Category Archives: Uncategorized

The U.S. government has officially shut down, and many clients are asking how this affects their immigration cases. Here’s what you need to know: ✅ USCIS remains open.Because USCIS is a fee-funded agency (it operates using the filing fees paid by applicants and petitioners), it will continue processing cases as usual despite the shutdown. ⚠️ContinueContinue reading “Government Shutdown: What It Means for Immigration Cases”

On September 20, 2025, the White House issued a Proclamation entitled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” This action specifically affects H-1B visa holders. The Proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2025. Who is Affected H-1B employees currently in the U.S.: Not immediately affected. H-1B employees outside the U.S.: WillContinueContinue reading “ALERT: New Proclamation Restricts Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrant Workers”

In recent months, we’ve seen a shift in how USCIS is handling certain immigration cases. Applications that would have traditionally received a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) are instead being denied outright, without giving applicants the opportunity to provide additional documentation. This trend has created challenges for applicants andContinueContinue reading “⚠️ USCIS Denials Without RFEs: What You Should Know”

The immigration landscape is shifting dramatically and quickly. At Apfel Law Group, we make every effort to notify our clients as soon as possible when new developments arise. However, given the pace of change, we strongly encourage all individuals to remain proactive by checking for the latest updates directly from official government sources. This isContinueContinue reading “ALERT: Immigration Updates Are Changing Rapidly”

The U.S. Department of State has released the October 2025 Visa Bulletin, opening the new fiscal year with some important updates. For employment-based applicants, EB-1 remains current for most countries. EB-2 and EB-3 categories continue to experience significant backlogs, especially for India and China. The EB-4 Religious Worker category is unavailable this month. USCIS willContinueContinue reading “October 2025 Visa Bulletin”

The U.S. Department of State now advises that applicants schedule nonimmigrant visa interviews in their country of nationality or residence. While DOS has stated that existing appointments will be honored, we are seeing cases where this is not always true in practice. ✉️ Have upcoming travel or a scheduled appointment? Contact our office to scheduleContinueContinue reading “Visa Interview Update”

USCIS has released the results from the FY 2026 H-1B cap registration period, and this year’s numbers look very different from last! This year, there were 358,737 total H-1B registrations, a sharp drop from 479,953 last year and a 25% decrease. Even more notable is the decline in eligible registrations, falling nearly 27% from 470,342ContinueContinue reading “Big Changes in This Year’s H-1B Cap Registration Numbers”

The U.S. Department of State has released the June 2025 Visa Bulletin. There’s slight forward movement for EB-2 and EB-3 categories for China and most other countries, but no changes for India, which continues to face significant delays. EB-5 remains unchanged. If your priority date is now current, it may be time to move forwardContinueContinue reading “June 2025 Visa Bulletin Briefing”

ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has begun restoring SEVIS records for international students that were previously terminated, according to reports from April 24, 2025. These restorations follow litigation challenging the abrupt termination of F-1 student records. Students involved in lawsuits, as well as some who were not, are seeing their records reactivated. However,ContinueContinue reading “SEVIS Records for International Students Being Restored”