Articles Posted in Executive Actions

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Immigration policy has been changing quickly in 2026, and many immigrants are understandably worried about what these developments mean for their future in the United States. News headlines about tougher immigration policies have created confusion, and in some cases, unnecessary fear.

In this video, we break down what has actually changed under recent policies, and just as importantly, what has not changed in U.S. immigration law.

#1 Green Card Holders Are Protected

Here are the facts:

  • Individuals who hold a Green Card have the legal right to live and work permanently in the United States.
  • Their status cannot be taken away arbitrarily by immigration authorities.
  • In most cases, a permanent resident can only lose their status through formal removal proceedings before an immigration judge.
  • Loss of permanent resident status typically occurs only under specific circumstances, such as certain criminal convictions, immigration fraud, or abandoning residence by staying outside the U.S. for extended periods.
  • Despite recent immigration policy discussions and media coverage, the core legal protections for Green Card holders remain in place.

#2 Laws Don’t Change Overnight

U.S. immigration laws cannot change instantly. Most changes must be approved by Congress or a formal regulatory process. Even when new policies are announced, they typically take months or years to implement.

Additionally, major immigration changes require public notice and comment periods.  This means members of the public are given advance notice before significant rules take effect, and the government must take their feedback into account before reaching a decision.

Furthermore, not every announcement or headline represents a new law—many are simply policy proposals or enforcement priorities.

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New immigration rules under Donald Trump will soon bar green card holders from receiving certain SBA government loans, while also introducing heightened scrutiny and travel restrictions for both domestic and international travel.

#1 Green Card Holders Banned from Receiving SBA Loans

Under a major policy change by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), green card holders (lawful permanent residents) will no longer be eligible for SBA-backed business loans beginning March 1, 2026.

  • What’s changing: The SBA issued updated guidance requiring that 100% of all direct and indirect owners of a business seeking SBA loans must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals with their principal residence in the United States. This eliminates any eligibility for businesses owned by green card holders.
  • Effective date: The rule goes into effect March 1, 2026, meaning any SBA loan applications must have been assigned a loan number before that date to qualify under the old eligibility standards.
  • Programs affected: Major SBA lending programs such as the 7(a) and 504 loan programs will be impacted, cutting off access to federal funding for small businesses owned by green card holders.

#2 New Rules for Green Card Holders Traveling or Planning to Leave the U.S.

A new trend over the past three weeks indicates that green card holders returning from any of the 75 countries listed under President Trump’s visa ban are increasingly being sent to secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for additional questioning. While most are ultimately admitted, the added scrutiny creates yet another hurdle for lawful permanent residents returning to the U.S. after temporary foreign travel.

Social media vetting is also increasing, with green card holders reportedly being asked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to display their social media accounts during re-entry inspections. Before traveling, it is important to review social media content that could be misinterpreted, taken out of context, or that is inconsistent with your immigration history.

Finally, if you plan to travel to one of the 75 countries named in President’s Trump’s visa ban, it is important to carry documentation explaining the purpose of your trip and evidence of your strong ties to the United States. Being prepared will help facilitate a smoother re-entry process.

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On September 19th President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Gold Card (EO 14351)—a new visa program allowing foreign nationals who make a $1 million nonrefundable gift to the U.S. Department of Commerce—or $2 million if made by a corporation or other entity on their behalf—to qualify for expedited immigrant visa processing.

These gifts are treated as evidence of “exceptional business ability” or “national benefit” when applying under employment-based immigrant visa categories, such as EB-1 or EB-2 (including national interest waivers). Federal agencies have 90 days to implement the program, including setting up application procedures, fees, and adjustment-of-status mechanisms.

Looking ahead, the Trump administration is reportedly considering the rollout of a “Platinum Card” program. This initiative would allow individuals to contribute $5 million in exchange for the ability to live in the United States for up to 270 days per year, without being taxed on their foreign income. However, no official details have been released at this time.

Is the Gold Card Set to Replace the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program?

The big question many are asking is whether the Gold Card will ultimately replace the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.

According to the latest announcement, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program will continue operating separately from the Gold Card.

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On June 9, 2025, President Trump’s new travel ban took effect, blocking or limiting entry of nationals from 19 countries with limited exceptions. Framed as a national security measure, the order expands on his earlier bans, targeting nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates or those with limited cooperation with U.S. immigration enforcement.

Who is Impacted?

Full Suspension on 12 Country Nationals

Effective June 9th the travel ban suspends the entry of both immigrants and non-immigrants from 12 designated countries who are outside the United States and do not have a valid visa on the effective date of the proclamation, including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

However, several key exceptions apply for lawful permanent residents (LPRs), immediate family members of U.S. citizens, dual nationals, athletes and teams competing in major international sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, and others (a full list of exceptions is provided below).

Partial Suspension on 7 Country Nationals

A separate provision of Trump’s travel ban also imposes heightened visa restrictions on nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela who are outside of the United States and don’t hold a valid visa.

For individuals from these countries, entry into the U.S. is suspended for both immigrant and nonimmigrant travelers holding B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, or J visas. Consular officers are directed to limit the validity of any other nonimmigrant visas issued to these nationals to the extent permitted by law.

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Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the July 2025 Visa Bulletin.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of July.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.

For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.

Please click here for more information.

Highlights of the July 2025 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of July?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives

  • EB-1 China will advance by 1 week to November 15, 2022

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 China will advance by 2 weeks to December 15, 2020

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

  • EB-3 India will advance by 1 week to April 22, 2013
  • EB-3 China will advance by 9 days to December 1, 2020
  • EB-3 All other countries will advance by 1.7 months to April 1, 2023

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If you have a pending application with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it’s important to stay informed as policies continue to shift under the Trump administration.

Recent changes in immigration enforcement and USCIS procedures may directly affect how your application is reviewed, how long the process takes, and even whether additional information or interviews may be required.

Understanding these policy changes can help you better prepare, avoid unnecessary delays, and ensure that your application remains compliant with these changing policies.

Detentions at Green Card and Naturalization Interviews

Recent reports indicate a concerning trend of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining individuals during green card and naturalization interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices.

Under the Trump administration, there has been an uptick in such incidents, raising alarm among the immigrant community. For instance, in April a Danish national and father of four, was arrested by ICE during his USCIS citizenship interview in Memphis, Tennessee, due to a missed paperwork deadline from 2015. Despite having no criminal record, he was denied bail and remains detained.

Similarly, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, was detained by ICE during his USCIS naturalization interview in Vermont. His arrest, reportedly linked to his pro-Palestinian activism, sparked legal challenges and debates over constitutional rights.

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You have just learned that your work visa petition has been approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Now you are ready to attend your Consular visa interview bringing you one step closer to achieving your dream of working in the United States.

Unfortunately, receiving a USCIS approval notice does not guarantee the successful issuance of a visa by the U.S. Consulate. In fact, for some unlucky few that fail to pass their visa interview, the U.S. government can still revoke or cancel a petition that was previously approved by USCIS.

What can you do in this situation? Is this the end of the road? Learn everything you need to know about this important subject in this video.

Overview

Can the State Department revoke a work visa petition that was previously approved by USCIS?

Unfortunately, yes. After receiving an approval notice from USCIS, work visa applicants must still attend an in-person Consular interview to demonstrate their eligibility for the visa classification they are seeking. A Consular officer will question the applicant further to ensure they qualify for the visa and may request further evidence.

When a Consular visa interview goes south, not only can the visa application be denied, but the Consulate can also direct USCIS to revoke the underlying petition that was previously approved by the agency.

The petition revocation process begins when the State Department returns the application to USCIS along with the results of any investigation they have conducted.

Once USCIS has received the returned petition and the results of the investigation, they will issue a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) to the petitioner of the previously approved petition. The NOIR will include details about USCIS’ plans to revoke the underlying petition, as well as the discovery of new, derogatory information leading to the visa denial. A statement of facts underlying the revocation will be provided along with any evidence supporting the revocation.

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The Trump administration is reportedly considering issuing a new travel ban by executive order that is expected to be released in the coming days.

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses what we know about the President’s new travel ban including which countries may be subject to a partial or full suspension on entry and how you may be impacted.

For more information, please continue watching this video.

Overview

A New York Times articles has revealed the countries that are being considered for a partial or full suspension on entry to the United States. Anonymous sources speaking on condition of anonymity have revealed that the affected countries have been divided into three tiers: red, orange, and yellow.

Each of these tiers is subject to certain restrictions on entry to the United States.

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In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses a new executive order signed by President Trump called “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” instructing U.S. Consulates and Embassies worldwide to start laying off visa officers and local employees.

How will this impact those currently going through the non-immigrant or immigrant visa process?

What about employees inside and outside of the U.S. who need to visit a U.S. Consulate or Embassy for visa stamping?

Learn everything you need to know about this executive order in this video.

Overview

“One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” is a new executive order signed by the President that calls for major reforms of the Foreign Service, including U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

Specifically, the executive order calls for changes to recruiting, performance, evaluation, and retention standards, and the programs of the Foreign Service Institute, “to ensure a workforce that is committed to faithful implementation of the President’s foreign policy.”

In implementing the reforms, the order directs the Secretary of State to revise or replace the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) used by Consular officers when deciding whether to issue U.S. visas, and directs subordinate agencies to remove, amend, or replace any handbooks, procedures, or guidance used for issuing visas.

The impact of this executive order will be the reduction of visa staff and local employees working at U.S. Embassies and Consulates responsible for issuing visas.

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After just two weeks in office, President Trump has overhauled the U.S. immigration system passing countless executive orders to begin his mass deportations and secure the southern border.

But how will his administration deal with legal immigration? In this video, we cover some of the changes that adjustment of status (green card) applicants can expect to see under the Trump administration in 2025, including upcoming case processing delays at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the end of green card interview waivers, the rise in Requests for Evidence (also known as RFEs), the public charge rule, and much more.

For more about how these changes can impact your case, please keep watching.

Overview

Green Card through Adjustment of Status

Applicants who are interested in applying for permanent residence while in the United States can do so through a process known as “adjustment of status.”

To qualify for adjustment of status, generally applicants must have entered the U.S. lawfully and be physically present in the United States.

Additionally, there must be an underlying immigrant petition filed by a qualifying family member (Form I-130) or by a U.S. employer (Form I-140). Certain employment-based applicants may self-petition without an employer, such as applicants seeking an EB-2 National Interest Waiver or EB-1A Aliens of Extraordinary Ability.

Examples of family members who can petition for immigrant aliens include spouses of U.S. Citizens, unmarried children under 21 years of age of a U.S. Citizen, or parents of U.S. Citizens.

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