The U.S. Department of State has announced an “indefinite” pause on visa processing for nationals of approximately 75 countries, effective January 21. Many news headlines call it “visa ban” or “ban” but in reality it is not. We will break it down for you what it means in practical terms.   What Does This Mean in Practical Terms?   During this pause, U.S. embassies and consulates will pause issuance  of “immigrant” visas for applicants from the affected countries. The key word

USCIS has announced a major policy change that may affect immigration applications filed by people from certain countries covered by the updated travel ban.   What Changed? Starting January 1, 2026, USCIS placed a pause (hold) on most immigration applications filed by people from countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10998. This pause applies to applications that are already pending and means USCIS will not make decisions on them for now. There is no set timeline for

On January 2, 2026, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) issued a new policy memorandum rescinding and cancelling Policy Memorandum 25-36, which addressed implementation of the Annual Asylum Fee (AAF). The new EOIR memorandum provides important clarifications regarding when the AAF applies, when it is waived, and how payment may be enforced in immigration court proceedings.   EOIR formally rescinded Policy Memorandum, signaling a shift away from its prior guidan

A federal shutdown began on October 1, 2025. Historically, most shutdowns last days to a couple of weeks; the longest (2018–2019) ran 35...

On September 19, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” The...

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant update that will affect how applicants pay for their...

We are pleased to share that we recently secured asylum approval for a Russian dissident who faced persecution due to his outspoken...

In recent years, we have handled a growing number of cases where asylum applicants in the United States successfully pursued immigrant...

We are pleased to share that we recently secured approval of an EB-1A Extraordinary Ability immigrant visa petition for one of our...

Are people with approved asylum at risk of being arrested by ICE? If your asylum application was approved, you are an asylee, and you are...

The recent executive orders issued by the Trump administration have created uncertainty and fear for many immigrants. At I.S. Law Firm,...

At I.S. Law Firm, we know that Trump re-election may weigh heavily on many immigrants. With the likelihood of certain immigration...

CBP One is an application designed to streamline the process for asylum seekers to register for an appointment with a Customs and Border...

Elevate Your Asylum Interview: Why Hiring an Immigration Lawyer for Your Asylum Interview Matters Are you preparing for a critical asylum...

Today, President Biden announced a new border shutdown proclamation, significantly impacting the flow of individuals crossing the...

I.S. Law Firm, PLLC secured $300,000, through litigation, for its client in Virginia, who suffered bodily injuries in a car accident...

I.S. Law Firm secured a grant of asylum in immigration court for a former law enforcement officer from Uzbekistan. We were pleased with...

We are delighted to announce a significant victory in our first asylum case of 2024, where our client, whose identity will remain...

In a recent policy update, USCIS has made significant changes to the process of changing status to F-1 and M-1 visas. This update...

If you find yourself facing an immigration judge with a low rating or a potential bias against immigrants, it can be a challenging...