IMMIGRATION INSIDER - Vol. 21 - No. 3 - March 2, 2025

Sep 19, 2026

IMMIGRATION INSIDER Vol. 21, No. 3 (March 2, 2025) compiles key U.S. immigration developments, including a proposed “Gold Card” visa plan to replace EB-5, enforcement steps tied to an undocumented immigrant registry, and expanded visa restrictions connected to Cuban forced labor. Coverage also addresses changes to TPS designations and work authorization for Haiti, Hong Kong, and Venezuela, updates to DOS interview waiver policies and the March Visa Bulletin’s EB-4 retrogression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Inside This Issue

President Trump Proposes "Gold Card" Visa Program

"Show Me Your Papers" Undocumented Immigrant Registry

Visa Restrictions for Cuban Labor

DHS TPS and Work Authorization Updates

DOS Interview Waiver and Passport Application Changes

EOIR Policy Memos and Filing Deadline Changes

H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period

March Visa Bulletin and OFLC FLAG Updates

Employer Guidance for I-9 Reverification

Also in This Issue

IMMIGRATION INSIDER Vol. 21, No. 3 ▪ March 2, 2025 INSIDE THIS ISSUE President Trump Proposes 'Gold Card' Visa Program to Replace EB-5 Visa – President Trump said he wants to sell a "gold card" visa for $5 million to noncitizens, including both individuals and companies. The visa would include permanent residence with work authorization and a path to U.S. citizenship. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that the new program, which has not been launched yet, would replace the EB-5 visa program in two weeks. 'Show Me Your Papers': Trump Administration Announces Undocumented Immigrant Registry – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced enforcement of a law requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, be fingerprinted, and notify the government of address changes. DHS said that failure to register "is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both. " DOS Announces Expansion of Visa Restriction Policy for Individuals Exploiting Cuban Labor – The Department of State announced the expansion of an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labor linked to the Cuban labor export program. Trump Administration Roundup: Highlights of Recent Immigration Developments – The Trump administration has been busy. This article provides a non-exhaustive summary of selected immigration-related highlights. DHS Partially Vacates Haitian TPS Notice, Reduces Extension and Redesignation Period – The Department of Homeland Security reduced the period of extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS from 18 months to 12 months, with a new end date of August 3, 2025. DHS Revokes Extension of Work Authorization for Hong Kong DED Beneficiaries in United States – DHS announced an extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) through February 5, 2027, for individuals covered by DED Hong Kong, who "are not subject to removal. " However, DHS said that work authorization provided to certain Hong Kong residents is not extended. DOS Rescinds Previous Expansion of Interview Waiver Policy – The Department of State updated its interview waiver policy. March Visa Bulletin Announces Retrogression of EB-4 Category, Religious Workers Expiration – The bulletin announces retrogression of the final action date in the EB-4/SR categories. OFLC Announces Deletion of Older Records in FLAG System – Records more than five years old will be deleted from the Foreign Labor Access Gateway System beginning on March 20, 2025. DOS Releases Employer Guidance on I-9 Reverification Process for Venezuelan TPS Beneficiaries – The Department of Homeland Security released guidance for employers on completing the Form I-9 work authorization verification form for Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries. DOS Requests Public Comments on Passport Application Changes; Lawsuit Filed – The Department of State updated the application form to replace "gender" with "sex" and to request the applicant's "biological sex at birth, male 'M' or female 'F' . " A lawsuit challenging a related executive order (EO) and the passport changes argues that the EO is "transparently unlawful and unconstitutional. " EOIR Issues 'Core Policy Values' Memo – The memo states that more guidance on the values of its "core mission"of "integrity, impartiality, and the decisional independence of its adjudicators" will be forthcoming and includes various admonishments against how the EOIR was managed before the current administration. EOIR Rescinds 2021 Memo, Resetting Default Filing Deadline in Non-Detained Cases to 30 Days Before Calendar Hearing – The Executive Office for Immigration Review rescinded a 2021 memorandum that set a default filing deadline in non-detained cases of 15 days before individual calendar hearings. FY 2026 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens March 7 – The initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap season will open at noon ET on March 7, 2025, and run through noon ET on March 24, 2

FAQs

What is the proposed “Gold Card” visa program and what would it replace?

The issue states that President Trump proposes selling a “gold card” visa for $5 million to noncitizens and that the program would include permanent residence with work authorization and a path to citizenship. It is described as replacing the EB-5 visa program within two weeks.

What enforcement changes does the “Show Me Your Papers” registry include?

The issue says the Department of Homeland Security announced enforcement requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, be fingerprinted, and notify the government of address changes. It also notes failure to register could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both.

What happens to TPS and related work authorization in this issue’s updates?

The issue reports that DHS reduced Haiti TPS extension and redesignation from 18 months to 12 months with a new end date of August 3, 2025. It also says DHS revoked extension of work authorization for certain Hong Kong DED beneficiaries while extending DED status, and it describes Venezuela TPS termination for a 2023 designation while leaving a 2021 designation in effect until September 10, 2025.

Sep 19, 2026

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