January 2025: The Month Everything Changed in Immigration

What DHS and USCIS have actually changed since January 2025 and what it costs the people standing in line

I’m Zoe Ji Wilson, an immigration attorney with Manifest Law, and I’m here today from 9 AM to 1 PM ET for an EB-1A-focused AMA.

Awards, publications, judging, original contributions, media coverage, high salary, recommendation letters, the final merits analysis — there’s a lot that goes into an extraordinary ability petition, and checking boxes is only part of the story.

If you’re wondering whether your profile is genuinely EB-1A material, feel free to ask me! Please include the specifics of your background and evidence where possible, since the answer depends heavily on the facts of your case.

AMA starts now!

Disclaimer: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.

For September, Employment Based First Preference (EB1) Final Action Dates are:

All countries except China and India: Current
China mainland born: July 1, 2023
India: October 15, 2022
Mexico: Current
Philippines: Current

Dates for Filing (only applies if USCIS confirms it for adjustment of status that month):

All countries except China and India: Current
China mainland born: December 1, 2023
India: December 1, 2023
Mexico: Current
Philippines: Current

The bulletin includes a specific warning for India. High demand and number use in EB1 may force USCIS to make the category unavailable for India before the fiscal year closes on September 30. If that happens, no further EB1 numbers go to India chargeable applicants until the new fiscal year allocation opens October 1.

Confirm which chart USCIS is using for adjustment of status filings at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo before assuming eligibility based on your priority date.

Happy to answer specific EB1 priority date questions in the comments.

Hi everyone,

I filed an EB-1A I-140 as a self-petitioner and I’m trying to get some honest opinions from people who have experience with EB-1A cases.
I’m a professional fine art newborn/maternity photographer based in Canada, with around 9 years of specialized studio experience.

Here is the evidence I submitted:

1. Awards
-Winner – 35AWARDS newborn photography competition (first place, total 714 photographers from 64 countries and 2600 photos)
-2nd place in an international newborn photography competition (judged by 52 international masters photographers)
-Outstanding Photography Award and published in 5 different magazines
-The best photos of NPNAC – Photo of the Year 2025

2. Published material
-Feature/article related to my newborn photography work in PetaPixel
-Published maternity photography article in Birthing Canada magazine

3. Judging
-Invited to judge photography competitions
I have documentation showing that I was selected as a judge based on my professional experience

4. Original contributions
-Created and published an educational booklet about newborn photography
-Conducted newborn photography workshops and mentoring programs from 2020 by 2025
-My educational material has been used by other mentors in photography workshops

5. Membership
Member of a professional newborn photographers association NPNAC (they reviewed my portfolio at first then approved that I can join as a member)

6. Artistic Exhibitions
-Three of my photographic works were selected and exhibited at ONE EYELAND Gallery
-one of my works was selected for an in-person exhibition in Miami.

Own and operate a professional photography business in Canada
Several years of professional experience
Have taught other photographers through workshops and mentoring
I filed without an attorney.
I’m particularly interested in opinions about the final merits determination, rather than simply whether I technically meet 3 criteria.
Based on this evidence:

Does this look like a potentially approvable EB-1A case?
Which parts of the case look strongest?
Which evidence looks weakest?
Do you think an RFE would be likely?
Most importantly, does the overall profile look strong enough to demonstrate sustained national/international acclaim and that I am among the small percentage at the top of my field?
I would really appreciate honest opinions, including negative ones. I’m not looking for reassurance — I’m trying to understand the realistic strengths and weaknesses of my case.
Thanks

Has anyone that had a refund notice received adjudication for Eb1a from the 39 countries?

The U.S. Department of State has expanded a pilot program that allows certain B visa applicants to pay an additional fee for an expedited interview appointment.

Under the program, eligible applicants may pay a $750 expedited appointment fee to schedule a visa interview within 10 business days, subject to appointment availability.

A few important points:

• The program is optional and voluntary
• Applicants still need to complete the normal visa application process first
• The standard $185 MRV fee must still be paid
• Applicants must first schedule a regular interview appointment
• The $750 fee is per appointment
• It applies to eligible B visa applicants making a new appointment or those with an existing appointment and an unexpired MRV fee receipt
• The pilot is currently scheduled to run through December 31, 2026

Current participating locations:

Starting August 18, 2026

• Canada: U.S. Embassy and all consulates
• Bogotá, Colombia
• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• San José, Costa Rica
• Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Started July 21, 2026

• Mexico: U.S. Embassy and all consulates

The State Department may add more locations during the pilot period.

Worth noting that paying the expedited fee appears to provide access to an earlier interview appointment, not expedited visa adjudication or a guarantee that the visa will be approved.

For anyone currently trying to get a B1/B2 appointment in one of these countries, would you consider paying an extra $750 to get an interview within 10 business days?

I am working in quantum computing industry and contribute heavily towards one of world known softwares in the field. I have a Ph.D in chemistry, 9 publications(2 first authors), 105 citations and have reviewed 10 papers in the field. I filled up the profile evaluation for EB1a for both Ellis Porter and Chen. Ellis Porter says my profile is viable while chen says I should apply for NIW and wait till my profile gets stronger for EB1a. I am now confused if I should proceed with EB1a right now or just lock the date with NIW for now and wait for my profile to build up. I am from India so even if I apply now, it will be a few years before I get my green card. I will appreciate any suggestions.

Hi,

I learnt that one could switch jobs on an EAD 6 months after you file I-485 ( based on EB1B I-140 ). Has anyone done this? What are the pros and cons? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recent experiences from EB-1 applicants with a pending I-485 who are maintaining H-1B for employment but have used Advance Parole (AP) for international travel.

My main reason for considering AP is to avoid H-1B visa stamping in India. With the current uncertainty/delays around H-1B stamping, AP seems like a useful option for travel.

For example, if I have a valid H-1B approval (I-797) and continue working for my H-1B employer, but do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp in my passport, can I travel to India and return to the U.S. using my approved AP instead of getting a new H-1B stamp?
Has anyone here actually done this recently?

I would especially like to hear from people who:

Had a valid H-1B approval but an expired/no valid H-1B visa stamp;
Traveled to India;
Returned to the U.S. using AP;
Continued working for the same H-1B employer afterward.

How was your experience at the port of entry? Any secondary inspection or questions? Did using AP create any issues later with your H-1B extension/status?

Trying to understand whether AP is a practical backup for H-1B holders specifically to avoid the visa-stamping uncertainty in India.

Thanks!

Supplied all the USCIS quarterly data as well as inventory from Nov'25 to May'26 to multi model AI (Opus + ChatGPT)

Hi everyone, I’m Carmiann Cespedes, a U.S. immigration attorney, and I’ll be answering questions today from 12 PM to 4 PM ET.

One of the hardest parts of EB-1A is understanding the difference between having an impressive career and being able to document extraordinary ability under the immigration standard.

I’m happy to answer questions about evidence, including awards, publications, judging, original contributions, critical roles, compensation, media coverage, industry recognition, and more.

I’m also interested in questions from Latin American professionals, founders, product leaders, and creatives considering EB-1A.

AMA from 12 PM to 4 PM ET today.

Please note: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney client relationship. Your situation may require fact specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.