Last Week’s Immigration: CSPA Rule Change, Visa Bulletin Freeze & More

CSPA Rule Change Puts Families at Risk

Starting August 15, 2025, USCIS will only use the stricter Final Action Dates chart to calculate ages under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). This means fewer young immigrants will keep “child” status, creating more family separations as kids age out of eligibility. Pending cases filed before August 15 remain under old rules.

The PERM Takeaway: Employers should prepare for more disrupted timelines when sponsoring employees with dependent children. Longer wait times could make the U.S. a less attractive destination for top talent, increasing competition for employers to retain and support global candidates.

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September 2025 Visa Bulletin: Small Shifts, Big Waits

The September 2025 Visa Bulletin brings modest family-based advances, including a two-month jump in F-2A and a five-month move for the Philippines’ F-3 category. Employment-based categories remain frozen, with EB-4 still unavailable until the new fiscal year.

The PERM Takeaway: For PERM-dependent employers, stalled employment-based categories mean continued bottlenecks. Strategic workforce planning including longer lead times and contingency hiring remains critical to meeting staffing needs.

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Trump Admin Reshapes Human Rights Report

The Trump administration revised the State Department’s Human Rights Report, downplaying abuses in allied nations and removing references to LGBTQ+ rights and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Critics argue the changes politicize a historically nonpartisan report.

The PERM Takeaway: Shifts in foreign policy can ripple into immigration trends. Employers hiring from impacted regions should expect policy unpredictability, making compliance vigilance and adaptable workforce strategies more important than ever.

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USCIS Bars Transgender Women from Sports Visa Eligibility

 A new USCIS policy excludes transgender women from visas tied to women’s sports, including O-1A, EB-1, EB-2, and NIW categories. Past competition in women’s sports is now treated as a negative eligibility factor.

The PERM Takeaway: This policy marks a concerning precedent of restricting visa eligibility based on gender identity. Employers in athletics, academia, and beyond should watch closely such changes could expand to broader categories, tightening access to specialized talent.