Law Office of Abby Bekele

02/23/2026

Major Proposed Changes to Asylum-Based EADs - Trump’s Executive Order 14159

DHS has proposed significant changes to employment authorization eligibility for asylum applicants, including:

• Longer waiting period – Applicants would need to wait 365 days after filing asylum before becoming eligible to apply for work authorization.
• Processing-based pause mechanism – USCIS could pause acceptance of new initial EAD applications if asylum processing times exceed certain benchmarks.
• Expanded ineligibility grounds – Additional bars may apply, including unlawful entry factors, late-filed asylum applications without exceptions, and certain criminal or security-related concerns.
• Mandatory biometrics – Required for both initial and renewal EAD applications.
• Increased adjudicatory discretion – USCIS would have broader authority in reviewing and potentially denying EAD requests.
• Termination upon asylum denial – EADs would end following denial of the underlying asylum claim, absent further qualifying relief.

If finalized, these changes would substantially impact timing and eligibility for pending and future asylum applicants.

This is not a legal advice. Contact us at (619) 847-8850 to set up a consultation and discuss how these proposed changes may affect your eligibility and filing timelines.

We’ll continue continue monitoring developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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02/18/2026

Important Immigration Update - Pause on Ajudication. This may affect your pending case!

On January 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy memorandum directing officers to place an adjudicative hold on all pending immigration benefit applications filed by or on behalf of individuals connected to designated “high-risk” countries.

This development has significant implications for applicants, families, and employers:

🔎 What is an adjudicative hold?
An adjudicative hold means USCIS will pause final decisions on affected cases. Applications will remain pending, often indefinitely, until further notice or additional guidance is issued.

📌 Who may be impacted?
While the full list of designated countries and the scope of “connected to” is still being clarified, this could potentially affect:
• Adjustment of Status applicants
• Asylum applicants
• Family-based petitions
• Employment-based petitions
• Naturalization cases

⚖️ Practical consequences:
• Extended processing delays
• Possible work authorization disruptions
• Travel complications
• Increased uncertainty for families and employers

As always, policy shifts of this magnitude require careful analysis. If you or your your family members may be affected, it is critical to assess strategy proactively rather than reactively.

We will continue monitoring updates and provide additional guidance as more details become available. This is not a legal advice!

02/02/2026

🇪🇹 TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS)

FOR ETHIOPIA — UPDATE

🛑 TPS TERMINATION DELAYED

A federal judge has stepped in to pause the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopians that was scheduled to take effect on February 13.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston said he will issue an order delaying the February 13 effective date of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s termination of TPS for Ethiopians.

This delay provides temporary relief for Ethiopian TPS holders while the legal process continues.

📌 Reported by Reuters on 01/31/26

01/21/2026

📌 CLARIFICATION – PAUSE ON IMMIGRANT VISA ISSUANCE

🔹 As you may know, On January 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of State announced a pause in immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries including Ethiopia as part of a review of how public charge determinations are applied.

🔹 What is “public charge”?
Under U.S. immigration law, an applicant may be denied an immigrant visa if they are considered likely to rely on government benefits. This assessment has long existed in the law and is based on factors such as income, employment, health, education, and financial support.

📍 Key Points of the Policy

1. Only immigrant visas are affected
• The pause covers only immigrant visas (i.e., pathways to green cards through family- or employment-based consular processing and similar categories).
• Nonimmigrant visas (tourist, student, temporary work visas like H-1B/L-1) are not part of this pause, though such applications may face increased public charge scrutiny.

2. Applications and interviews still move forward
• Nationals of the affected countries may still file applications and attend interviews, but consular posts will not issue visas while the pause is in effect.

3. No end date yet
• The suspension is open-ended; the State Department has not published a timeline for when or if immigrant visa issuance will resume.

4. Some exceptions may exist
• Dual nationals applying with a passport from a country not on the suspended list may be exempt.
• Previously issued immigrant visas are not automatically revoked by the policy.

✳️ Practical Impact

⚠️ This is a processing pause, not a permanent ban — but it can result in indefinite delays for affected applicants.

• For many applicants from the 75 listed countries, immigrant visa cases will be indefinitely delayed at the issuance stage, meaning people might complete processing and interviews but cannot receive their visa until further policy guidance.
Also, it’s important to note that some consular offices are reportedly canceling immigrant visa interviews.
• Those inside the U.S. pursuing adjustment of status are generally not directly affected by this consular pause, though broader public charge scrutiny may increase in other contexts.

We encourage everyone to rely on verified information, not rumors or social media speculation. Each case is fact-specific.

📩 If you have questions about how this may affect a particular immigration case, consult a qualified immigration attorney.

01/19/2026

📌 What Happened

On January 9, 2026, USCIS announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a final rule increasing the fees that USCIS charges for premium processing of immigration benefit requests. The rule was published in the Federal Register shortly thereafter.

📆 When It Takes Effect
• The new premium processing fees become effective March 1, 2026.
• Any Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, postmarked (or submitted online) on or after March 1, 2026 must include the updated fee; filings with the old fee will be rejected.

💰 📈 New Premium Processing Fee Structure (Effective March 1, 2026)

Below are some of the updated premium processing fees:
Current Fee and New Fee (Effective March 1, 2026)
Form I-129 (most nonimmigrant worker petitions, incl. H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, E-3) current fee $2,805, new fee $2,965
Form I-140 (employment-based immigrant petitions) current fee $2,805, new fee $2,965
Form I-539 (change/extension of status for F/J/M nonimmigrants) current fee $1,965 new fee $2,075
Form I-765 (employment authorization — OPT/STEM OPT, etc.) current fee $1,685 new fee $1,780.

Note: These fees are in addition to the underlying petition or application filing fees.

Employers and applicants planning to use premium processing in early 2026 may want to time filings before March 1 to use the lower fees where possible.

01/15/2026

📌 Major Announcement – R-1 Religious Worker Visa Rule Change

USCIS / DHS announced a new rule that changes how R-1 nonimmigrant religious worker visas work. Under the update:
• Religious workers who reach the five-year maximum stay on an R-1 visa are still required to leave the U.S., but they no longer have to spend one full year outside the U.S. before applying to return. 
• This rule is part of an interim final rule published by DHS/USCIS in the Federal Register and is effective upon publication, though public comment is open for 60 days. 

🛐 Why It Matters
• The change affects thousands of R-1 religious workers — such as priests, pastors, nuns, and other faith-based workers — who were previously forced to wait a year abroad before seeking to return on a new R-1 visa.

01/14/2026

🇺🇸 DOS / U.S. Government Announced a Major Change

The U.S. Department of State has announced that it will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Ethiopia, effective January 21, 2026.
• This pause impacts immigrant visas (family- and employment-based) for those countries.
• DOS claims the suspension is part of a broader policy to reassess vetting procedures, with a focus on “public charge” criteria.
• Nonimmigrant visas (such as tourist, business, student) are reported not to be affected by this immigration news item.

01/07/2026

12/25/2025

Warm Christmas wishes to colleagues, clients, and connections. 💕🙏

12/17/2025

The new expanded travel ban issued today

During my first Administration, I restricted the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to prevent national security and public Every child deserves a safe and nurturing home where they can learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Adoption makes that possible by opening the d....