Kamkhadze PA Immigration Law Firm

08/26/2026

Important Update: Immigrant Visa Appointments Paused Worldwide

The U.S. State Department has confirmed that immigrant visa appointments at embassies and consulates around the world are being paused. The official reason given is a "training initiative" for consular officers, aimed at more consistently screening applicants for public charge risk (likelihood of relying on U.S. public benefits).

What this means if you have a pending case:

✔️ If you already have an interview scheduled, you may receive an email notifying you that it's been postponed — no new date has been given yet.

✔️ There's currently no confirmed timeline for when normal processing will resume.

We'll post updates here as we learn more. 📌

08/22/2026

🇺🇸 BIG immigration news this week — a federal judge just struck down the Trump administration's ban on immigrant visas for people from 75 countries. 📋

Back in January, the State Department stopped issuing immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries, citing "public charge" concerns. That meant officers were told to deny people automatically, just based on their country — no individual review at all.

On Friday, August 21, U.S. District Judge Vargas ruled that policy "patently unlawful." ⚖️ The law requires consular officers to look at each applicant's actual circumstances — income, age, health, family, skills — not just where they're from.

🔑 What this means:
✅ Consular officers should go back to evaluating immigrant visa applications case-by-case
⏳ The government can still appeal, and both sides have until September 11 to sort out what happens next — so this isn't the final word yet.

08/13/2026

🚨 BIA JUST CLOSED A LOOPHOLE THAT PROTECTED THOUSANDS OF ADJUSTMENT APPLICANTS

Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, 29 I&N Dec. 830 (BIA 2026) — decided August 13, 2026.

THE OLD RULE

Since 2012, Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly held that leaving the United States on Advance Parole (AP) was not considered a “departure” for purposes of the unlawful-presence bar under INA § 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II).

This allowed certain applicants with a pending I-485 to travel internationally on Advance Parole, return to the United States, and continue pursuing adjustment of status — even if they had previously accrued significant unlawful presence.

THE NEW RULE

Under Delcarmen-Lara, a departure from the United States on Advance Parole is a “departure” under the statute.

That means that if you accrued one year or more of unlawful presence before leaving the United States, your departure may trigger the 10-year inadmissibility bar. Depending on the circumstances, shorter periods of unlawful presence can implicate the 3-year bar.

WHO DOES THIS AFFECT?

This decision is particularly important for adjustment applicants who relied on Advance Parole as a safe way to travel despite prior unlawful presence.

The legal landscape for future Advance Parole travel has now changed significantly.

⚠️ Do not travel on Advance Parole without a case-specific legal review if you have accrued unlawful presence.

This is not an area where you want to rely on assumptions or generalized advice.

⸻

🚨 BIA-მ გააუქმა წესი, რომელიც ათასობით საიმიგრაციო აპლიკანტს იცავდა

Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, 29 I&N Dec. 830 (BIA 2026) — მიღებულია 2026 წლის 13 აგვისტოს.

ძველი წესი

2012 წლიდან მოყოლებული (პრეცედენტი Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly), აშშ-იდან Advance Parole-ით (სამოგზაურო ნებართვით) ქვეყნის დატოვება არ ითვლებოდა „ქვეყნიდან გასვლად“ არალეგალურად ყოფნის პერიოდის აკრძალვების მიზნებისთვის [INA § 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II)].

ეს აპლიკანტებს, რომელთაც გაგზავნილი ჰქონდათ განაცხადი მწვანე ბარათზე (I-485 / Adjustment of Status), საშუალებას აძლევდა Advance Parole-ით ემოგზაურათ აშშ-ის გარეთ, უპრობლემოდ დაბრუნებულიყვნენ და გაეგრძელებინათ პროცესი — მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ წარსულში აშშ-ში არალეგალურად ყოფნის დიდი პერიოდი ჰქონდათ დაგროვილი.

ახალი წესი

ახალი გადაწყვეტილებით Advance Parole-ით აშშ-ის დატოვება ოფიციალურად ითვლება ქვეყნიდან გასვლად.

რას ნიშნავს ეს?

თუ აშშ-ის დატოვებამდე 1 წელი ან მეტი არალეგალურად იმყოფებოდით ქვეყანაში, გამგზავრებისთანავე ავტომატურად ამოქმედდება 10-წლიანი აშშ-ში შესვლის აკრძალვა. შედარებით მოკლე პერიოდის არალეგალურად ყოფნისას კი შესაძლოა 3-წლიანი აკრძალვა ამოქმედდეს.

ვის შეეხება ეს ცვლილება?

ეს გადაწყვეტილება კრიტიკულად მნიშვნელოვანია ყველასთვის, ვინც მწვანე ბარათის მოლოდინში Advance Parole-ს იყენებდა უსაფრთხოდ სამოგზაუროდ, მიუხედავად წარსულში დაგროვილი არალეგალური პერიოდისა.

მომავალში Advance Parole-ით მოგზაურობის სამართლებრივი რისკები მნიშვნელოვნად გაიზარდა.

თუ წარსულში აშშ-ში არალეგალურად ყოფნის პერიოდი დაგიგროვდათ, ნუ იმოგზაურებთ Advance Parole-ით ადვოკატთან კონსულტაციისა და თქვენი საქმის დეტალური შეფასების გარეშე.

ეს ის საკითხია, სადაც ვარაუდებსა და ზოგად რჩევებს არ უნდა ენდოთ.

#იმიგრაცია

08/06/2026

A New Way to Fight a Public Charge Denial 💪

If your immigrant visa was denied because the government thinks you might rely on public assistance (“public charge”), there’s a new option worth knowing about.

🗣️ In plain language: the State Department is now letting certain applicants post a bond to show they won’t become a public charge — instead of an automatic denial.

Here’s what to know:
✅ It’s a pilot program — only some applicants are affected right now

✅ No fixed bond amount — it’s set by the consular officer, case by case

✅ If it doesn’t affect you — a valid visa you already hold is safe

⚠️ Details on losing the bond aren’t fully public yet

Got a denial, or worried you might get one? Let’s talk before you respond. 💌

07/29/2026

⚠️ Important update if you have a pending immigration case.

AILA (the national immigration lawyers’ association) is reporting a real increase in DHS detentions at U.S. airports — during domestic flights, not just at the border. This is happening in CA, CO, FL, IL, KS, MI, NJ, TX, and VA.

Who’s being caught up in this:
✈️ People whose status technically expired but who filed on time for adjustment of status or asylum — meaning they should be in a protected waiting period.
✈️ People with valid work permits or advance parole and no criminal history at all.

Having your paperwork in order has not been enough to prevent detention in these cases. If you have a pending application and are thinking about flying anywhere in the U.S., talk to an immigration attorney first.

07/18/2026

🚨 USCIS just reiterated it: they've "declared war on immigration fraud" — and they're actively asking the public to report it.

This isn't brand new, but it's a good reminder of where things stand. Since January 2025, USCIS has made 29,000+ fraud referrals, built a specialized team of investigators who can now arrest and execute warrants, and there's no time limit on most denaturalization cases.

Here's the part people don't always think about: this raises the risk for two situations that have always existed —

🔹 Unauthorized "notarios" or consultants filing your case without a law license
🔹 High-volume firms that process hundreds of cases a month using templated letters and copy-paste declarations

Neither one is about intent — it's about inconsistency. And inconsistency is exactly what fraud detection is trained to catch.

If someone else is filing on your behalf, ask two questions: are they actually licensed, and does your paperwork reflect YOUR facts — not a template?

Under President Donald J. Trump and USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has declared war on immigration fraud.

Report suspected immigration fraud now: https://www.uscis.gov/scams-fraud-and-misconduct/report-fraud

07/17/2026

💵 A $100,000 bond for a green card? The State Department is actually considering it.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that officials are evaluating a proposal that could require certain green card applicants abroad to post a bond of up to $100,000 before receiving their visa.

Here's what we actually know so far:

🔹 It's a proposal under review — nothing has been published or finalized
🔹 Applies to immigrant visa applicants processing through U.S. consulates abroad (not people already here adjusting status)
🔹 The bond would be refundable, and family members in the U.S. could pay it on the applicant's behalf
🔹 It builds on an existing bond program already running for some visitor visas since last August

This lands right alongside the new public charge rule taking effect September 18 — together, they point to immigration approval leaning more heavily on financial capacity at every stage.

If you have family abroad hoping to immigrate, this is one to watch.

07/17/2026

📢 DHS just released its final rule rescinding the 2022 public charge regulation — for public inspection. Official Federal Register publication is set for July 20, 2026.

Here’s what’s actually confirmed right now:

DHS says directly it will NOT issue a replacement definition of “public charge.” Officers get broad, case-by-case discretion instead of a fixed rule.

Starting on the effective date, DHS will weigh receipt of any means-tested public benefit — cash and non-cash alike. That’s a real expansion from the current cash-only standard.

USCIS will publish guidance in the Policy Manual by the effective date (calculates to September 18, 2026) — but it won’t carry the force of law.

A new Form I-485 is coming too. Older editions get rejected after the effective date.

Swipe through for the full picture 👉 including what’s still genuinely unwritten, and the four-factor framework officers will actually be using.

If you’re planning to file for a green card in the next few months, timing matters more than usual right now.

07/06/2026

Your phone is more searchable at the border than it was a year ago. 📱🛃

New CBP directive, effective January 1, 2026, widens the reasons officers can search your devices — and narrows the checks required when "national security" is the justification.

If you travel internationally with work on your laptop or phone — source code, research data, business documents — swipe through to see exactly what changed.

05/22/2026

🚨 USCIS Just Changed How Green Card Applications Get Decided
The rules didn't change. The way they get judged did. And the difference can cost you years.

On May 21, USCIS issued Policy Memo PM-602-0199 — declaring that adjustment of status is "a matter of discretion and administrative grace," not a right. Meeting every legal requirement on paper is no longer enough. The USCIS officer can still say no.

What every green card applicant needs to know:
✅ Which visas allow dual intent (and which absolutely don't)
✅ Why filing for adjustment from B-1/B-2 is now high-risk
✅ The critical strategy point for anyone planning EB-1 (see slide 10)
✅ Whether the new framework affects your pending I-485 (yes — even if filed before May 21)

📩 Questions about your specific case? Email [email protected] for a consultation.