The US Embassy and Consulates General have announced several important changes to consular processing. These changes include updates to scheduling procedures, interview waiver criteria, and communication preferences.

Read about these updates in this Alert.

On January 23, 2025, a US District Court Judge granted a temporary restraining order halting the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order aiming to end birthright citizenship for children born on or after February 19, 2025. This temporary restraining order was set to expire within 14 days.

Now, two federal judges have issued preliminary injunctions preventing its enforcement through the duration of legal proceedings.

Learn more in this Alert.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has vacated the January 10, 2025 decision by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela. The prior decision extended the 2023 TPS designation for Venezuela by 18 months, consolidated filing processes for both the 2021 and 2023 designations, and extended certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).

The vacatur is effective immediately. Thus, the 2023 TPS designation for Venezuelan nationals and associated EADs will expire after April 2, 2025, and those who registered under the 2021 Venezuela TPS designation will have their protections end on September 10, 2025.

Learn more in this Alert.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued 26 Executive Orders and additional actions focused on immigration enforcement, with significant impacts on legal, employment-based immigration. The directives include stricter vetting processes, potential delays in visa processing, and heightened scrutiny for foreign workers, especially those from countries facing visa bans.

In this article, we assess foreseeable changes to the US employment-based immigration system likely to result from these directives and suggest preliminary steps for mobility professionals to consider as developments unfold.

A US District Court Judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s Executive Order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.

The Judge asserted that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all individuals born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

Learn more in this Alert.

In this Alert, we highlight two updates on the Trump Administration’s recent immigration policy changes.

• First, there has been recent activity in reaction to the birthright citizenship executive order that was signed on January 20, 2025. Since issuing the order, twenty-two states and various organizations have filed lawsuits alleging the Executive Order violates the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
• Second, in an effort to reform the immigration system, President Trump dismissed four senior officials of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

On January 20th, 2025, shortly after newly elected President Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the next President of the United States, the President issued a series of Executive Orders over a broad range of topics, including immigration, energy, crime, and the structure of the government. Many of the Executive Orders fulfill campaign promises that were made during the course of the election season.

Read the summary of immigration-related Executive Orders that were issued on January 20th and the potential impact each order may have on immigration in the United States in this Alert.

A spirited online debate erupted in the last few weeks about the merits of the H-1B visa program, which enables US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Out in front, arguing in favor of the program was Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, who has become a close confidant of President-Elect Trump in recent months, and former pharmaceutical executive, Vivek Ramawswamy, who with Musk, will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Opposing views were expressed by many online influencers who feel that the program is detrimental to the job prospects of skilled American workers.

As frequently occurs in such highly charged debates, many of the arguments were based on information that is not completely (or not at all) true. In this Law360 article, Vialto Law (US) PLLC's Angelo Paparelli shared his views. (A subscription is required for access to the full story.)