increased salaries within the H-1B choice course of.
USCIS Implements Supreme Courtroom Order on 2023 Venezuela TPS Designation – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers launched directions implementing a Supreme Courtroom emergency keep in Nationwide TPS Alliance v. Noem for Venezuelan Non permanent Protected Standing (TPS) beneficiaries who acquired sure TPS-related documentation on or earlier than February 5, 2025.
E-Confirm Permits Workers to Choose Out of E-Confirm+ – A brand new characteristic permits staff to decide out of the E-Confirm+ course of and full a conventional Type I-9 and E-Confirm case as an alternative.
E-Confirm Updates Standing Change Report – The brand new Standing Change Report now consists of a further “Revoked Doc Quantity” discipline.
USCIS Will Require New Version of Nonimmigrant Employee Petition Beginning July 30 – As of July 30, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers would require the brand new January 20, 2025, version of Type I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Employee. Till that date, the January 17, 2025, version can be acceptable.
Joseph Edlow Confirmed as USCIS Director – On July 15, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Joseph Edlow as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers.
Particulars:
USCIS To Enhance Charges for Numerous Immigration-Associated Functions and Advantages
On July 18, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) introduced that it plans to publish a Federal Register discover on July 22, 2025, to lift charges for numerous immigration-related kinds, advantages, statuses, petitions, purposes, and requests administered by a number of authorities businesses.
Candidates should submit the brand new charges with profit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. USCIS mentioned it can reject any kind postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, with out the correct charges.
The brand new charges embody, amongst others:
- A brand new price of $100 for people who file Type I-589, Software for Asylum and for Withholding of Elimination.
- An annual asylum price of $100 (which should be paid on-line) for all people with a pending Type I-589 for every calendar 12 months their utility stays pending.
- A brand new price for people who file Type I-765, Software for Employment Authorization, for asylum, parolee, and Non permanent Protected Standing (TPS) classes. The classes are (a)(4), (a)(12), (c)(8), (c)(11), (c)(19), and (c)(34). The charges are:
- For preliminary Employment Authorization Doc (EAD) purposes, $550; and
- For renewal or extension EAD purposes, $275.
There may be one exception to those charges. If a person requests an EAD after USCIS approves a brand new interval of parole (re-parole) by submitting Type I-131, Software for Journey Paperwork, Parole Paperwork, and Arrival/Departure Data, the price can be $275.
Any one that filed or information a Type I-589 after October 1, 2024, that continues to be pending with USCIS for twelve months should pay the annual asylum price as of the one-year anniversary of their submitting date and annually thereafter that the appliance stays pending.
USCIS additionally famous that for parolees, preliminary work authorization is legitimate for a interval of no a couple of 12 months or at some stage in the particular person’s parole, whichever is shorter. For these with TPS, preliminary and renewal work authorizations are legitimate for no a couple of 12 months or at some stage in the particular person’s TPS standing, whichever is shorter.
USCIS mentioned that the Division of Homeland Safety will announce implementation of charges not lined on this discover in a future motion. A number of kinds have related price modifications that aren’t included on this discover, together with Type I-131, Software for Journey Paperwork, Parole Paperwork, and Arrival/Departure Data, and Type I-102, Software for Alternative/Preliminary Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Doc.
The Government Workplace for Immigration Evaluation additionally issued a memorandum with a listing of up to date charges, together with a $2,940 price for Type I-485, Adjustment of Standing.
August Visa Bulletin Consists of Updates, Retrogressions, Predictions
The Division of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for August 2025 consists of the next updates:
Retrogression in EB-2 class for Remainder of World, attainable unavailability quickly. The EB-2 ultimate motion date for Remainder of World international locations has been retrogressed. The bulletin notes that the annual restrict doubtless can be reached in August, if not sooner. If the restrict is reached, the choice class will turn out to be unavailable.
Visa availability in EB-3 and Different Staff classes. Visa issuance totals for the EB-3 and EW (Different Staff) classes are approaching the annual limits for FY-2025 in these classes. The bulletin states that both retrogression of the ultimate motion dates or making the classes “Unavailable” in September, if not sooner, is probably going.
Visa availability in EB-5 Unreserved class for China. The August bulletin notes that within the April 2025 bulletin, the EB-5 Unreserved ultimate motion date for China was retrogressed. Within the months that adopted, EB-5 quantity use has not materialized to the diploma that was anticipated. Consequently, the EB-5 Unreserved ultimate motion dates for China have superior to permit continued EB-5 Unreserved quantity use. The bulletin notes that if the annual restrict is reached, the choice class will turn out to be unavailable.
Visa availability in EB-5 Unreserved class for India. Just like the Unreserved class for China, the August bulletin notes that within the April 2025 bulletin, the EB-5 Unreserved ultimate motion date for India was retrogressed. DOS expects that India could have unused household sponsored choice numbers that “can fall down to be used within the employment-based classes, together with EB-5 Unreserved.” Because of this, the ultimate motion date for EB-5 Unreserved has been superior to make use of these obtainable numbers. The bulletin notes that if the annual restrict is reached, the choice class will turn out to be unavailable.
H-1B Cap Reached for FY 2026; New H-1B Proposed Rule Will Prioritize Increased Salaries
H-1B cap reached. On July 18, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) introduced that it has acquired sufficient petitions to achieve the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa common cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. superior diploma exemption, generally known as the grasp’s cap, for fiscal 12 months 2026.
USCIS mentioned it can proceed to just accept and course of petitions which can be in any other case exempt from the cap. Petitions filed for present H-1B employees who’ve been counted beforehand in opposition to the cap, and who nonetheless retain their cap numbers, are exempt from the FY 2026 H-1B cap. USCIS will proceed to just accept and course of petitions filed to:
- Prolong the period of time a present H-1B employee might stay in the USA;
- Change the phrases of employment for present H-1B employees;
- Permit present H-1B employees to vary employers; and
- Permit present H-1B employees to work concurrently in further H-1B positions.
New H-1B proposed rule. USCIS plans to suggest a brand new rule for evaluate by the Workplace of Administration and Finances’s Workplace of Data and Regulatory Affairs. The rule would resurrect the primary Trump administration’s efforts to prioritize increased salaries within the choice course of for H-1B positions.
Particulars of the brand new proposed rule haven’t but been launched, however in the course of the first Trump administration, objections to an analogous rule ranged from statutory issues to the statement that newly minted graduates at decrease salaries is likely to be extra extremely expert than these with increased salaries as a result of tenure or seniority, and that prioritizing the latter based mostly on wage alone would stop employers from hiring extremely certified current graduates and stop start-ups from with the ability to afford to rent high expertise.
USCIS Implements Supreme Courtroom Order on 2023 Venezuela TPS Designation
On July 14, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) launched directions implementing a Supreme Courtroom emergency keep in Nationwide TPS Alliance v. Noem for Venezuelan Non permanent Protected Standing (TPS) beneficiaries who acquired sure TPS-related documentation on or earlier than February 5, 2025. Pending additional litigation, they are going to keep TPS and their documentation will stay legitimate.
Pending decision of the litigation, which means for the Type I-766, Employment Authorization Doc (EAD) class A12 or C19 issued below the TPS Venezuela 2023 redesignation:
- TPS Venezuela beneficiaries who acquired TPS-related EADs that present a “Legitimate From” date that’s on or earlier than February 5, 2025, and a “Card Expires” date of October 2, 2026, will keep that standing and their documentation will stay legitimate.
- TPS Venezuela beneficiaries who acquired TPS-related EADs with a “Card Expires” date of April 2, 2025, and who acquired Types I-797, Notices of Motion, indicating receipt of a well timed filed Type I-765 renewal utility that had been issued on or earlier than February 5, 2025, routinely extending their employment authorization for as much as 540 days, will keep TPS, and employment authorization and their EADs will stay legitimate for as much as 540 days (i.e., till September 24, 2026).
USCIS issued associated steering for employers when staff current the above-listed EADs to finish or replace Type I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification:
- In case your worker presents an EAD with class A12 or C19 that reveals a “Legitimate From” date that’s on or earlier than February 5, 2025, and a “Card Expires” date of October 2, 2026, enter October 2, 2026, on Type I-9 because the expiration date of the EAD.
- In case your worker presents an EAD with class A12 or C19 and a “Card Expires” date of April 2, 2025, and a renewal utility receipt on Type I-797, Discover of Motion, that was issued on or earlier than February 5, 2025, and you identify from the date on Type I-797 that the renewal utility was well timed filed in the course of the TPS registration interval, the worker’s A12 or C19 EAD has been routinely prolonged for as much as 540 days and, subsequently, it is best to enter September 24, 2026, because the expiration date of the EAD.
E-Confirm Permits Workers to Choose Out of E-Confirm+
E-Confirm lately introduced a brand new characteristic permitting staff to decide out of the E-Confirm+ course of and full a conventional Type I-9 and E-Confirm case as an alternative.
E-Confirm mentioned that when the worker selects “Choose Out” in E-Confirm+ and efficiently completes the opt-out course of, the worker’s E-Confirm+ case standing will change to “Case Closed Choose Out” and the case will routinely shut. The worker can be directed to contact their employer to finish Part 1 in Type I-9 and supply acceptable documentation displaying their identification and work authorization.
E-Confirm famous that if an worker opts out of E-Confirm+, “they nonetheless should full Part 1 and supply documentation no later than their first day of employment, and the employer should create an E-Confirm case inside three enterprise days.” The up to date case standing will seem on the employer’s E-Confirm dashboard below “Not too long ago Auto-Closed Instances.”
E-Confirm+ is a service of E-Confirm that streamlines verification by combining the Type I-9 and E-Confirm processes into one digital course of.
E-Confirm Updates Standing Change Report
On July 15, 2025, E-Confirm introduced that the brand new Standing Change Report now consists of a further “Revoked Doc Quantity” discipline to assist employers decide whether or not an worker’s Employment Authorization Doc (EAD) introduced within the Type I-9 verification course of and used to create their E-Confirm case is the revoked EAD within the report. “If this EAD has been revoked, you need to reverify the worker,” E-Confirm mentioned.
The announcement consists of detailed directions on reverification and what employers must do.
USCIS Will Require New Version of Nonimmigrant Employee Petition Beginning July 30
As of July 30, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) would require the brand new January 20, 2025, version of the Type I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Employee. Till that date, the January 17, 2025, version can be acceptable.
The version date is on the backside of the web page on the shape and directions. USCIS mentioned that an employer who completes and prints this manner to mail it ought to “be sure that the shape version date and web page numbers are seen on the backside of all pages and that each one pages are from the identical kind version. If any of the shape’s pages are lacking or are from a special kind version, we might reject your kind.”
Joseph Edlow Confirmed as USCIS Director
On July 15, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Joseph Edlow as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS).
Mr. Edlow beforehand served as deputy director for coverage and chief counsel at USCIS, deputy assistant lawyer basic on the Division of Justice, and counsel for Rep. Raúl R. Labrador (R-ID) and the Home of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary. He additionally served as a visiting fellow on the Middle for Renewing America and the Heritage Basis and based the Edlow Group LLC and the Legislation Workplace of Joseph Edlow LLC.
