Ayoub & Associates, PC

09/03/2026

USCIS is opening a new international field office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, beginning operations on September 9, 2026.

🔍 What this office will handle:
✔️ Verifying authenticity of foreign documents
✔️ Investigating suspected fraud
✔️ Collecting DNA to confirm family relationships

This gives USCIS a direct, dedicated presence in Ethiopia for these functions — work that was previously coordinated through the Department of State.

📌 Important: Services will be available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. USCIS will post updated info on its International Immigration Offices webpage, including services and how to schedule appointments.
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09/01/2026

🚨 NEW EDITION ALERT: Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) 🚨

As of YESTERDAY, 8/31/26, USCIS is only accepting the new 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864. There is NO grace period — if your I-864 is postmarked or e-filed on or after today using the old 10/17/24 edition, it will be rejected.

📌 What sponsors need to know:
✔️ Use ONLY the 08/24/26 edition starting today
✔️ The new form includes a privacy release authorizing USCIS to pull info from consumer reporting agencies
✔️ If you have a credit or security freeze, be ready to lift it quickly to avoid delays

Always double-check you’re using the current form before filing. Questions about your case? Reach out to our office.

📎 Form available at uscis.gov/i-864
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08/31/2026

The court also certified a class covering people who:
🔹 Are citizens or natives of the 39 countries named in Presidential Proclamations 10949 or 10998, or the Palestinian Authority
🔹 Have a pending I-589 asylum application, or any other pending USCIS benefit application
🔹 Were held up under PM-602-0192 or PM-602-0194 and haven’t received a final decision

USCIS says it disagrees with the ruling but will comply while it’s in effect, pending possible further review. Updated instructions from USCIS are still expected.
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08/27/2026

Immigration Consequences of Registering to Vote & Voting 🗳️

With federal primaries and general elections coming this fall, noncitizens should know the risks before heading to the polls.

⚖ Unlawful voting is a ground of removability and inadmissibility — with NO available waiver.

🚫 Immigration judges are now fast-tracking these cases, aiming to resolve them in six months or less.

⚠️ For nonpermanent residents, it’s also a bar to adjustment of status and a serious negative factor for good moral character.

If you’re not a U.S. citizen, do not register to vote or vote in federal elections. Consequences are severe and often unwaivable.

Questions? Call us at 713-532-0110.
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08/26/2026

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/25/us-immigrant-visa-application-trump-crackdwon

Move by state department to limit access is part of Trump’s crackdown on both lawful and undocumented immigration

08/26/2026

Applicants must answer “no” to both for the visa process to continue. A “yes” answer, or a refusal to answer, will result in a visa refusal.

Officers have also been told to strictly apply INA 214(b) where it applies, with H-1B and L-1 applicants (who fall outside 214(b)) facing refusal under INA 221(g) instead.

Separately, on August 24, 2026, the Associated Press reported that DOS is preparing what could be the largest mass visa revocation in history, targeting B-1/B-2 visa holders issued between 2016 and 2026 who later applied for asylum.

If you have an upcoming visa interview, talk to our office before your appointment so we can walk you through what to expect.

08/25/2026

The proposed fee would be due at the time of filing and is in addition to all other existing fees. DHS projects it would generate roughly $8.8 billion a year, based on an estimated 85,000 cap-subject petitions annually.

Not every H-1B filing would be affected — petitions that are cap-exempt, such as those filed by certain nonprofit research organizations, government research organizations, and institutions of higher education, would not be subject to this fee. The annual H-1B cap remains 65,000, plus 20,000 for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.

This is a proposed rule, not yet final — the public comment period is your opportunity to weigh in. If you or your employer files H-1B petitions, now is the time to pay close attention to how this could affect your case strategy and budget.

We’ll keep you updated as this moves through the rulemaking process. Questions about how this might affect your pending or upcoming H-1B filing? Reach out to our office.

08/25/2026

Visa interviews are being cancelled and rescheduled across U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. Reports indicate the State Department has directed consular posts to pause interviews until officers complete training sessions on the public charge inadmissibility ground — the standard used to assess whether an applicant is likely to depend on government benefits.

Immigrant visa applicants in particular have reported cancellations in recent days, and some nonimmigrant visa appointments are reportedly being pushed past September 1. The New York Times has reported on the scope of these cancellations.

📌 If your interview is affected: watch for a rescheduling notice directly from your consulate, and use this time to make sure your financial and affidavit of support documentation is thorough and up to date.

We’ll continue to monitor developments and share updates as they come.

08/24/2026

🚨 A federal court just struck down the ban on immigrant visas for people from 75 countries. Swipe through for what happened →

In CLINIC v. Rubio, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on August 21, 2026 that the State Department’s nationality-based visa suspension was unlawful — vacating it entirely.

The court didn’t mince words:
“The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of [the] statutory scheme.”

🔑 What the ruling found:
→ The policy violated Section 1152(a)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars nationality-based discrimination in visa issuance.
→ It exceeded the Secretary of State’s authority under 8 U.S.C. § 1104(a) by predetermining outcomes Congress reserved for individual consular officers.
→ Vacatur — not remand — was the only appropriate remedy, given how “comprehensive, fundamental, and severe” the policy’s legal defects were.

📌 What this means:
The nationality-based visa ban no longer applies. Consular officers must resume individualized, case-by-case review of immigrant visa applications for people from the 75 affected countries.

This is a real win for the families and advocates who have been fighting this policy since it took effect in January 2026 — and a reminder of how much power the courts still have to check unlawful executive action.

💬 If you or someone you know has an immigrant visa case that was affected by this ban, talk to a qualified immigration attorney or accredited legal service provider about next steps — this ruling may open the door to move your case forward.

Case: CLINIC v. Rubio, No. 1:26-cv-00858 (S.D.N.Y.)

08/19/2026

USCIS Announces New Edition of Form I-485 Effective 9/18/26

USCIS will publish a revised edition of Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, on 9/18/26 to align with the final rule on the public charge ground of inadmissibility. Starting that date, USCIS will reject older editions with no grace period.

If you’re preparing to file, make sure you’re using the correct edition on or after 9/18/26.
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