State Department Data Show Mexico City Visa Appointments Down to 1.5 Months While Bogotá Still at 9
ESTA Fee Now $40.27: What the 2026 Price Means for Business and Leisure Travelers
CBP Seizes US $272,940 in Undeclared Cash at Laredo Port, Underscoring Outbound Compliance Risks
Latest News
USCIS Puts Thousands of Immigration Cases on Hold as ‘Strengthened Screening & Vetting’ Kicks In
USCIS has instructed officers to suspend final decisions on many green-card, naturalization, asylum and work-permit cases while new FBI background checks, social-media screening and Vetting Center reviews are completed. The security-first policy is delaying approvals nationwide and creating compliance headaches for employers and universities.
DHS Moves to Replace “Duration of Status” With 4-Year Admission Cap for F-1, J-1 and I Visa Holders
DHS has advanced a final rule that would scrap “duration of status” admissions and replace them with fixed periods of stay capped at four years for F-1, J-1 and I visa holders. Universities and employers warn the change will require thousands of extension filings, shorten grace periods and increase the risk of unlawful presence, while DHS says it will improve oversight and security.
Fingerprint Re-Vetting Freeze Hits 11.6 Million Pending USCIS Cases
USCIS has ordered officers to rerun fingerprints for all 11.6 million pending cases through the FBI’s Next Generation Identification system, freezing approvals across the board. The unprecedented re-vetting drive, launched April 27, threatens to stall green cards, naturalization and work permits and is already facing federal court challenges.
Enhanced Vetting Slows DACA Renewals to 122-Day Median, Putting 300,000 Recipients at Risk
USCIS has lengthened DACA renewal processing from a 15-day median to about 122 days by adding Operation PARRIS security checks and rerunning fingerprints through the FBI. Roughly 300,000 recipients risk gaps in work authorization and deportation protection, creating new compliance concerns for U.S. employers.
IRS Floats 1 % Remittance-Transfer Tax—Cash Payments Abroad to Cost More for Mobile Workers
Proposed IRS rules flesh out a 1 % tax on cash-funded money transfers abroad, effective for payments made after 31 December 2025. Digital and bank-funded transfers are exempt, placing the cost squarely on workers who still use walk-in cash remittance services—many of them international assignees and visa holders.