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 November 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 November.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of November, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the November 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of November?
Employment-Based Categories
There are no changes to the Dates for Filing and Final Action charts for the employment-based categories when compared to the October Visa Bulletin.
Family-Sponsored Categories
Final Action Advancements
F2B Worldwide, China, and India will advance by 9 days to December 1, 2016
Recent changes to the green card application process have added new hurdles that could make interview approvals more difficult. In this blog, we’ll break down what these changes are and how they could affect your chances of success.
What’s changed?
USCIS officers now have expanded authority
Immigration officers have been granted law enforcement powers as federal agents
Increased ability to investigate immigration cases for fraud, misrepresentation, and other violations
Authority to refer cases for criminal prosecution
Power to arrest and detain applicants during green card interviews for violations
USCIS Shifts from Administrative to Law Enforcement Agency
For decades, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has primarily served as an administrative agency. Its core function has been to process immigration benefits such as green cards, work permits, naturalization, and other legal status applications. USCIS operated separately from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is tasked with enforcing immigration laws, including detaining and removing individuals who are in violation. This separation reflected a clear distinction between those applying for lawful immigration benefits and those facing enforcement actions.
However, in recent months, USCIS policies have started to shift in a direction that aligns more closely with immigration enforcement. Officers within the agency are being granted expanded authority, including certain law enforcement powers. For example, USCIS officers now have increased discretion to investigate cases for fraud, misrepresentation, or other immigration violations — and in some cases, they may refer cases for prosecution or even detain applicants during in-person interviews for immigration violations.
As of August 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed conducting personal investigations for certain naturalization applicants including home visits, neighborhood investigations, and visits at places of employment. These visits are part of the agency’s new efforts to verify the accuracy of information provided in citizenship applications and to prevent immigration fraud.
Highlights
Neighborhood Visit Policy Revived: USCIS has reinstated the neighborhood investigation policy after more than 30 years of limited or no enforcement.
Applies to Citizenship Applicants: This is a new development specifically affecting individuals applying for U.S. naturalization.
Focus on Verifying Eligibility: Neighborhood visits may be used to verify details such as residence, good moral character, and other naturalization requirements.
Supporting Documentation Encouraged: Applicants are advised to submit testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, or associates to potentially avoid in-person visits.
Policy Overview
Although neighborhood visits are not a new practice, they were generally suspended because USCIS relied on biometric checks and criminal history checks to determine an applicant’s good moral character and eligibility for naturalization. Their resurgence reflects a renewed emphasis on evaluating a person’s background to determine whether they possess “good moral character”—a requirement for citizenship. Officers may visit applicants’ residences to confirm details like physical presence, marital status (especially in spousal-based cases), and other eligibility requirements.
In practice, this is likely to occur if, after the USCIS citizenship interview, the officer remains unconvinced that the applicant demonstrates good moral character or meets other eligibility requirements.
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 September 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 September.
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 September.
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 September.
What can we expect to see in the month of September?
Employment-Based Categories
There will be no changes to the employment-based Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for the month of September.
The Visa Bulletin contains an important note that says the Visa Office expects to reach the FY 2025 annual limit for most employment-based categories during August and September. When this occurs, affected categories will become “unavailable” and no visas will be issued.
In a significant shift in immigration policy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now has the authority to deny green card applications outright—without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains how this new change empowers USCIS officers to make immediate decisions when an application lacks sufficient initial evidence, potentially leaving applicants with fewer opportunities to correct mistakes or provide missing documentation.
This makes the application process more unforgiving and raises the stakes for submitting a thorough and complete green card application from the start. Here’s what you need to know about how this policy could impact your green card journey, and more importantly how to protect yourself.
What’s changed?
Previously, when a green card application was submitted with missing or insufficient information, USCIS would typically issue a Request for Evidence (RFE). This notice outlined the specific issues or missing documents and gave the applicant a chance to respond and provide the necessary information to support their case by the specified deadline.
The RFE process served as a safeguard, allowing applicants to correct honest mistakes or oversights before a final decision was made on their application.
Now, that safeguard is no longer guaranteed. Under new USCIS policies, officers can deny green card applications outright if they determine the initial submission lacks sufficient evidence, without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).
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.
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 August 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 August.
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 August.
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 August.
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.
Immigration Lawyer Blog
