by Nassim Arzani | Aug 27, 2026 | Uncategorized
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.
by Nassim Arzani | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
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.
by Nassim Arzani | Aug 19, 2026 | Uncategorized
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.
by Nassim Arzani | Aug 12, 2026 | Uncategorized
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.
by Nassim Arzani | Aug 12, 2026 | Uncategorized
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a new rule giving USCIS greater authority to require certain immigration applications and petitions to be filed electronically. Under the new rule, USCIS may require electronic filing for forms that have been available for online filing for at least 180 days. USCIS would provide advance public notice before making electronic filing mandatory for a particular form. This represents another significant step toward a more fully electronic immigration filing system. Applicants and employers should stay informed as USCIS announces which forms will become subject to mandatory electronic filing. At the Law Offices of Nassim Arzani, we continue to monitor changes in immigration law and USCIS procedures to help our clients navigate an increasingly complex immigration system.
by Nassim Arzani | Jun 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a decision making it easier for immigration officers to deny readmission to lawful permanent residents accused of certain disqualifying crimes. The ruling lowers the government’s burden at the border and raises serious concerns for green card holders with any criminal history who travel outside the United States. Green card holders should not have to fear losing their rights simply because they travel. This ruling makes it easier for immigration officers to deny readmission to lawful permanent residents accused of certain disqualifying crimes, without the higher “clear and convincing evidence” standard previously required. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned in dissent, this gives the government a dangerous amount of power over lawful permanent residents. It gives the government a “blank check” to weaken the rights of lawful permanent residents.
Green card holders should speak with an experienced immigration attorney before traveling internationally, especially if they have ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime.
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