Last Week’s Highlights in Immigration: Visa Caps, Payment Shifts & Workforce Crunches 🚨

USCIS Revives Neighborhood Checks for Naturalization Applicants

After 30+ years, USCIS has reinstated neighborhood checks for citizenship applicants. Officers may now interview neighbors, colleagues, or employers to evaluate “good moral character.” This is expected to add another layer of scrutiny to the naturalization process.

The PERM Takeaway: While this update doesn’t directly affect employment-based green card sponsorships, it signals a broader pattern: USCIS is re-emphasizing character and compliance in adjudications. Employers should remind foreign nationals to maintain transparency and compliance in all areas, as personal conduct may weigh more heavily across the immigration system.

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Trump Administration Proposes Limits on Student and Media Visas

A new DHS proposal would cap international student (F/J visas) stays at four years, while journalists on I visas face shorter limits (240 days; 90 for Chinese nationals). Overstays could lead to future entry bans. The proposal impacts over 2.1 million people annually.

The PERM Takeaway: If approved, stricter limits on student visas could accelerate demand for work-based sponsorships as graduates may need more stable immigration pathways. Employers should prepare to capture this talent early by aligning recruitment pipelines with PERM timelines.

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USCIS Adds ACH Payment Option, Phases Out Paper Checks

Starting October 28, 2025, USCIS will no longer accept paper checks or money orders, moving to fully digital payments via ACH debit, credit, or prepaid cards. The move aims to cut delays, reduce fraud, and streamline processing.

The PERM Takeaway: Employers and law firms managing multiple PERM filings must adapt quickly. Update internal workflows now to ensure smooth payment processing and avoid disruptions especially during high-volume filing periods.

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Can You Secure a U.S. Visitor Visa Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, wait times for U.S. visitor visas vary dramatically. Some countries (Brazil, China, El Salvador) see under-3-month waits, while others (Ecuador, Nigeria) face nearly a year of delays.

The PERM Takeaway: While tourist visas don’t overlap with PERM, these long wait times show the strain on consular resources. Employers sponsoring workers through PERM should anticipate that visa stamping delays may also worsen, making early filing and proactive planning more critical than ever.

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Immigrant Population in U.S. Drops for First Time in 50 Years

For the first time since the 1960s, America’s immigrant population shrank, dropping from 53.3 million to 51.9 million in just six months. The decline reflects deportations and reduced inflows.

The PERM Takeaway: A shrinking immigrant population means a smaller available talent pool. For industries dependent on foreign workers, this emphasizes the urgency of securing talent now and leveraging PERM sponsorship as a long-term workforce solution.

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U.S. Suspends Work Visas for Foreign Commercial Truck Drivers

Following a high-profile crash, the Trump administration suspended certain visas (H-2B, E-2, EB-3) for foreign commercial truck drivers. Though the pause affects only a few thousand out of 3.5 million U.S. truckers, it highlights the vulnerability of niche visa categories.

The PERM Takeaway: Employers in logistics and transportation may see ripple effects, with increased competition for qualified drivers. For long-term workforce planning, PERM sponsorship remains a more stable pathway than temporary work visas in high-risk categories.