State Department Revives Passport Requirement for Diversity Visa Lottery Entrants
U.S. Pre-clearance Begins at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, Streamlining Cross-Border Business Travel
USCIS Releases New Form I-129 Ahead of FY 2027 H-1B Wage-Weighted Lottery
Latest News
U.S. Embassy in Islamabad Cancels Visa Interviews 9–13 March Amid Security Review
The U.S. embassy in Islamabad has cancelled all visa interviews between 9 and 13 March 2026, citing unspecified security considerations. Thousands of Pakistani applicants—including business and student travellers—face new delays, and U.S. employers may need contingency plans for assignees awaiting stamping.
White House Proclamation Creates New Visa-Ban Authority for ‘State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention’
A March 9 presidential proclamation lets the Secretary of State label foreign governments as “State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention” and impose sweeping visa bans on their citizens. The first target is Iran, but more designations are expected. Multinationals must prepare for sudden inadmissibility of employees, canceled trips, and an uptick in waiver requests.
Board of Immigration Appeals Rule Takes Effect—Appeal Deadlines Drop to 10 Days
A DOJ interim final rule effective March 9 slashes most BIA appeal brief deadlines from 30 days to 10 days and expands summary affirmance powers. The move aims to cut the 255,000-case backlog but puts intense time pressure on employers, attorneys, and foreign nationals who need to appeal immigration-court decisions.
U.S. Embassy Islamabad Cancels All Visa Interviews Through March 13 Amid Security Concerns
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has canceled every visa interview scheduled from March 9–13, extending existing suspensions at all Pakistani posts. More than 6,000 business, work-and family-immigration cases are affected, adding new delays for employers and applicants.
Partial DHS Shutdown Triggers Hours-Long TSA Lines at Major U.S. Airports
A month-long DHS funding gap produced two-hour TSA waits at multiple U.S. airports on March 9. With officers unpaid and overtime restricted, international arrivals and Global Entry processing may slow further until Congress passes a DHS appropriations bill.
State Department Issues 13 New Security Alerts; Advises U.S. Travelers to Re-Route or Delay Trips
On March 9 the State Department published or updated 13 Security Alerts spanning three continents, warning U.S. travelers of airport disruptions, border closures and rising crime. Corporations should feed the alerts into duty-of-care systems and brief travelers on insurance and routing implications.
USCIS Processing Times for Advance Parole and EADs Top 19 Months, Firm Warns
A March 9 practitioner alert reports USCIS Advance Parole processing now takes up to 19.5 months, while many EAD renewals exceed eight months. With automatic extensions curtailed, employers face looming work-authorization gaps and should file renewals early, consider premium processing, and brief traveling green-card applicants on abandonment risks.