Introduction The 2025 naturalization civics test represents a major change for citizenship applicants. Starting October 20, 2025, USCIS will give a different citizenship test to people filing Form N-400. Therefore, understanding these naturalization exam changes is critical for your success. The new civics test includes 128 questions instead of 100. In addition, you'll answer 20 questions during your citizenship interview instead of just 10. Most importantly, you must answer 12 questions correctly to pass the 2025 naturalization civics test. However, this guide will help you prepare for the citizenship exam effectively. For instance, we'll explain exactly what changed, when the...
Introduction The H-1B visa landscape changed dramatically on September 19, 2025. President Trump signed a proclamation requiring a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions. This H-1B visa $100,000 fee takes effect for petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Therefore, employers and foreign workers need clear guidance about this major shift. Many Houston companies rely on H-1B specialty occupation workers. However, this new H-1B fee creates serious financial challenges. In addition, confusion surrounds who must pay and what petitions are exempt. As a Houston immigration attorney with over 45 years of combined experience, our firm helps clients navigate these complex...
On February 24, 2021, President Biden rescinded Presidential Proclamation 10014 which prohibited the entry of certain immigrants into the United States due to possible harm to economic interests due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the ban imposed on certain non-immigrant visas by the Trump Presidential Proclamation 10052 remains in place.This means that the State Department will have to alter policy that has been in place since the Spring of 2020 and the U.S. consulates will now have to begin scheduling appointments for immigrant visa applicants through out the world.With the exception of certain non-immigrant visas such as the E and...
February 2, 2021-The U.S. Senate confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas as Homeland Security Secretary, the first Latino and immigrant to serve at the helm of the department.Mr. Mayorkas is expected to swiftly begin rolling back Trump administration immigration policies.
February 1, 2021: DHS and its Federal government partners fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants. DHS supports the equitable and efficient distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to all populations, including historically underserved communities, without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or other protected class, and in compliance with law and policy. It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States have access to the vaccine.
On January 20, 2021 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a MEMORANDUM directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to conduct a review of policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement.The Department-wide guidance includes a 100-day pause on certain removals while DHS conducts a Department-wide review of policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement. The review requires that each component of DHS develop recommendations to address aspects of immigration enforcement, including policies for prioritizing the use of enforcement personnel, detention space, and removal assets; policies governing the exercise of...
This past Wednesday President Biden issued a battery of executive orders addressing several immigration issues. One executive order specifically mentioned the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. President Biden mandated in that executive order that DACA must be “preserved and fortified”. What does that mean?At the very least the DACA program will continue in the original format as instituted in 2012. However, the executive order indicates that DACA has to be “fortified”. That may mean that the qualifying requirements may be altered and changed to allow another group of applicants to be eligible depending on the date of entry...
On January 20, 2017 when President Donald Trump assumed office, a total of 542,411 deportation cases were pending before the Immigration Courts throughout the U.S. Four years later at the start of 2021, the Biden administration will inherit a massive load of 1,290,766 cases—nearly two and a half times the level when Trump assumed office. Another 300,000+ cases have not been placed on the active docket and are waiting in the wings because former President Trump's policy changes decided that this other batch of cases aren't finally resolved. During the four years since Trump assumed the presidency, the massive log...
On January 19, 2021, the last full day of the Trump administration, Trump issued an executive order to defer for 18 months the removal of any national of Venezuela, or alien without nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela, who is present in the United States as of January 20, 2021. Employment authorization will also be issued to those who are eligible. The executive order also outlined eight (8) groups of individuals who are not eligible. DHS will now be charged with establishing a process to register and determine eligibility for the DED
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