On January 8, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Policy Manual (Vol. 2, Part M) to provide clearer guidelines on assessing evidence for O-1 nonimmigrant visa eligibility. The update includes new examples of qualifying evidence, particularly for individuals working in critical and emerging technologies.

On January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order instructing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to terminate certain parole programs as part of a broader immigration crackdown. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) clarified that the order does not affect travelers with valid advanced parole documents, such as Form I-512 holders, or individuals permitted entry to assist law enforcement in criminal or national security matters.

The U.S. Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for March 2025. For March, family-based applicants must use the “Dates for Filing” while employment-based applicants must use the “Final Action Dates In March, all employment categories saw changes except EB-1, with EB-4 facing a 1-year, 1-month retrogression. No changes for family-based categories.

The U.S. government has ordered a 10% staff reduction across all embassies worldwide, impacting both American diplomats and local employees. At the same time, a new executive order, “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” is restructuring embassy operations by centralizing authority and optimizing processes.

The DOL updated processing times for PERM and prevailing wage determinations. As of Feb. 1, PERM applications from Sept. 2023 were still in review, with appeals from July 2024 under consideration. Analyst review averaged 489 days in Jan. 2025. PWD requests from July 2024 were being processed, with appeals from late 2024 under review. Center Director Reviews were ongoing for H-1B cases from Aug. 2024 and PERM cases from April 2024.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China will now open nonimmigrant visa appointments weekly at set times. A new visa services system will launch on Feb. 8-9, 2025, in Pakistan, Egypt, Nepal, Qatar, and Kuwait. From Feb. 4-7, fee payments, call centers, and interview scheduling will be unavailable. Check embassy websites or ustraveldocs.com for updates.

DHS announced that on 1/29/25 President Trump signed his first piece of legislation into law, the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of undocumented individuals who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

USCIS will open the FY 2026 H-1B cap registration from March 7 to March 24, 2025. Petitioners must register beneficiaries online account with a $215 fee. Selections will be announced by March 31 using a beneficiary-centric process. New organizational account features streamline data entry, and the Treasury has temporarily raised the daily credit card limit to $99,999.99 for high-volume payments.

DHS announced that on 1/29/25 President Trump signed his first piece of legislation into law, the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of undocumented individuals who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

USCIS has announced system maintenance for the Contact Relationship Interface System (CRIS) on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, starting at 11:50 p.m. and ending on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time. During this period, users may experience technical difficulties accessing several online tools, including Check My Case Status, e-Request, Change of Address online, Check Case Processing Times, Civil Surgeon Locator, Office Locator, File Online, myUSCIS online account, and the Service Request Management Tool (SRMT).

Nationwide immigration raids on 26 January led to 956 arrests, the highest since Trump’s return, per ICE. Raids occurred in cities like Chicago, Newark, and Miami. The White House denies quotas but backs Trump’s deportation agenda.

USCIS has temporarily stopped accepting Form I-134A in response to the Executive Order on border security issued on January 20, 2025. This pause is intended to facilitate a thorough review of all categorical parole processes as required by the order.