Over the course of 2025, the legal residency pathways have significantly decreased. This is due to the increase of government scrutiny towards most immigration processing and vetting procedures. These changes impact millions of individuals currently residing in the U.S.
The following programs have been cancelled, suspended, or reduced in some capacity since January 2025:
- Diversity Lottery (DV1) program.
- Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) Parole program.
- Family Reunification Parole Program.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Afghanistan, and several other countries.
- The CBP One App.
The most recently suspended program, the DV1 lottery, was halted after shooting at Brown University on December 13, 2025. The perpetrator was a Portuguese national that entered under the DV1 lottery in 2017.
According to NPR, most affected individuals are Venezuelan, Haitian, and Honduran nationals that entered the U.S. under some kind of removal parole program. In total, more than one and a half million individuals lost their legal status and path to legal residency since January.
Scrapping legal residency paths has been a stated priority of the government over the past eleven months. The government has also begun screening applicants’ social media accounts to better determine if applicants pose a potential national security or public security threat. The burden is on the applicants to prove their lack of a criminal record or being a threat to the U.S.
As always, Immigration USA actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, we’re with you every step of the way.