NATIONALITY LAW 98% SUCCESS RATE FOR OVER 23 YEARS*New Form I-485 edition coming September 18, 2026
USCIS will publish a revised Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, and older editions will be rejected beginning September 18, 2026.
USCIS Reinforces Neighborhood Investigations for Naturalization Applicants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new guidance that could affect individuals applying for U.S. citizenship through naturalization.
On August 25, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Alert PA-2026-10, Investigations and Examinations for Naturalization Eligibility, updating the USCIS Policy Manual regarding personal investigations—sometimes called “neighborhood investigations”—of applicants for naturalization. The guidance is effective immediately.
Importantly, this does not mean that USCIS will visit the home, neighborhood, or workplace of every person who files Form N-400. USCIS retains discretion to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a neighborhood investigation should be conducted or waived.
A neighborhood investigation can be used to corroborate information provided in a naturalization application and to help USCIS determine whether an applicant satisfies the legal requirements for citizenship. The inquiry may concern matters such as an applicant’s residence, employment, good moral character, and other facts relevant to naturalization eligibility.
The applicable regulation refers to the places where an applicant has resided and worked or conducted business during at least the five years immediately preceding the filing of the naturalization application. The relevant statutory period may differ for certain categories of naturalization applicants.
Temporary Pause on Immigrant Visa Interviews Worldwide!
The U.S. Department of State has temporarily paused immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers undergo additional training on public charge screening.
This temporary delay may affect family-based and employment-based immigrant visa applicants with upcoming consular interviews. Nonimmigrant visas, including most tourist and student visas, are not part of this specific pause.
If you have an immigrant visa interview scheduled abroad, monitor communications from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling your case for any changes or rescheduling notices.
USCIS Announces New Edition of Form I-485 Effective September 18, 2026
USCIS has announced that a revised edition of Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, will take effect on September 18, 2026. The new edition is being updated to conform with the recently announced Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Final Rule.
Importantly, there will be no grace period. USCIS will reject the current 01/20/25 edition if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after September 18, 2026. The new 09/18/26 edition should only be filed on or after that date.
Applicants and practitioners should carefully verify that the correct edition of Form I-485 is being used before filing to avoid rejection.
Appeals Court Allows Fast-Tracked Deportations for Certain Migrants
The D.C. Circuit has allowed the Trump administration, to resume directives that could place hundreds of thousands of migrants into expedited removal proceedings, including certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who entered the United States under Biden-era humanitarian parole programs.
The appeals court did not decide whether the administration’s expedited-removal policies are actually lawful. Instead, it ruled that the immigrant advocacy organizations challenging the directives lacked standing because they could not show that blocking the newer directives would necessarily protect their members from expedited removal. Existing regulations dating back to 1997 may independently allow immigration officers to place some parolees into expedited removal.
So, practically, the ruling means the administration can continue using the faster deportation process while additional litigation continues. The underlying challenge to the legality of the older 1997 regulations is still pending in federal district court.