Oliver Mercer
SFO Becomes California First to Deploy TSA-Approved Biometric eGates
SFO deployed Clear’s TSA-approved biometric eGates at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 for Clear Plus members, enabling automated ID…
Canada Launches Digital Visa System, Morocco Selected as First Pilot
On Nov. 27, 2025 Canada started a digital visa pilot with Morocco. Selected Moroccan visitor-visa holders receive electronic…
Canada’s 2026 International Student Cap: New Study Permit Allocations
For 2026, Canada caps new study permit application spaces at 309,670 and projects 408,000 permits issued including extensions.…
UK Bans Taxis for Most Medical Journeys by Asylum Seekers
From February 2026 the UK will restrict asylum seekers’ taxi use for routine medical visits, pushing them toward…
Evidence Needed to Prove Well-Founded Fear in an Asylum Claim
To qualify for asylum, prove a credible fear (subjective) and objective evidence linking harm to a protected ground.…
What the Maximum Vetting Degree Means for Future Asylum Applications
This is the strictest U.S. vetting system for asylum seekers, combining repeated biometric and biographical checks, interagency intelligence…
Pending Family-Based Petitions for Immediate Relatives: USCIS Review
USCIS’s August 1, 2025 guidance tightens scrutiny of immediate-relative petitions, raising documentation standards, expanding fraud checks and interviews,…
Pending Diversity Visa Applications for Sudan, Iran, Cuba: What Next?
The DV-2025 cycle ended on September 30, 2025, terminating issuance of remaining diversity visas. No extensions or appeals…
Can Asylum Seekers Still Use Advance Parole to Travel?
Individual advance parole remains available for asylum seekers despite the 2025 Executive Order. File Form I‑131 and wait…
TPS: Is It Still Available Amid the Asylum Processing Halt?
Temporary Protected Status operates separately from asylum and continues to protect eligible nationals, offering work authorization and deportation…
Travel Risks and OPT Outcomes for Students from Countries Under Review
Although OPT procedures are unchanged, students from reviewed countries face greater scrutiny and travel risk. USCIS mails EADs…
USCIS Expands Biometric Data and Vetting Before Resuming Asylum
USCIS indefinitely paused all asylum adjudications after a November D.C. shooting. The agency will add expanded biometrics and…
Asylum Decisions Continue in 2025: No Official Halt, Delays Persist
USCIS has not announced a nationwide pause on asylum decisions in 2025, but heavy backlogs and policy changes—especially…
Asylum-Based EAD Renewal: What to Do When USCIS Pauses Decisions
An internal USCIS halt on asylum decisions began in late November 2025 and is labeled indefinite. The pause…
What Countries of Concern Mean for Immigration and Visa Processing
In 2025 the U.S. designated 19 Countries of Concern, imposing stricter vetting, entry suspensions, and a USCIS reexamination…