U.S. immigration policy changes, traced to the source

Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Employment of Foreign Workers in Agriculture in the United States: Adverse Effect Wage Rate Updates for Non-Range Occupations

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (DOL) is issuing this notice to announce updates to the Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services in non-range occupations. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates that must be offered, advertised in recruitment, and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment to ensure that the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed are not adversely affected.

• Currently on public inspection and scheduled to publish on 2026-08-03. The text can still change before then.

Amendment to Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transactions Involving AT&T Inc. (Together With AT&T Inc.'s Affiliates, AT&T or the Applicant) Located in Dallas, Texas

Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 2014-06 provided an exemption for AT&T to contribute approximately $9.21 billion of employer securities (the Preferred Interests) and other assets to the AT&T Pension Benefit Plan (the Plan). This notice amends PTE 2014-06 to permit certain modifications (the Modifications) that were made with respect to the terms and provisions governing the Plan's holding and disposition of the Preferred Interests. Absent this amendment to PTE 2014-06 (Exemption Amendment), the Modifications would have resulted in violations of the prohibited transaction provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code).

• Currently on public inspection and scheduled to publish on 2026-08-03. The text can still change before then.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension; Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

• Currently on public inspection and scheduled to publish on 2026-08-03. The text can still change before then.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Cargo Manifest/Declaration, Stow Plan, Container Status Messages and Importer Security Filing

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

• Currently on public inspection and scheduled to publish on 2026-08-03. The text can still change before then.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through June 2026

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through June 2026. The cumulative year-to-date total is 280,656 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.

Customs User Fees To Be Adjusted for Inflation in Fiscal Year 2027

This document announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is adjusting certain customs user fees and corresponding limitations established by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for Fiscal Year 2027 in accordance with the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) as implemented by the CBP regulations.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Attestation for Employers Seeking To Employ H-2B Nonimmigrant Workers Under Section 105 of Division G, Title I of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Public Law 118-47, as Extended by Public Law 119-37

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employment and Training Administration (ETA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

Air Declaration Zone Test: Extension

This notice announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is extending the Air Declaration Zone Test for an additional two years. Current CBP regulations require each traveler to provide a CBP officer with an oral or written declaration of all articles brought into the United States. The Air Declaration Zone Test streamlines the processing of travelers who enter the United States at air ports of entry by allowing a demonstrative initial declaration to separate travelers who do not have items to declare from those who have items to declare and, in some cases, replace the provision of oral or written declarations.

30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Petition To Classify Special Immigrant Under INA 203(b)(4) as an Employee or Former Employee of the U.S. Government Abroad, or the Surviving Spouse or Child of an Employee of the U.S. Government Abroad

The Department of State has submitted the information collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are requesting comments on this collection from all interested individuals and organizations. The purpose of this Notice is to allow 30 days for public comment.

Determination Pursuant to Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as Amended

The Secretary of Homeland Security has determined, pursuant to law, that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border in the state of Texas.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Request for Fee Waiver

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

USCIS Opens Asylum Office in Atlanta

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is opening an asylum office in Atlanta. Beginning July 8, 2026, the Atlanta Asylum Office will conduct interviews for affirmative asylum applicants at three locations.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

USCIS Opens Asylum Office in San Antonio

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services opened an additional asylum office location in San Antonio, Texas. Beginning May 28, 2026, aliens who filed for asylum with USCIS who reside in the jurisdiction of the Houston Asylum Office may be interviewed at either the Houston Asylum Office or the San Antonio Asylum Office.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through March 2026

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through March 2026. The cumulative year-to-date total is 184,585 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through February 2026

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through February 2026. The cumulative year-to-date total is 153,155 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

Technical update: 2024 U.S. Department of State Exchange Visitors Skills List

This technical update to Volume 2 updates two footnotes in the USCIS Policy Manual that refer to the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitors Skills List. This list was last revised on December 9, 2024, and became effective as of that date. Previously, the footnotes referenced the 2009 version of this list.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 2 USCIS-PM D.1; 2 USCIS-PM D.3 (Nonimmigrants).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through January 2026

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through January 2026. The cumulative year-to-date total is 126,203 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through December 2025

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through December 2025. The cumulative year-to-date total is 91,603 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

Technical update: Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools Name Change to TruMerit

This technical update to Volumes 2 and 6 changes the name of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools to TruMerit and adds an explanatory footnote.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 2 USCIS-PM P.6; 6 USCIS-PM E.7 (Nonimmigrants; Immigrants).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through November 2025

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through November 2025. The cumulative year-to-date total is 60,926 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

CBP nationwide encounters: data through October 2025

CBP published nationwide encounter figures covering fiscal year 2026 through October 2025. The cumulative year-to-date total is 30,573 encounters. An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person: one individual can be encountered more than once, so encounters and people are different counts.

• An encounter is an enforcement action, not a person. Title 8 apprehensions, Title 8 inadmissibles, and expulsions are counted together, and one person can be encountered several times in a year, so encounters exceed the number of individuals.
• Figures are year-to-date for fiscal year 2026, which begins on 1 October — they are not a calendar-year count and are not comparable to a full year until the year closes.
• CBP does not publish a release date, only a publication month, so this event is dated to the first of that month. The month the figures actually cover is given as the data-through date and is exact.
• This figure was reconstructed from a later cumulative CBP file rather than observed at the time of release. The number is CBP's own published total; what we cannot attest is the release as it happened.

Technical update: Transition to Electronic Payments

This technical update incorporates the policy guidance that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced August 29, 2025, on the transition from accepting paper-based forms of payment to requiring electronic payment. This update involves the publication of two new forms, the Authorization for ACH Transactions ( Form G-1650 ) and Exemption for Paper Fee Payment ( Form G-1651 ). This guidance became effective October 28, 2025.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM B.3 (General Policies and Procedures).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

Technical update: Updating References to Notice to Appear Memorandum

This technical update revises references in the Policy Manual to refer to the memorandum Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens , issued on February 28, 2025.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM E.8; 7 USCIS-PM A.10; 7 USCIS-PM B.7; 7 USCIS-PM Q.2; 7 USCIS-PM Q.3; 7 USCIS-PM Q.5; 12 USCIS-PM D.2 (General Policies and Procedures; Adjustment of Status; Citizenship and Naturalization).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

Technical update: Removal of COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

This technical update to Volume 8, Admissibility, removes the COVID-19 vaccination requirement to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Technical Instructions and makes other minor technical changes.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 8 USCIS-PM B.3; 8 USCIS-PM B.9 (Admissibility).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

Technical update: Removing Obsolete Alert Box and Other Updates

This technical update makes minor changes to the Policy Manual to remove an obsolete alert box and to conform with changes to the USCIS website.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM A.1; 1 USCIS-PM A.8; 1 USCIS-PM A.9; 4 USCIS-PM (General Policies and Procedures; Refugees and Asylees).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

Technical update: Replacing the Term "Noncitizen"

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “noncitizen” with “alien” or other appropriate terms throughout the Policy Manual where possible, as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”], and makes other technical and conforming changes.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM; 2 USCIS-PM; 3 USCIS-PM; 4 USCIS-PM; 5 USCIS-PM; 6 USCIS-PM; 7 USCIS-PM; 8 USCIS-PM; 9 USCIS-PM; 10 USCIS-PM; 11 USCIS-PM; 12 USCIS-PM (General Policies and Procedures; Nonimmigrants; Humanitarian Protection and Parole; Refugees and Asylees; Adoptions; Immigrants; Adjustment of Status; Admissibility; Waivers and Other Forms of Relief; Employment Authorization; Travel and Identity Documents; Citizenship and Naturalization).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.

Technical update: Job Portability for National Interest Waivers

This technical update to Volume 7 more precisely aligns the guidance with the statutory language at INA 204(j) by clarifying that adjustment applicants whose immigrant petitions are based on a national interest waiver are eligible for portability under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21). However, because their immigrant visas are not tied to a specific job offer, such applicants do not need to file a Confirmation of Valid Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j) ( Form I-485, Supplement J ) if they change jobs.

• USCIS classifies this as a technical update — a non-substantive change such as a corrected citation or a refreshed reference. It does not change adjudication policy.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 7 USCIS-PM E.5 (Adjustment of Status).
• USCIS does not give this update its own page; the link goes to the Policy Manual updates index.