Immigration Blog | John W. Lawit, LLC

USCIS to Mandate Electronic Payments for Applications

Original Source: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-to-mandate-electronic-payments-for-applications WASHINGTON— As previously announced, on Oct. 28, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will only accept electronic payments for paper-filed forms. Payments may be made either via credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, or ACH debit transactions from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650, Authorization […]

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October 30, 2025

New USCIS Immigration Fees: What You Need to Know and Why You Should File Now

USCIS is required by law (HR-1, “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Public Law 119-21) to collect additional fees for many immigration benefits. These HR-1 fees add to existing USCIS fees (unless otherwise specified) and often cannot be waived or reduced. They are also indexed for inflation in future years. Most of the new fees go […]

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October 17, 2025

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds H-4 Work Authorization: A Victory for H-1B Families

By John W. Lawit, P.C. On October 14, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to the H-4 employment authorization rule, effectively preserving the rights of certain spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States. This decision solidifies nearly a decade of legal and regulatory efforts to protect the […]

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October 17, 2025

USCIS Announces New $1,000 Immigration Parole Fee Under H.R. 1

Summary Effective October 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin implementing a new $1,000 immigration parole fee as required under the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill. The new rule, published in the Federal Register, outlines when the fee applies, who is exempt, and how it will be collected. The measure marks a […]

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October 17, 2025

Understanding the Visa Bond Pilot Program: What B-1/B-2 Travelers Need to Know

A New Layer of Scrutiny for Certain Visa Applicants Starting August 20, 2025, a new pilot program from the U.S. Department of State (DOS) introduces an additional requirement for select B-1/B-2 visa applicants: a visa bond of up to $15,000, aimed at ensuring timely departure from the U.S. This 12-month initiative, ending August 5, 2026, […]

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October 2, 2025

New $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas: Everything You Need to Know

The Trump administration has implemented a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, targeting a program designed to bring highly skilled foreign workers to America. Through an executive order signed Friday evening, President Trump established this additional surcharge and prohibited H-1B applicants from U.S. entry without payment completion. “We’re going to be able to keep people […]

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September 22, 2025

What Are the New Alien Registration Requirements?

Starting April 11, 2025, the U.S. government has implemented a new mandatory registration requirement for certain non-immigrants residing in the United States. This initiative, managed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), ensures compliance with updated immigration regulations and helps maintain accurate biographic information records. Understanding the New Registration Requirement Announced on March 6, 2025, […]

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April 21, 2025

Targeting Cartels and Terrorist Organizations

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a new presidential proclamation formally labeling certain cartels and transnational criminal organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). This executive order represents a major shift in U.S. legal strategy for combating violent drug cartels. By deploying the legal architecture typically reserved for […]

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April 21, 2025

Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the United States. This announcement follows a period of heightened political debate over immigration enforcement, border security, and federal resources. While the White House frames this declaration as necessary to address what it calls an […]

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April 21, 2025