Pabian Law Clients,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a safe and happy new year. Below, please find our latest update on the recent immigration actions that have occurred in the last two weeks:
More countries added to the travel ban list
On December 16th, a Presidential Proclamation was signed that added five (5) more countries to the travel ban list. The new countries are Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. The Administration also fully restricted travel on people with Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents.
Additional updates under the Proclamation:
- It imposes full restrictions and entry limitations on Laos and Sierra Leone which were previously only subject to partial restrictions.
- It adds partial restrictions to fifteen (15) more countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Although the Proclamation continues to provide exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests, it tightens family-based immigrant visa rules due to fraud concerns, while still allowing for case-by-case exceptions.
Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia
On December 12th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of TPS for Ethiopia effective on February 13, 2026. On February 13th, legal statuses and work authorizations for Ethiopian TPS holders in the U.S. will end. Not only will this affect Ethiopian foreign nationals but also employers employing Ethiopian workers under this program. Therefore, employers should immediately begin the reverification process for workers.
TPS Terminations Vacated for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and South Sudan
On December 30th and 31st, two district courts vacated DHS’s decision to vacate TPS for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and South Sudan. Therefore, TPS holders under these designations remain in status and their work authorizations (EADs) remain valid. However, as with other TPS designations that were terminated, it is expected that DHS will appeal the courts’ decisions. At this time, employers are not required to reverify workers. However, because previous TPS designation decisions were appealed and ultimately terminated, it is recommended that employers encourage workers to contact their humanitarian immigration lawyer to discuss their options in the event their TPS is terminated.
DHS changes process for awarding H-1B work visas
On December 23rd, DHS amended the regulations governing the H-1B work visa selection process. Now, the agency will implement a weighted selection process to prioritize the allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign nationals in order to “better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.” The new rule replaces the random lottery process for selection of H-1B visa recipients. This final rule becomes effective on February 27, 2026, and will apply to the fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap registration season.
We hope that you find these resources helpful as we all try to make sense of what is really happening in the world of immigration law.
Thanks, everyone, and have a great weekend!
Best regards,
Keith and the Pabian Law Team