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Original Date Announced
December 22, 2025USCIS 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 7Effective Date
December 18, 2025Current Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: Agency DirectiveSubject Matter: Immigrant Visas: Employment-BasedAgencies Affected: USCISAssociated or Derivative Policies
Pre Trump-Era Policies
- August 9, 2025 2025.08.29 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt E Ch 6
- August 29, 2025 2025.08.29 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 7
- November 3, 2025 2025.11.03 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 5
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
- New Policy
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New Policy
Original Source:
USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt E Ch 6
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New Policy
Original Source:
USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 5
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New Policy
Original Source:
USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 7
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Prior Policy
Original Source:
2025.08.29 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt E Ch 6
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Prior Policy
Original Source:
2025.08.29 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 7
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Prior Policy
Original Source:
2025.11.03 USCIS Policy Manual - Vol 6 Pt F Ch 5
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