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2.0

USCIS amends Policy Manual to revise visa petition guidelines for athletes

  1. Original Date Announced

    December 22, 2025

    USCIS issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual addressing the U.S. Department of Labor's adoption of the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system and its impact on certain visa petitions filed on behalf of professional athletes.

    The guidance explains that starting June 2023, DOL has required permanent labor certification applications to be filed using its FLAG system. However, under the FLAG system, labor certification approvals for professional athletes do not contain the minimum requirements for the job. USCIS may thus issue a request for evidence to obtain the minimum job requirements if that information is not contained in supporting documentation.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #2174]

    2025.12.18 USCIS Policy Alert - Labor Certification-Based Immigrant Petitions for Professional Athletes 2025.12.22 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt E Ch 6 2025.12.22 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 5 2025.12.22 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 7
  2. Effective Date

    December 18, 2025

Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Agency Directive
Agencies Affected: USCIS

To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com