Release Date
12/05/2025
New vetting center will focus on powerful screening resources to keep America safe
Release Date
12/04/2025
Maximum validity periods of some Employment Authorization Documents will be reduced
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for certain categories of aliens. This update also incorporates changes to EAD validity periods made by recent legislation to ensure proper vetting and screening of aliens.
USCIS is updating USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1, Part C to deter the filing of frivolous claims and provide operational consistency. This update clarifies that the Department of Homeland Security generally will not take biometrics of detained aliens unless they are in removal proceedings and have a pending application or petition filed with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. This guidance is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after the publication date.
Rajiv S. Khanna, US Immigration attorney, provides free immigration help by hosting a free community conference call for US immigration-related questions every Thursday. You can post questions for the call if you are a member of our US Immigration forums. Membership is immediate and lifelong. Walk-ins are also permitted.
Last Updated: December 3, 2025
As of December 15, the Department will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”
Published by: The Times of India - December 04, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-to-scan-social-media-of…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com expressed dismay that a country which professes to be a shining beacon of free speech does not appreciate it.
Number 10
Volume XI
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during January for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
Rajiv S. Khanna, US Immigration attorney, provides free immigration help by hosting a free community conference call for US immigration-related questions every Thursday. You can post questions for the call if you are a member of our US Immigration forums. Membership is immediate and lifelong. Walk-ins are also permitted.
Rajiv S. Khanna, US Immigration attorney, provides free immigration help by hosting a free community conference call for US immigration-related questions every Thursday. You can post questions for the call if you are a member of our US Immigration forums. Membership is immediate and lifelong. Walk-ins are also permitted.
Published by: The Times of India - December 12, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mass-visa-chaos-h-1b-families-stranded-in-india-for-months-after-us-consulates-cancel-interviews/articleshow/125910898.cms#
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
USCIS recently updated the following form:
Form G-1055, Fee Schedule12/16/2025 12:12 PM EST
Edition Date: 12/16/25. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
For more information, please visit the Forms Updates page.
USCIS recently updated the following form:
Form I-140G, Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program11/19/2025 04:06 PM EST
For more information, please visit the Forms Updates page.
Release Date
12/22/2025
Under the leadership of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, the agency has enhanced immigration screening and vetting protocols to protect communities and national security and has advanced immigration policies that put the national interest first.
Our offices will be closed for Christmas break from December 25, 2025 through January 4, 2026. The offices will reopen on January 5, 2026. If you are a client, in case of an urgent matter, please leave a message at (202)909-1110. Our team will also regularly check their own emails and messages. If you need to speak with someone urgently, please leave a message and you will hear back from them.
December 23, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security has finalized regulations that fundamentally change how H-1B cap registrations will be selected, effective for the FY 2027 lottery (registration opening around March 2026). Under the new weighted selection process, registrations for higher-paid workers will have significantly better chances of selection than those for lower-paid workers.
Published by: The Times of India - December 25, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-visa-holders-face-new-uncertainty-as-prudential-revocations-spike-anxiety-looms-large-across-indian-diaspora/articleshow/126175668.cms
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article: