Immigration Updates

• PDF Update - May 15th, 2025
• Status - Active
• "This reporting rubric should be used by U.S. Department of State (DOS)–designated Exchange Visitor Program sponsors as a general guideline for reporting incidents involving J-1/J-2 exchange visitors to the DOS pursuant to 22 CFR 62.13(d) in the following categories: College and University Student, Government Visitor, Professor, Research Scholar, Short-term Scholar, and Specialist."

• News release - April 9th, 2025
• Status - Active
• "Under this guidance, USCIS will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately."

• Press release - April 5th, 2025
• Status - Active
• "As South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders.  We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation."

• Policy Alert - April 2nd, 2025
• Status - Active
• "Provides that USCIS considers a person’s sex to be that which is generally evidenced on the birth certificate issued at the time of birth or issued near the time of birth. Where the birth certificate that was issued at or near the time of birth is missing or indicates a sex other than male or female, USCIS will base the determination of sex on secondary evidence."

-Media Remarks - March 28th, 2025

SECRETARY RUBIO:  I don’t know actually if it’s primarily student visas.  It’s a combination of visas.  They’re visitors to the country.  If they’re taking activities that are counter to our foreign – to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa.

QUESTION:  Are all of those related to pro-Palestinian protests or (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  I’m trying to remember – there’s a lot of them now, because I’ve gone through every one of them.  I think there might be a few that are not, that are related to other groups that are – of people – we’ve also identified – but this actually is – it should be automatically revoked.  We’ve also identified people that have criminal charges and even while in the country, and still have active visas.  Some are unrelated to any protests and are just having to do with potential criminal activity."

• Federal Register - March 25th, 2025
• Status - Active
• "DHS is terminating the CHNV parole programs as of March 25, 2025. The temporary parole period of aliens in the United States under the CHNV parole programs and whose parole has not already expired by April 24, 2025 will terminate on that date unless the Secretary makes an individual determination to the contrary. Parolees without a lawful basis to remain in the United States following this termination of the CHNV parole programs must depart the United States before their parole termination date."

• USCIS - February 25th, 2025
• Status - Effective April 11th, 2025
• "The INA requires that, with limited exceptions, all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a U.S. visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer, must apply for registration and fingerprinting. Similarly, parents and guardians must ensure that their children below the age of 14 are registered. Within 30 days of reaching his or her 14th birthday, the previously registered alien child must apply for re-registration and to be fingerprinted."

• U.S. Department of State - February 18th, 2025
• Status - Active
• "The Department of State has updated the categories of applicants that may be eligible for a waiver of the nonimmigrant visa interview.  Consular officers have the authority and discretion to waive the in-person interview for the following categories as outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act section 222(h):
  • Applicants classifiable under the visa symbols A-1, A-2, C-3 (except attendants, servants, or personal employees of accredited officials), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-6, or TECRO E-1;
  • Applicants for diplomatic- or official-type visas; and
  • Applicants who previously held a visa in the same category that expired less than 12 months prior to the new application.
• To be eligible for an interview waiver, applicants must also meet certain criteria, including that they:
  • apply in their country of nationality or residence;
  • have never been refused a visa (unless such refusal was overcome or waived); and
  • have no apparent or potential ineligibility.
• Consular officers may still require in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis or because of local conditions.  We encourage applicants to check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about visa application requirements and procedures, and to learn more about the embassy or consulate’s operating status and services.
• This supersedes the Interview Waiver Update of December 21, 2023."

• Federal Register - February 5th, 2025
• Status - Effective April 7th, 2025
• "The Secretary therefore is terminating the 2023 TPS designation of Venezuela. This termination is effective April 7, 2025. After April 7, 2025, nationals of Venezuela (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela) who have been granted TPS under the 2023 Venezuela designation will no longer have TPS. This termination determination does not apply to the 2021 designation of Venezuela for TPS, which remains in effect until September 10, 2025, or to individuals who are registered for TPS under the 2021 designation."

• Executive Order - January 29th, 2025
• Fact Sheet - January 30th, 2025
• "Deport Hamas Sympathizers and Revoke Student Visas: “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”"

• Agency Action - January 21, 2025
• Current Status - Active
• "The first directive rescinds the Biden Administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions that thwart law enforcement in or near so-called “sensitive” areas."
• "The second directive ends the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returns the program to a case-by-case basis. ICE and CBP will phase out any parole programs that are not in accordance with the law"
• Update - January 22, 2025

• "This guidance does not apply to those aliens arriving with valid Form I-512, or those aliens being processed for Significant Public Benefit Parole in coordination with federal law enforcement partners."

   

• Executive Order - January 20, 2025
• Alien Registration Requirement
• Current Status - Active
• "To protect Americans, the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests.  More importantly, the United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States.  And the United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security."

• Executive Order - January 20, 2025
• Current Status - Not active, going through U.S. Court System
• "this section shall apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order."
• "It is the policy of the United States that no department or agency of the United States government shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship, or accept documents issued by State, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship, to persons:  (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth."

Iowa DOT

Status - Goes into effect May 7th, 2025

"Whether you are getting your first Iowa driver's license or ID card or renewing or replacing an Iowa driver's license or ID card that doesn't have a REAL ID gold star, the process is the same.

• Create a customized list of documents you will need to bring with you when you go to the DMV to get your REAL ID.
• Make an appointment to go to the DMV and present the documents that prove your identity and residency.
  It does not cost more to get a card with a REAL ID star and there are no tests required to add a REAL ID star. The REAL ID star does not affect how long the card is valid."