The US has ended the 540-day automatic extension of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), impacting H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders and other immigrant categories whose work permit renewals are pending.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new rule making online applications mandatory for immigration benefits such as green cards, citizenship, and asylum. Forms available for e-filing for at least 180 days will become online-only, with exemptions allowed on a case-by-case basis for a $25 fee.
The Trump administration exempted foreign medical doctors from a visa and green card review pause affecting high-risk countries, offering hope to physicians like Libyan doctor Faysal Alghoula. However, uncertainty remains as thousands of immigrants, researchers, and professionals still face delays, employment restrictions, and deportation fears
The report indicates that 44,800 (5.1%) of newly naturalized American citizens hailed from the Philippines, while 35,200 (4%) were from the Dominican Republic.
On December 1 last year, USCIS implemented a revised naturalisation civics test, called the 2020 civics test, as part of a decennial test review and update process.
