Immigration updates you can understand.

ALERT: On Aug. 31, 2026, USCIS published a new edition of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA (edition date: 08/24/26). Because there will be no grace period, USCIS is providing a preview version of the 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864 and its instructions.

Beginning Aug. 31, 2026, we will only accept the 08/24/26 edition. Effective Aug. 31, 2026:

USCIS will accept the 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864 if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after Aug. 31, 2026.

USCIS will not process or accept the 10/17/24 edition of Form I-864 if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after Aug. 31, 2026.

Please note: The 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864 includes a privacy release that authorizes USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies.

If a sponsor has a credit or security freeze on their consumer or credit report file, USCIS may not be able to access the information necessary to assess the sufficiency of Form I-864. To avoid any delays, a sponsor should expeditiously respond to any requests made to release a credit or security freeze.

Alert Type info

ALERT: USCIS reminds individuals who have executed Form I-864 that they face serious consequences if the alien they are obligated to support receives means-tested public benefits. Form I-864 is a legally binding contract with the U.S. government to financially support the sponsored alien. If a sponsored alien receives means-tested public benefits, the benefit granting agency can request repayment from the sponsor to recoup the cost of any benefits paid. If the sponsor fails to repay the cost of the means-tested public benefits, the benefit granting agency may sue the sponsor, who will be liable for the cost of the benefits, legal fees, and other associated costs. Sponsors should not take on this obligation if they are not prepared to follow through on the financial commitment.

Most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants use this form to show they have adequate means of financial support and are not likely to rely on the U.S. government for financial support.

Sponsor Eligibility Tool

The Form I-864 Eligibility Tool helps you determine whether you want to sponsor an immigrant and meet the financial requirements to be a sponsor. Based on information you provide, this tool will estimate if your income and assets meet the guidelines to be a sponsor. You do not have to use this tool, and the results from the tool do not guarantee a positive or negative decision on your case. This tool is optional and does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. You should review those requirements before you complete and submit your form.

If you are eligible to file Form I-864, review the "Where to File" and "Special Instructions" sections to learn where to file your Form I-864.

State Department Ends 75-Country Immigrant-Visa Issuance Pause

Category: Visa

Publication date: August 28, 2026

Official source: U.S. Department of State — Immigrant Visa Processing Update

Deadline: No new general deadline; existing case, document, interview, and fiscal-year deadlines still apply.

What changed — confirmed facts

The State Department confirmed that, as of August 21, 2026, the January 2026 pause on immigrant-visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries is no longer in effect because of the court’s order in CLINIC v. Rubio.

The affected list included Haiti, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Commonwealth nations, and numerous other countries.

Who may be affected

Immigrant-visa applicants from the listed countries, including Haitians completing family-, employment-, or diversity-based consular processing.

The former pause applied to immigrant visas—not tourist visas.

Interpretation

Consulates may resume issuing immigrant visas when applicants are otherwise eligible, but termination of the pause does not guarantee approval or immediate issuance. Public-charge requirements, enhanced screening, administrative processing, presidential entry restrictions, and other inadmissibility grounds may still apply.

Client-facing summary

The State Department’s immigrant-visa issuance pause affecting Haiti and 74 other countries is no longer in effect. Applicants should continue submitting requested documents and attending scheduled interviews. This update permits eligible cases to move forward, but it does not guarantee visa approval.

State Department Ends 75-Country Immigrant-Visa Issuance Pause

Category: Visa

Publication date: August 28, 2026

Official source: U.S. Department of State — Immigrant Visa Processing Update

Deadline: No new general deadline; existing case, document, interview, and fiscal-year deadlines still apply.

What changed — confirmed facts

The State Department confirmed that, as of August 21, 2026, the January 2026 pause on immigrant-visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries is no longer in effect because of the court’s order in CLINIC v. Rubio.

The affected list included Haiti, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Commonwealth nations, and numerous other countries.

Who may be affected

Immigrant-visa applicants from the listed countries, including Haitians completing family-, employment-, or diversity-based consular processing.

The former pause applied to immigrant visas—not tourist visas.

Interpretation

Consulates may resume issuing immigrant visas when applicants are otherwise eligible, but termination of the pause does not guarantee approval or immediate issuance. Public-charge requirements, enhanced screening, administrative processing, presidential entry restrictions, and other inadmissibility grounds may still apply.

Public-charge rule changes September 18

A final rule effective September 18, 2026, expands officer discretion and permits consideration of an adjustment applicant’s application for, approval for, or receipt of means-tested benefits—including some noncash benefits—under the totality of the circumstances. It applies to Forms I-485 postmarked or electronically submitted on or after September 18. Benefits received before that date are treated under the 2022 rule. Official final rule

Office action: Review adjustment cases that may be ready to file before September 18. Do not rush incomplete cases. Expect a revised I-485 and instructions.

Client talking point: “Receiving a benefit does not automatically deny a green card, but USCIS may examine more financial information for cases filed beginning September 18.”

NEW YORK – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a key role in the indictment unsealed today charging 11 individuals with conspiring, over the course of more than a decade, to orchestrate more than 1,000 sham marriages. The marriages allegedly enabled foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China, to fraudulently obtain immigration status. Some individuals paid up to $100,000 per sham marriage, according to the indictment.

“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere, including in our immigration system,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages. Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.”

“Anyone willing to lie, cheat or steal their way to legal immigration status is a direct threat to America's national security. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is aggressively pursuing marriage fraud schemes and the criminal organizations and ringleaders who profit from them. USCIS will continue to expose fraud, defend the rule of law, and ensure immigration status is reserved for those who truly qualify," said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow.

The defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to be arraigned today. The defendants are:

Amy Cheng, also known as “Amy Zhou,” 72, of Brooklyn, New York;

Xiao Mei Chan, also known as “Carmen,” 64, of Queens, New York;

Christine Lu, also known as “Lily,” 52, of Queens;

Jing Yan Ye, also known as “Serene,” 43, of Staten Island, New York;

Xiao Yan Chen, also known as “Anna,” 48, of Brooklyn;

Gang Zheng, also known as “Michael” and “Mike,” 61, of Queens;

Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island;

Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island;

Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island;

Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill, New York; and

Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining, New York.

According to the indictment, from at least 2016 through July 2026, the defendants operated a nationwide and international marriage fraud network that arranged sham marriages between foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China, and U.S. citizens. Based principally in New York City, the network allegedly also arranged sham marriages throughout the United States and overseas, including in China, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vanuatu.

“The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly operated a nationwide and international, multimillion-dollar marriage fraud scheme, using participants to abuse United States immigration laws for their own profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s arrests have dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history. As this prosecution shows, we and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those seeking to corrupt and exploit our nation’s lawful immigration system.”

“As alleged, this decade-long scheme turned marriage fraud into an international business model arranging countless sham marriages and causing hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications to be submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations. “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, HSI and our partners will continue to dismantle criminal networks that undermine the rule of law, exploit federal laws, and profit from fraud.”

The network included facilitators who oversaw the scheme and identified foreign-national customers; recruiters who found willing U.S. citizens and helped ensure their continued participation; and assistants who prepared immigration paperwork and coordinated the submission of fraudulent Green Card applications to USCIS. The scheme also relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers, and other service providers.

Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for a sham marriage and assistance obtaining lawful permanent resident status. Facilitators, in turn, allegedly paid participating U.S. citizens as much as approximately $30,000, generally in installments tied to milestones in the Green Card application process, and paid recruiters commissions of as much as approximately $5,000 for each citizen recruited. The defendants and their co-conspirators recruited hundreds of U.S. citizens to enter into sham marriages.