A pardon forgives the conviction. It does not undo the deportation. Newsweek asked me what would happen if Joe Giudice received a presidential pardon, and the answer is that he would still be outside the United States, still without a green card, and still asking the government for permission to come back. Here is why, and what every green card holder should take from it.

After the worldwide pause that began August 25, 2026, embassies are rescheduling immigrant visa interviews with a longer, finance-heavy document request: credit reports, social assistance records, asset valuations, health insurance plans and job offers. Here is the full list, item by item, and how to prepare.

The State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at consulates worldwide while officers are trained on new public charge screening. Who is affected, who is not, the September 18 connection, and what families should do while they wait.

A federal judge struck down the State Department policy that froze immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, including Russia, and ordered policy-based refusals reconsidered. Who this touches, what to do now, and why the window may not stay open.

In Matter of R-A-N-, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that conscription alone is not a basis for asylum, even conscription into Russia’s condemned war. What the decision killed, what survives it, and what pending applicants should do now.

Ukraine TPS was scheduled to end October 19, 2026. DHS missed its own deadline to decide, and the statute says that silence extends the designation to April 19, 2027. USCIS has never confirmed it, and the work permits still say October 19. Updated October 16 with what that means for your status, your job, and what to do this week.

On September 18, the green card application form changes with no grace period, and the public charge rules behind it change too. Which edition to file when, who is exempt, and how to think about the deadline.

USCIS can now require online filing for immigration forms, phasing out paper form by form. What the new rule says, what changes for applicants, and how to prepare.

As of August 5, USCIS may deny incomplete applications outright, without first requesting missing evidence. What the new policy says, who it affects, and what to do now.

New federal data shows longer waits and higher denial rates across USCIS in 2026. Here is what it means for your case and what to do about it.

How to apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa — the DS-160, the interview, and what consular officers look for.

Common questions about the O-1 visa for people of extraordinary ability — who qualifies, what evidence counts, and how long it lasts.

The practical first steps after arriving in the United States — documents, Social Security, ID, and the deadlines that start running on day one.

How the diversity visa lottery actually works, what the odds look like by region, and what improves — and what cannot improve — your chances.

What Ukraine’s suspension of consular services for military-age men abroad meant for documents, renewals, and pending U.S. immigration cases.