Trump Immigration Bulletin 

The Department of Homeland Security announced an interim final rule, effective immediately, ending automatic extensions of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for most renewal applicants. Certain categories – such as TPS-related extensions – remain exempt. Without these automatic EAD extensions, many applicants may temporarily lose the ability to work while their renewal requests are pending. The rule is not yet final and may face legal challenges before full implementation.

Effective immediately, USCIS will begin charging a $1,000 fee to individuals granted parole, whether physically present or requesting entry into the US with parole. The fee is charged and must be paid in full as a condition of parole approval. Some parole seekers will be billed in the USA while others will be required to pay at the port of entry. There are exceptions to this new fee, including those seeking parole for urgent medical care, those who are paroled in the national interest, those whose parole is connected to an application to adjust status to lawful permanent resident and others. Contact Antonini & Cohen if you have questions about how this change impacts your current of future parole application.

A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked DHS from terminating TPS protections for Venezuela and Haiti. TPS designations will be extended until at least February 3, 2026, for Haiti and October 2, 2026, for Venezuela. Venezuelan TPS holders must renew by September 10, 2025, to secure the extension. Contact Antonini & Cohen today for help protecting your status.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the 2021 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for nationals of Venezuela.
Venezuela's 2021 designation is set to expire on September 10, 2025. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about how this termination may affect your status.

USCIS has updated its payment policy to expand debit card payments through Form G-1650, in addition to credit cards. Beginning October 28, 2025, the agency will no longer accept checks or money orders.

USCIS has issued new guidance on how officers evaluate “good moral character” for naturalization applicants. Officers will now consider positive factors, not only the absence of negative behavior, when making decisions. A few examples of favorable factors include: paying taxes, caring for family, steady work, community involvement, and military service.

Starting August 15, 2025, USCIS will calculate a child's age under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) using the "Final Action Dates" chart instead of the "Dates for Filing" chart. This change will cause many more applicants to lose eligibility by "aging out". Applications filed before August 15 will still calculate using "Dates for Filing".

A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. TPS protections for these countries have been extended until at least November 18, 2025, when a hearing on the merits of the lawsuit will take place.

Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State will require most nonimmigrant visa applicants to undergo an in-person consular interview. Interview waivers will remain available only for limited categories that meet eligibility criteria.

A federal judge in New Hampshire granted class-action status on July 10 to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of a pregnant immigrant, immigrant parents and their infants who would be denied birthright citizenship under a Trump executive order. The judge granted a temporary block of the President's order restricting birthright citizenship from going into effect throughout the country.