Recently, our office has received numerous inquiries regarding the Annual Asylum Fee (AAF), including whether payment is currently required, how timelines are calculated, and how to pay if no formal notification has been received. Below is an overview of the statutory basis for the fee, the impact of recent federal court litigation, and practical guidance for affirmative and defensive asylum applicants. Background: What Is the Annual Asylum Fee? Enacted under H.R. 1 (commonly

Executive Summary: On July 20, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule revoking the 2022 public charge framework and establishing a new policy framework. Taking effect on September 18, 2026, the updated regulation expands the scope of review and grants immigration officers enhanced discretionary authority when evaluating public charge inadmissibility. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue an updated Form I-485 (Application to Re

On July 17, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule eliminating the long-standing "Duration of Status" (D/S) policy for international students (F visa), exchange visitors (J visa), foreign news media representatives (I visa), and their dependents, replacing it with a fixed, explicit expiration date for authorized stay. Compared to the proposed rule published in August 2025, the overall changes in this final rule are minimal. 1. Elimination of D/S: Ext

Below is the August US Visa Bulletin update: Currently, USCIS has not yet announced whether Chart B will be open for filing for family-based and employment-based immigration. We will continue to monitor and update on further developments. Visa Category July 2026 August 2026 Change F1 (Unmarried Sons & Daughters of U.S. Citizens) 2018-02-01 2018-12-15 Advanced 317 days F2A (Spouses & Unmarried Children under 21 of LPRs) 2025-01-01 2026-07-22 Advanced 567 days F2B (Unmarried So

Latest Supreme Court Decision: Green Card Holders May Face Greater Scrutiny When Re-entering the United States On June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision in Blanche v. Lau, holding that border officials are not required to possess a high level of criminal evidence before treating a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green card holder, as “seeking admission” into the United States. The government may also rely on evidence obtained after the individual

On June 10, the U.S. Department of State announced via the X platform that it is maintaining the integrity and legitimacy of U.S. citizenship by ending illegal "birth tourism" scams. No foreign national may apply for a tourist visa if their primary purpose is to "obtain U.S. citizenship for their child by giving birth in the United States." According to disclosures from the State Department, multiple U.S. embassies and consulates in West Africa, Europe, and North Africa have

The following is the July U.S. Visa Bulletin update: the family-based Dates for Filing chart is open, while the employment-based Dates for Filing chart is not open. Family-Based Immigration: Under Chart A, the F1, F2B, F3, and F4 categories have advanced. Under Chart B, the F1, F2B, and F4 categories have advanced. Employment-Based Immigration: Under Chart A, the EB-1, EB-3, EB-4, and EB-5 categories have advanced. There are no changes under Chart B. Hopefully, the July 2026

December 10, President Trump’s “Gold Card” program officially launched. USCIS has formally published the application form I-140G on its website, and the government registration portal Trumpcard.gov is now open for applicants. This means the Gold Card program has officially entered the implementation stage. What is the exact application process? Step 1:Go to the government website trumpcard.gov and fill in your basic personal and business information. Then follow the on-screen

Trump’s “Gold Card” proposal has truly arrived — and it is no longer merely political rhetoric. Do you remember when Trump publicly declared: “Pay $5 million and buy a U.S. Gold Card”? Many assumed it was simply a campaign catchphrase. But now, it is clear that this concept is entering the implementation phase. The timeline: Trump publicly introduced the concept of the “Gold Card,” proposing permanent residency in exchange for a $5 million contribution; On September 19, the W

Regardless of whether you hold a tourist visa, student visa, or work visa, once you enter the United States, a personal I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is automatically generated for you. This record plays a critical role in determining whether your stay in the U.S. is considered lawful. Recently, our firm has handled multiple consultations involving abnormal I-94 records. Have you ever considered the possibility that your travel history might actually belong to someone else? R

On November 12, Congress passed and President Trump signed a short-term spending bill, officially ending the 43-day federal government shutdown that began on October 1. The bill includes a “three-in-one appropriations package” through next September and funds all federal agencies through January 30, 2026, allowing the government to resume normal operations at pre-shutdown budget levels while providing additional time to continue negotiations on the FY2026 budget. At the same

Under U.S. immigration law, a “child” is defined as an unmarried individual under 21 years old. However, due to long waiting times in some immigration categories—such as when a green card holder petitions for a child or a U.S. citizen petitions for siblings—many children may “age out” during the waiting period and lose eligibility. To address this, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), enacted in 2002, introduced the “age-freezing” mechanism. It allows a child’s immigration

Good news!! The lawsuit challenging the H-1B $100,000 fee has moved forward! The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has officially set an expedited briefing schedule: all briefs must be completed by December 8, 2025.This means the case could reach its first ruling by the end of 2025. If the court finds the policy unlawful, enforcement of the $100,000 fee could be immediately halted. Background On September 19, 2025, President Trump signed Presidential Proclamati

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a notice in the Federal Register, officially implementing the immigration parole fee mandated by the “One Big Beauty Bill Act.” Effective October 16, 2025, all individuals approved for parole or re-parole—unless exempt—must pay a $1,000 fee. This fee will automatically adjust annually for inflation. What Is Immigration Parole? Simply put, parole is not a visa or a green card. It is a temporary entry permit granted t

Do you already have a business plan? Have you pitched to investors? Started fundraising? Planning to use your patents? No matter which stage you’re at, whether you’re still preparing your startup idea or already running a growing company, if you’re considering moving your business to the U.S. and exploring visa options, you should seriously look into the O-1 visa. The O-1 is a work visa designed specifically for individuals who are among the top in their field. Many entrepren

近日，美国总统特朗普正式签署了“金卡”移民计划的行政命令。这张宛如奢华“贵宾卡”的新政，直观传递了核心理念：通过改革移民政策，终结非法移民，并优先吸纳能为美国带来实际利益的外国人，比如成功的企业家、投资者和商界领袖。与此同时，特朗普还提出“白金卡”设想：捐款高达 500 万美元，持有者不仅能获得绿卡，还可享受额外的税务优惠。但因超出行政权限，目前仍需国会批准，尚未真正推出。 金卡的核心内容是什么呢？ 根据白宫公布的行政令，“金卡”项目设有两种申请渠道。个人申请者：捐款 100 万美元；或企业赞助：为员工捐款 200 万美元。 申请由商务部主导，联合国务院和国土安全部实施，涵盖受理申请、公共安全与国家安全审查，以及身份调整。同时，官方将这一捐款直接视为申请人符合 EB-1A 杰出人才或 EB-2 国家利益豁免的资格证明，并提供加急处理的绿色通道。按照行政令要求，三部门需在90 天内制定实施细则，最快年底前可能接受申请。 对现有移民类别的影响： 对 EB-2、EB-3 的影响: EB-2 和 EB-3 原本要求学历、资质、雇主支持或劳工市场需求，是典

“H-1B入境要缴纳10万美元”的新规刚刚掀起轩然大波，大家的担忧和讨论还没散去。没想到，USCIS 又在宣布9月24日将在《联邦公报》正式抛出一项重量级新规：H-1B 抽签不再完全随机，而是改为工资优先的加权随机制度。 这意味着未来 H-1B 配额将更倾向于分配给高薪、高技能岗位，而低工资、入门级别岗位的中签概率将显著下降。DHS 甚至公开了模拟数据：同样的配额下，不同工资等级的中签概率差距最高可达 4 倍。 一、新规核心内容 新的规则设计很直观：工资越高，进入抽签池的“票”就越多。Level IV 可以放进四张，Level III 三张，Level II 两张，而 Level I 只有一张。每个受益人仍然只能中一次，不会因为多个雇主注册而叠加。 同时，继续保留两轮抽签，先抽普通65,000名额，第二轮 20,000 个硕博豁免名额。硕士和博士虽然多了一次机会，但工资等级依旧是决定权重的核心因素。换句话说，高学历+高工资的申请人将迎来双重优势！ 雇主在注册时必须如实申报工资水平、SOC 职业代码和工作地点，并确保与后续的 L

昨天，特朗普总统签署的H-1B 新规公告要求雇主支付10 万美元附加费才能让申请人入境美国，引发轩然大波，H-1B 社群、留学生和用人企业都高度关注。今天，官方更新了更细化的公告对此政策的适用范围与细节做出了更明确的说明。 USCIS最新备忘录已特别说明: 本公告只适用于未来的新申请，不适用于以下情况： 公告生效前已提交的申请 已经批准的申请 当前持有有效 H-1B 签证的人 本公告不会影响现有签证持有人出入美国的能力。 另外白宫新闻秘书再次重申: 这不是年度费用，而是一次性费用，只适用于新申请。 已经持有 H-1B 签证的人，不管是在境内还是境外，都不需要交 $100,000 来重新入境。 新规只针对新签证，不适用于续签或当前签证持有人。 律所整理问答 Q1：已经有 H-1B 签证的人，需要交 $100,000 吗？能不能出境再回美？ 不需要交钱。 USCIS 明确表示现有签证持有人不受影响，可以正常出入境。 Q2：我在美国境内换雇主（transfer），要交 10 万吗？ 不用。你在境内，不涉及“入境（entry）”，不触发本公告的收费条款。

最新公告，2025年9月15日，移民局更新本财年首月（2025年10月）的签证排期，职业移民B表本月确认开放。在美国境内的EB1，2，3均有显著跃进。请这些申请人尽快安排I-485申请！！！ 请注意，以下排期信息仅适用于中国大陆出生的申请人。 以下是2025年10月职业移民B表绿卡排期与9月的对比： B表：Final Filing Date 签证类别 2025年9月 2025年10月 变化时间 EB-1杰出人才/教授，跨国公司高管 2023-01-01 2023-05-15 前进134天 EB-2高学历人士 2021-01-01 2021-12-01 前进334天 EB-3专业技能人士 2020-12-22 2022-01-01 前进375天 EB-4特殊人士 2021-02-01 2021-02-15 前进14天 EB-5 投资移民（无预留包括C5，T5，I5，R5） 2016-10-01 2016-07-01 倒退92天 EB-5 农村项目 无需排期 无需排期 无变化 EB-5 高失业率项目 无需排期 无需排期 无变化 EB-5 基建项目 无

今天，美国国务院发布，本财年首月（2025年10月）的签证排期。此次亲属移民B表已确认开放，职业移民B表不开放。与上个月相比，10 月份亲属移民多个类别前进，职业移民亦有明显变化。 亲属移民：A表均有明显前进，其中 F1 前进 116 天，F2-B 和 F3 各前进 38 天；F2-A 前进幅度最大，达 518 天；F4 也小幅前进 7 天。B表开放，B表中F2-A 前进 113 天，F4 前进 59 天，其余 F1、F2-B、F3 均无变化。 职业移民：A表EB-2 与 EB-3 有明显前进，EB-4 从不可用转为有排期，EB-5 仍无变化；B表继续不开放。 请注意，以下排期信息仅适用于中国大陆出生的申请人。 以下是2025年10月亲属移民+职业移民绿卡排期与9月的对比： A表：Final Action Date 签证类别 2025年9月 2025年10月 变化时间 F1 公民成年未婚子女 2016-07-15 2016-11-08 前进116天 F2-A 绿卡持有人配偶及未成年子女 2022-09-01 2024-02-01 前进518天 F