Supreme Court Temporarily Upholds Trump Administration Policy Requiring U.S. Passports to Display Birth Sex
On November 7, 2025, The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily upheld a new Trump Administration policy that requires U.S. passports to display a citizen’s sex at birth. The policy is a reversal from the Biden Administration, which allowed transgender and nonbinary Americans to update their sex on their passports or to use the sex marker “X” to align with their gender identity. Already-existing passports with sex markers issued based on the Biden Administration’s policy will remain valid and do not need to be changed, but all new applications and renewals are subject to the Trump Administration’s policy. See the Supreme Court order here and State Department guidance here.
USCIS Will Review Approvals and Immediately Pause Green Card Applications for Refugees Admitted to the United States from 01/21/2021 to 02/20/2025
On November 25, 2025, USCIS issued an internal memorandum directing the agency to review and potentially re-interview all refugees admitted to the United States from January 21, 2025 to February 20, 2025. The memorandum also ordered USCIS to pause all green card application adjudications for refugees admitted during this time period.
Per the American Immigration Lawyers, Association: “This is a significant and unprecedented large-scale effort to review the cases of people whom the U.S. government has already resettled in the United States after an extensive and thorough adjudication and review process involving refugee experts with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the State Department, and Department of Homeland Security officials, among others. The memo relies upon Executive Order 14163, Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) which suspended the USRAP under Immigration and Nationality Act §§ 212(f) and 215(a), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a). The memo cites the desire to “only admit refugees who can fully and appropriately assimilate into the United States.”
See the alert from the American Immigration Lawyers Association here.
USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees
On November 20, 2025, USCIS published the inflation-adjusted immigration filing fee increases for Fiscal Year 2026, effective January 1, 2026. The following application fees will increase based on inflation:
Annual Asylum Program Fee
Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization
Initial Asylum Applicant
Initial Parole
Renewal or Extension of Parole
Initial TPS
Renewal or Extension of TPS
Form I-131 (for applicants under Part 9 only (EAD requested upon authorization of new parole period))
Form I-821, Application for TPS
The following fees are also now tied to inflation adjustments but are not increasing for Fiscal Year 2026:
I-589, Application for Asylum (initial)
I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (renewal or extensions for Asylum Applicants)
I-1360, Special Immigration Juvenile Fee
Note that not all USCIS filing fees are tied to inflation; USCIS may increase other filing fees at different intervals and amounts. See the USCIS announcement here.
USCIS Implements New National Security Measures in Light of November 26 DC National Guard Shooting
On November 27, 2025, USCIS announced new guidance for vetting noncitizens from 19 counties deemed “high risk” in a June 4, 2025 Presidential Proclamation. The new guidance was issued in response to the November 26, 2025 shooting of two D.C. National Guard service members by an Afghan recently granted asylum. The new guidance allows adjudicators to consider “negative, country-specific factors” when vetting individuals from the following 19 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. The policy guidance is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after November 27, 2025.
See the announcement from USCIS here.
TPS Updates for December 2025: South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, and Burma (Myanmar)
There are four recent developments in Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) designations for Syria, South Sudan, Venezuela, and Burma (Myanmar) .
South Sudan: On November 5, 2025, USCIS announced that DHS Secretary Noem is terminating South Sudan’s designation for TPS. TPS for nationals of South Sudan will now end on January 5, 2025. See the USCIS announcement here.
Syria: On November 19, 2025, a federal district court in New York blocked Noem’s termination of TPS for Syria, which was set to end on November 21, 2025. USCIS has since announced that they plan to appeal the ruling. Employees with an EAD for Syria-based TPS can therefore continue to work pursuant to their EAD and the court order. See the practice alert from the American Immigration Lawyers Association here.
Venezuela: In November 2025, the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (“SAVE”) published updated guidance on verifying employment eligibility for Venezuelans holding TPS. The guidance is based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court Order regarding TPS for Venezuela. E-Verify has also been updated accordingly. See the updated guidance here.
Haiti: On November 26, 2025, USCIS announced that Noem will be terminating TPS for Haiti. TPS for nationals of Haiti will now end on February 3, 2026. See the USCIS announcement here.
Burma (Myanmar): On November 24, 2025, USCIS announced that Noem is terminating TPS for Myanmar. TPS for nationals of Burma (Myanmar) will now end on January 26, 2025. E-Verify and SAVE have been updated with guidance on employment verification for these TPS beneficiaries. See the USCIS announcement here.
New $1,000 Parole Fee Does Not Apply to Adjustment of Status Applicants
On October 15, 2025, USCIS announced the implementation of the new immigration parole fee required by the “Great Big Beautiful Bill” passed earlier this year. The fee is $1,000 and will be adjusted for inflation on an annual basis. The fee is not due upon filing an application for parole (Form I-131); applicants should instead wait until USCIS notifies them that they must pay the fee. USCIS will not approve applications subjected to the fee until the fee is paid.
There are ten exceptions where the $1,000 parole fee does not apply, including for lawful applicants for adjustment of status who are returning to the US after temporarily traveling abroad. See the Federal Register notice for a full list of exceptions here.
USCIS Publishes Revised SEVIS Forms
On November 25, 2025, USCIS published in the Federal Register notice of their revision to SEVIS Form I-17 (Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student) and Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1/M-1) Student Status).
Form I-17 will be revised as follows:
Adding the following fields:
previous schools codes associated with the school/owner;
School website links;
Emergency contact information for the school;
Additional school ownership information;
Remove fax number field;
Redesigning “Program of Study” page “to better capture the educational level, degree, program of study, time necessary to complete the program, assigned Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, and mode of instruction;”
Schools must indicate whether a program of study is primarily conducted online or in a hybrid/”low residency” format and whether Curricular Practical Training is a component of a program of study;
New form options:
DSOs may now select “weeks” as an academic term length;
DSOs may now list annual costs by program of study or degree level;
DSOS may now provide additional contact information;
New form requirements:
DSOs must provide separate numbers for domestic and international students when listing the average annual number of students;
DSOs must indicate whether DSO works full-time or part-time; and
Changes DSO’s “Title” to “Job Title” “to better collect information on their position at the school.”
Form I-20 will be revised with the following additions:
Collect contact/other information for legal guardians of minor F and M students;
Date of student’s graduation/degree awarded;
Clarifying details on source and time of financial support provided for F and M students;
Information to indicate whether student is engaging in online education or on-campus employment; and
Information indicating whether a student’s employment/training is being conducted at an on-site location or remotely.
See USCIS’s notice in the Federal Register here.
SEVP Reminds Schools of Authority to Conduct Site Visits
On November 14, 2025, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (“SEVP”) sent a broadcast message to all participating schools reminding them of SEVP’s authority to conduct out-of-cycle on-site visits, and the consequences for failing to comply with those visits. Based on the broadcast message, SEVP is interpreting the immigration regulations codified at 8 C.F.R. § 214.3 as granting SEVP authority to conduct out-of-cycle on-site reviews of schools without notice and at any time. SEVP is also asserting the power to use out-of-cycle on-site reviews through immediate campus visits to determine whether students are complying with DHS regulations. See the announcement from NAFSA here.
From the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Massachusetts: “Eds & Meds: The First Statewide Economic Impact Report”
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce recently commissioned a report to better understand the role of hospitals and universities as key anchors of the Massachusetts economy today. That report, “Anchored in Excellence: How Massachusetts’ Education and Healthcare Institutions Drive Regional Economic Growth” is now available to the public.
As aptly summarized by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts (AICUM): “Massachusetts’s hospitals, universities, colleges, and community health centers—collectively known as “Eds & Meds”—are more than providers of world-class education and healthcare. They are foundational to our state’s economic vitality, driving innovation, employment, and regional development.
“These institutions serve as anchors for economic growth, attracting businesses and talent while fostering entrepreneurship and technological advancement. Their impact extends far beyond the vital services they deliver—Eds & Meds are critical engines powering our cities, towns, and the Commonwealth as a whole.”
The report analyzed 88 colleges and universities as well as 93 health systems across the Commonwealth. Per AICUM, “the findings are clear: billions in economic output and tax revenue, hundres of thousands of jobs, and an unmatched concentration of talent and innovation.”
Visa Bulletin Update
The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin which operates as the “waiting list” for green cards (immigrant visas), with an individual’s Priority Date serving as their place in line. The Bulletin identifies all immigrant visa “preference” categories and indicates whether a backlog exists for that category. When a backlog exists, an individual in that category may not apply for a green card (or “adjust status”) until their Priority Date becomes “current.” A priority date is current when it is earlier than the date listed in the Visa Bulletin. The Bulletin lists family-based preference categories and employment-based preferences. Each of these areas is then further separated into two charts, Final Action Dates chart and the Dates for Filing chart. The Final Action Dates chart indicates whether an individual can expect USCIS to make a decision on their application soon, whereas the Dates for Filing chart, if USCIS chooses to use it that month, indicates whether an individual may file their adjustment application and receive the benefits associated with having a green card application pending with USCIS.
In December 2025, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing chart for both employment- and family-based preference categories.
The EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories remain backlogged for all countries. The State Department advanced Priority Dates as follows:
EB-1:
China: 1 month
India: 1 month
EB-2:
Mexico, Philippines, and All Other: 2 months
China: 2 months
India: 1.5 months
EB-3:
Mexico, Philippines, and All Other: 2 weeks
China: 1 month
India: 1 month
Other Workers:
Mexico, Philippines, and All Other: 2 weeks
China: 1 week
India: 1 month
See the December 2025 Visa Bulletin here.
If you have questions about planning, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Iandoli, Desai & Cronin (info@iandoli.com).