Release Date 12/18/2025 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today issued policy guidance (PDF, 309.13 KB) in Volume 6 of the USCIS Policy Manual to address the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) adoption of the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system , and its effect on certain immigrant visa petitions filed on behalf of professional athletes. This update continues our goal of restoring integrity to the U.S. immigration system by ensuring USCIS adjudicators have all required information needed to make timely, informed decisions on aliens’ eligibility for immigration benefits. For Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers , the petitioner must establish that the alien beneficiary and the job offered meet the requirements of the requested classification. Permanent labor certifications for professional athletes that were electronically filed with the DOL using its FLAG system on or after June 1, 2023, no longer contain the minimum job requirements for the offered position. Accordingly, if the professional athlete’s contract does not contain this information, and the petitioner does not otherwise provide the minimum requirements of the job with their Form I-140, USCIS may request additional evidence to determine whether the petition can be approved in the requested classification. While we receive fewer than 100 labor certifications filed on behalf of professional athletes each year, this update impacts all major U.S. professional sports teams and their minor league affiliates. Since June 1, 2023, DOL has required permanent labor certification applications to be filed using its FLAG system. The FLAG system contains a revised Form ETA-9089, Application for Permanent Employment Certification, as well as four appendices and the Final Determination: Permanent Employment Certification Approval. The new Form ETA-9089 no longer collects information about the minimum requirements of the job opportunity. Instead, aliens now provide that information to DOL using Form ETA-9141, Application for Prevailing Wage Determination. Because DOL regulations exempt professional athletes from the prevailing wage determination requirement, under the FLAG system, labor certification approvals for professional athletes do not contain the minimum requirements for the job. USCIS requires this information to adjudicate labor certification-based immigrant petitions. An overview of the DOL FLAG system and a description of the new labor certification-related documentation that must be submitted with the Form I-140 are also included in the policy manual update. https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-clarifies-requirements-for-professional-athletes Last Reviewed/Updated: 12/18/2025

Release Date 12/12/2025 The Department of Homeland Security is terminating all categorical family reunification parole (FRP) programs for aliens from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras, and their immediate family members. This administration is ending the abuse of humanitarian parole which allowed poorly vetted aliens to circumvent the traditional parole process. Parole was never intended to be used in this way, and DHS is returning parole to a case-by-case basis as intended by Congress. Ending the FRP programs is a necessary return to common-sense policies and a return to America First. The desire to reunite families does not overcome the government’s responsibility to prevent fraud and abuse and to uphold national security and public safety. The FRP programs had security gaps caused by insufficient vetting that malicious and fraudulent actors could exploit to enter the United States, which posed an unacceptable level of risk to the United States. DHS is prioritizing the safety, security, and financial and economic well-being of Americans. A Federal Register notice explains how the termination of the FRP programs will be administered. If an alien was paroled in the United States under the FRP programs and their parole has not yet expired on Jan. 14, 2026, it will terminate on that date unless the alien has a pending Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status , that is postmarked or electronically filed on or before Dec. 15, 2025, and is still pending on Jan. 14, 2026. If the alien has a pending Form I-485, their parole will remain valid until either their period of parole expires or we make a final decision on their pending Form I-485, whichever is sooner. If we deny their Form I-485, their period of parole will be terminated, and they should depart the United States immediately. When we terminate an alien’s period of parole under the FRP programs, we also will revoke their employment authorization based on that parole. We will notify each alien individually that DHS is terminating their parole period and revoking their employment authorization. Aliens who do not have a lawful basis to stay in the United States after termination of the FRP programs must depart the United States before their parole termination date. These aliens should use the CBP Home app to report their intent to depart the United States. Incentives such as an exit bonus, financial and travel document assistance, and forgiveness of civil fines are available to qualifying aliens. See DHS’s CBP Home webpage for more information. Last Reviewed/Updated: 12/12/2025 https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/dhs-ends-the-abuse-of-the-humanitarian-parole-process-and-terminates-family-reunification-parole