On September 4, 2025, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that the agency will now be authorized to employ its own law enforcement agents with arrest powers in accordance with the final rule printed in the Federal Register on September 5, 2025.
Read moreHow to Navigate the End of Third-Country Visa Processing for Nonimmigrant Visas
On September 6, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) announced the end of a decades-old practice that allowed nonimmigrant visa applicants to schedule interviews in third countries—places other than their country of nationality or legal residence. The change sweeps broadly, affecting students applying for F-1 and J-1 visas, visitors requiring B-1/B-2 visas, and professionals applying for H-1B, O-1, and other work categories. The announcement comes at the heels of a previous decision announced on July 25th that effective September 2, 2025, all nonimmigrant visa applicants, including applicants under the age of 14 and over the age of 79, will generally require an in-person interview with a consular officer putting an end to the visa drop box or Interview Waiver Program.
Read morePatriotism is Inclusion
Elevar La Cultura NYC” by Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez
Over the summer, we took in Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez’s “Elevar La Cultura NYC” which was housed at The Shed, an NYC cultural and artistic center in the heart of Hudson Yards, for a limited run through the end of August. Quiñonez, who is professionally known as Marka27, is a Mexican-born, Brooklyn-based artist, who fuses street culture with ancestral tradition in his bold “Neo Indigenous” style. From graffiti roots to large-scale murals, sculptures, and installations, his work pulses with cultural pride, social justice, and community spirit.
“Elevar La Cultura NYC” (or Elevate the Culture NYC) is no different and reimagines the iconic Mayan pyramids, which he built entirely from portable coolers. These humble containers honor NYC’s immigrant street vendors, the unsung heroes selling water, fruit, and tamales on city streets. The pyramid’s base displays the goods of these vendors along with symbols of the artist’s Mexican heritage. Summoning the sweet nostalgia of summer through sun-soaked memories of picnics and beach trips, Marka27’s installation isn’t just art; it’s a celebration of community, resilience, and playfulness, all wrapped in color, culture, and creativity.
We are All Part of the Story
“Mil Veces un Instante” (“A thousand times an Instant”) by Teresa Margolles
As the days get shorter and summer draws to a close, we are back to our regular selection of public art installations. This week we visited the Fourth Plinth, a blank slate for exciting exhibitions located in London’s Trafalgar Square. Currently on display is “Mil Veces un Instante” (“A Thousand Times an Instant”) by acclaimed artist Teresa Margolles.
This powerful installation features plaster casts of the faces of 726 transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals in a rectangular prism atop the plinth. Each cast took over an hour to create, offering Margolles a moment of connection with every participant. The choice of plaster, strong yet fragile, mirrors the resilience and vulnerability of community. Over time, the sculpture will wear as a result of the elements and time, a quiet reminder that visibility and solidarity must be actively nurtured. This piece is a call to reflect on who we stand beside, and how we can hold space for one another, one instant at a time.
Visa Bond Pilot Program for Visitors Effective August 20, 2025
On August 5, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) published a temporary final rule in the Federal Register that will test a visa bond pilot program for one year commencing August 20, 2025. Nationals of certain countries, currently Malawi and Zambia with more countries to be added to the list, will potentially be subject to the bond requirement when applying for B-1/B-2 visas for travel to the US. Under the program, consular officers, at their discretion, may require certain nonimmigrant visa applicants to pay a refundable bond of $5000, $10,000, or $15,000 before a visa is issued. Visas issued under the pilot program will be valid for three months and a single entry into the US. US Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) will admit the visa holders for a maximum stay of 30 days in most cases.
Read moreNew CBP Rule Changes How Airlines Report Passenger Gender Information
On July 7, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) instructed airlines and other travel carriers on a new rule that they must submit "M" (male) or "F" (female) in the sex field of the pre-departure information they transmit to CBP through the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), even if the traveler's passport contains a sex indicator other than M or F or does not otherwise indicate the sex of the traveler. This new rule, which has been in practice since July 14, 2025, is based on Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
Read moreSummer Holiday
As August rolls in, we will be taking some time off on our blog and social media for summer holiday. (Well, we may have the occasional photo on Instagram!) However, we will post especially timely or urgent news items on our blog. Whether manufactured or real, like the rainbow we recently caught a glimpse of over the Statue of Liberty, we hope the rest of your summer brings rainbows and sunshine!
