The final quarter of 2025 ushered in a string of high-impact policy shifts that touch nearly every corner of the immigration system—from how people pay filing fees to what questions are asked at naturalization interviews, how work authorization is preserved while renewals are pending, and how officers will assess whether someone is likely to become a “public charge.”
New parole fee takes effect
On Oct. 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began collecting a $1,000 fee from noncitizens paroled into the United States. The charge applies when DHS grants parole under INA §212(d)(5) and is intended to curb perceived misuse of parole authorities; the Federal Register notice and department guidance make clear this fee is now part of the routine processing of humanitarian and other parole grants.
USCIS goes fully electronic for fee payments
Beginning in late October, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) moved away from paper payments. The agency implemented a transition requiring electronic payments for most benefit requests—meaning applicants who file on or after Oct. 28, 2025, must generally pay by ACH (Automated Clearing House) or card rather than check or money order.
USCIS framed the change as part of a modernization effort to reduce fraud and administrative burdens, but stakeholders warned about access gaps for applicants who lack U.S. bank accounts or reliable online payment options.
Automatic EAD extensions eliminated for most categories
In an interim final rule published at the end of October, DHS ended the long-standing practice of automatically extending Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for many renewal filings. Effective Oct. 30, 2025, unless specifically exempted by law or regulation, timely-filed renewals in impacted categories no longer generate the up-to-540-day automatic extension that recipients relied on to bridge processing delays.
A narrow set of exceptions (statutory or regulatory) remain, such as temporary protected status (TPS) beneficiaries, whose extensions continue via notices, and those with EADs extended before the deadline. The purpose of this change is to prioritize the proper vetting and screening of foreign nationals before granting a new period of employment authorization and/or a new EAD.
The move immediately raised concerns among employers and immigrant advocates about gaps in work authorization, possible payroll disruptions, and the practical need for earlier filings or alternative status planning.
Public charge returns to the spotlight—DHS proposes broad rescission
On Nov. 19, 2025, DHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to rescind the 2022 public-charge regulatory framework and replace it with a new approach that would afford immigration officers more discretion in assessing whether an applicant is likely to rely primarily on public benefits. The NPRM signals a shift away from the relatively specific criteria adopted in recent years and would expand the types of public benefits and circumstances considered in inadmissibility determinations.
The proposal drew immediate pushback from health, legal and immigrant-rights groups that warned of chilling effects on benefit enrollment and on families seeking adjustment of status. The NPRM is open for public comment under the timeline in the Federal Register.
Naturalization civics test updated
USCIS implemented the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test for all Form N-400 filings postmarked on or after Oct. 20, 2025. For the revamped test, USCIS has expanded the bank of questions and adjusted the minimum passing score.
USCIS intends to better measure applicants’ knowledge of U.S. history and government with this test, while preserving language-access accommodations for eligible applicants. USCIS posted the new test materials and study guides in advance so applicants could prepare for the change.
Administrative processing delays at U.S. consulates
Foreign nationals and practitioners have reported delays in obtaining visas through U.S. consulates attributed to “administrative processing.” This appears to be related to additional scrutiny of social media, but may also reflect overall enhanced scrutiny.
Practical implications and what to watch next
Taken together, these changes create a more administratively strict environment: higher upfront costs for parole, more rigid payment mechanics, fewer automatic safety nets for workers whose permits expire and a potential tightening of admissibility standards via public-charge rulemaking.
Immigrants, employers and practitioners should review filing and fee procedures, consider earlier renewals where possible, and check with legal counsel on new developments, public comments, and litigation (the public-charge NPRM in particular is likely to produce legal challenges and policy debate).
For family- and employer-sponsored cases, the monthly Visa Bulletin continues to shape filing windows, so applicants should check the State Department schedules when timing filings.
Bottom line: Late 2025 saw enforcement and administrative priorities recalibrated—more fees, digital payment requirements, fewer automatic work-permit protections and a re-emergence of public-charge scrutiny. Each change has cascading effects on case strategy, access to services and continuity of work authorization; those affected should consult updated USCIS/DHS guidance and immigration counsel to adapt quickly.
Barbara Wong-Wilson is an attorney at Mission Law & Advocacy, P.C. and SW Law Group P.C. If you have any questions on U.S. immigration matters, please feel free to reach out to wo**@*********ws.com or wo**@****pc.com.
