On August 3, 2020 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a new regulation which would change USCIS filing fees and also require USCIS to roll out new versions of several immigration forms in conjunction with the fee changes. The regulation was set to take effect on Friday, October 2, 2020. However, just days prior, on September 29th, 2020, a Federal District Court Judge in California presiding over litigation relating to the new fee rule, blocked the regulation from taking effect via a preliminary injunction. USCIS has yet to release any clarifying guidance as to how applicants and petitions should proceed in light of the injunction and whether filings that utilize the old forms and prior fees will be accepted or rejected if filed after today.

In addition, on September 30th, 2020, Congress passed and the President signed into law a continuing resolution bill titled “Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act” to keep the government funded until December 11, 2020. This legislation includes important changes to the USCIS Premium Processing Program by increasing the cost of premium processing service and expanding it to additional immigration benefits