In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains why immigrant visa numbers are no longer available for certain visa categories for the rest of fiscal year 2025, as the annual limit on visa issuances has already been reached, well before the fiscal year’s end on September 30.
This news affects workers awaiting green card approval, employers navigating sponsorship timelines, and helps green card applicants manage their expectations.
In this blog post, we’ll break down what this means, why it happened, and what those affected can expect moving forward as the immigration system resets on October 1st for the next fiscal year.
What is visa number management in immigration?
First, let’s discuss visa number management in immigration.
This refers to the process by which the U.S. government tracks and allocates the limited number of immigrant visa numbers available each fiscal year. These numbers are divided across various categories, including family-based and employment-based immigration, and are subject to annual limits on visa issuance set by Congress.
Why are there annual limits on visas?
Proper visa number management ensures that the limited supply of visas is distributed fairly and efficiently among the various visa categories and countries each year. It also helps the government plan and monitor immigration flows, while giving applicants and employers a clearer picture of potential wait times and availability.
Who manages visa issuance?
The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is responsible for issuing annual visa numbers. Each month, the State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin, which outlines visa number availability and priority date cutoffs, helping applicants determine when they may proceed with their green card applications.
Since the demand for visas significantly exceeds the annual supply, the State Department imposes “cutoff dates” where individuals must wait in line for a visa. Typically, the majority of visa categories reach their limits by the summer months. When this occurs, no additional visas can be issued until the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses new changes to the U.S. visa interview waiver policy announced by the State Department and what visa applicants need to know moving forward.
Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State is making significant changes to the categories of applicants eligible for a nonimmigrant visa interview waiver. Under the new policy, most applicants, including children under 14 and seniors over 79, will generally be required to appear for an in-person interview with a U.S. consular officer—with a few notable exceptions.
These changes override the previous Interview Waiver Update issued on February 18, 2025, and will have wide-reaching implications for those planning to travel to the United States on a nonimmigrant visa.
Who May Qualify for an Interview Waiver After September 2nd?
Despite the overall tightening of interview requirements, some categories of applicants may still be eligible to skip the in-person interview, including:
Certain Diplomatic and Official Visa Holders
Applicants under the following visa classes are exempt from the interview requirement:
A-1, A-2 (representatives of foreign governments)
C-3 (excluding attendants or personal staff)
G-1 through G-4 (representatives of international organizations)
NATO-1 through NATO-6
TECRO E-1 (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office officials)
Diplomatic or Official-Type Visa Applicants
Those applying for visas that support diplomatic or governmental missions may still be eligible for interview waivers.
Navigating the U.S. immigration system can feel like walking through a legal minefield—especially when applying for a green card. What’s worse is that some of the most critical pitfalls are rarely discussed until it’s too late.
In this article, we’re uncovering five USCIS Green Card traps no one warns you about—from overlooked paperwork to silent deadlines that could derail your entire application.
Whether you’re applying through family, employment, or a special category, knowing these hidden risks could be the difference between receiving an approval or denial from USCIS.
#1 Incomplete or Incorrect Documents Submitted to USCIS
One of the most common and costly mistakes green card applicants make is submitting incomplete or incorrect documentation with your application. Even a small error, like a missing signature, outdated form version, or an incorrect fee, can result in delays, requests for evidence (RFEs), or even outright denial. Many applicants assume that minor details won’t matter, but USCIS officers are trained to scrutinize every page. Failing to double-check your forms, supporting documents, or filing fees can turn what should be a routine process into a months-long nightmare.
Real-Life Case Study: The Filing Fee Mistake That Led to Deportation
In a recent case, a green card applicant relied on advice from a notary who instructed them to submit a single check covering all required USCIS filing fees. Unfortunately, this was incorrect—USCIS required separate checks for different forms and was clearly stated on the form instructions. As a result, the entire application was rejected.
By the time the applicant received the rejection notice, they had already fallen out of legal status. This oversight triggered a deportation order that could have been easily avoided with proper filing.
This case illustrates how even seemingly minor administrative errors can have devastating, irreversible consequences. Always follow USCIS instructions carefully and consult a qualified immigration attorney when in doubt.
For many immigrants, attending a green card interview is a long-awaited step toward permanent residency in the United States. But in recent months, an increasing number of applicants have faced a troubling outcome—detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at the green card interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
In this blog post, we share why this is happening, who is most at risk, and what immigrants should know before walking into their interview.
Immigration Enforcement on the Rise
Immigration enforcement has been on the rise nationwide, with federal authorities ramping up arrests, detentions, and deportations under increasingly aggressive policies. This uptick includes broader cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration agents, expanded use of surveillance technologies, and a growing number of workplace and home raids across multiple states.
These tactics have created a climate of fear, discouraging immigrants from accessing schools, places of work, and even hospitals. In Los Angeles, for example, a wave of coordinated ICE raids last month led to hundreds of arrests and heightened tensions.
ICE officers have also been arresting individuals immediately after their cases are dismissed in immigration court. These arrests have been reported nationwide and are discouraging immigrants from attending their scheduled court hearings.
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.
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.
Did you know that if you are going through the green card process based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen in the United States, sometimes an immigration official from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may show up at your home unannounced. How often does this happen and how can you prepare?
We invite you to learn more about this important topic.
Overview
The USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) was established to combat and investigate immigration-related fraud including marriage fraud. The FDNS also operates the Fraud Detection and National Security data system which tracks and manages cases which are under review for potential immigration fraud. Reports are generated by the FDNS data system and distributed to other government agencies for further investigation depending on the severity of the case, such as the Department of State (DOS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Surprise Home Visits: When do they happen and how do they happen?
Part of the responsibilities of the FDNS are to conduct site visits for both employment-based and family-sponsored immigration petitions. Most commonly, site visits are conducted at places of worship as part of the process to petition an R-1 nonimmigrant religious worker. Site visits are also frequently conducted at places of employment for H-1B workers. With respect to family-sponsored cases, the FDNS may conduct home visits in adjustment of status filings where marriage fraud is suspected.
This can happen in several different ways. In the most common scenario, the married couple has already been questioned at their in-person interview before a USCIS officer. In such instance, the immigration officer is not convinced by the responses provided by the couple during the interview and believes the marriage to be fraudulent. In some cases where marriage fraud is suspected, the couple is separated and questioned separately regarding facts about their relationship. At the conclusion of the interview, the officer may call upon FDNS to conduct an unannounced site visit at the couple’s home to confirm whether the information provided at the interview is authentic.
Would you like to know how you can renew your U.S. visa in 2023? If so, then this video is right for you.
Overview
Your U.S. visa has expired and now it’s renewal time. In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses the general process of applying to renew your U.S. visa in 2023 at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas.
Please note that there are hundreds of different U.S. visa categories that have their own eligibility criteria and renewal requirements. The information provided here does not, and is not intended, to constitute legal advice. To obtain legal advice on your particular facts, case, or circumstances, please consult with a licensed immigration attorney.
For visa specific information and documentary requirements, applicants may contact their closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Visa Renewal Steps
Here are the main steps that any applicant must take when renewing their visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad.
Step One: Make sure that you qualify for your U.S. Visa Renewal
First and foremost, regardless of your visa type you must be prepared to provide documentary evidence to the Consular official to prove that you remain eligible for the renewal of your visa.
For example, if you are renewing a student visa you must provide your updated Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status to show that you remain eligible to study in the United States. If you are applying to renew your tourist visa, you must continue to demonstrate your eligibility such as proof of temporary stay, strong ties to your home country, proof of sufficient finances to cover your temporary stay, etc.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick provides a brand-new update regarding the current Immigrant Visa backlogs for those currently going through Consular processing (waiting for an interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas), as well as those with cases at the National Visa Center.
What you need to know is that from the period of June to July 2023, there has been nearly no movement in the Immigrant Visa backlog. At the same time, there has been a decrease in the number of people who were actually scheduled for Immigrant Visa interviews at U.S. Consulates and Embassies overseas from June to July as indicated in the figures below.
Therefore, while the backlog remains the same, more and more people are being scheduled for visa interviews.
If you want to know what you can expect moving forward, please keep on watching.
Did you Know? Every month the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) publishes an Immigrant Visa Backlog report, which provides data and statistics relating to the current status of worldwide visa operations, including the number of documentarily complete immigrant visa cases currently at the National Visa Center waiting for interviews, the number of cases that were scheduled for interviews at the end of each month, and the number of immigrant visa cases still waiting to be scheduled for a visa interview after interview appointment scheduling was completed at the end of each month
Overview
According to the National Visa Center’s Immigrant Visa Backlog Report for the month of July 2023, there has been a very modest increase in the immigrant visa (IV) backlog rising from 351,337 pending cases in June to 351,821 pending cases in July.
Many of our followers have been asking a very important question, what does a visa “refusal” mean and what is 221(g) Administrative Processing?
The situation unfolds something like this. You’ve applied for a non-immigrant visa and have attended your Consular visa interview. After attending your interview, you check the status of your visa on the State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) webpage, and you see the dreaded words “Refused.”
What does this all mean and what can you expect if you find yourself in this predicament? In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick walks you through the meaning of a “refusal” and how you can still be successful in obtaining a visa despite this obstacle.
Overview
Applicants for nonimmigrant visas can check the status of their visa cases by visiting the State Department’s Consular Electronics Application Center CEAC launch page .
To check your status, you must enter your DS-160 confirmation number and the Consular location (Country and City) where you were interviewed.
The DS-160 confirmation number can be found on the DS-160 confirmation page and starts with AA followed by 8 digits.
Once you have successfully entered the online CEAC visa check system, you will receive one of the following results:
(1) Application receipt pending
If you have submitted your online non-immigrant visa application (DS-160), it has not yet been processed into the visa system. At some locations, your application will remain in this status until you appear for an interview or until your application is ready for review. Please see the Embassy or Consulate website for information on the next steps required for visa processing.
Meaning:
The application data has not been entered into the Embassy system.
For interview cases, the application will remain in this status until the applicant appears for an interview.
For mail-in cases, this means the Embassy has not received the application.
(2) Application Received
Your case is open and ready for your interview, fingerprints, and required documents. If you have already had your interview, please check your status after two business days. If no interview was required, please check back in two business days for the updated status of your application.
For mail-in cases: The visa application has been received by the Embassy and is undergoing review.
This also includes cases that are pending for additional documents
(3) Administrative Processing
Your visa case is currently undergoing administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks. Please follow any instructions provided by the consular officer at the time of your interview. If further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved, it will be processed and mailed back within two business days.
This status includes:
The visa issuance process (visa has been approved but not yet printed)
Pending for additional documents/information
(4) Issued
Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received after 10 working days, please see the webpage for contact information of the Embassy or Consulate where you submitted your application.
Meaning:
The visa has been issued
(5) Refused
A U.S. consular officer has adjudicated and refused your visa application. Please follow any instructions provided by the consular officer. If you were informed by the consular officer that your case was refused for administrative processing, your case will remain refused while undergoing such processing. You will receive another adjudication once such processing is complete. Please be advised that the processing time varies and that you will be contacted if additional information is needed.
This includes cases that are:
Pending for additional documents/information
* Administrative Processing (See below for details)
Cases with a waiver request pending.
Denied under Section 214(b) of the INA.
For E-visa new company registration cases: The visa application has been received by the Embassy and is ready for review. Please wait for further instructions from the Embassy or Consulate. Processing time for new company registration typically takes at least 3 weeks.
For the purposes of this video, we will focus on what the visa status “refused” really means.
Applicants can receive a visa “refusal” for a number of different reasons.
In many cases, applicants are left confused upon seeing a visa “refusal,” especially where the Consular officer has told the applicant that their visa has been approved following their visa interview. In other situations, applicants have received a “refusal” after following the Consulate’s instructions to submit documents via dropbox (for instance for applicants seeking H-1B visa stamping). Applicants who have been told their cases have been placed in 221(g) administrative processing also receive a visa “refusal.”
Welcome to the start of a brand-new week. In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick shares with you some brand-new updates including the status of immigrant visa processing, NVC insider tips, information regarding the transfer of cases from USCIS to the NVC, NVC timeframes, expedite requests, and much more.
If you have an immigrant visa application waiting for interview scheduling at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide or if your case is stuck at the National Visa Center, then this video is right for you.
Did you know? The Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) is your one-stop shop to pay your immigrant visa fees and upload any necessary documentation to complete the processing of your application before it is deemed “documentarily complete.”
Want to know more? Just keep on watching.
Overview
The Role of the National Visa Center
As you may know, the National Visa Center (NVC) is operated by the Department of State. Its main role is to administer the processing of immigrant visas after their approval by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but before the case is actually sent to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for a final interview. Essentially, the National Visa Center functions as a middleman between USCIS and Consulates overseas.
Immigration Lawyer Blog
