Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

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Country All countriesAQAntarcticaAUAustraliaBRBrazilCACanadaCNChina (Mainland)EGEgyptFRFranceDEGermanyHKHong KongIEIrelandITItalyJPJapanMXMexicoMAMoroccoNLNetherlandsNZNew ZealandPTPortugalSGSingaporeZASouth AfricaKRSouth KoreaESSpainAEUnited Arab EmiratesGBUnited KingdomUSUnited States
Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
In force 20 Jan 2025
In force Residency

Presidential executive orders on immigration issued on inauguration day

A series of executive orders issued on 20 January 2025 substantially reshaped US immigration policy — ending CBP One parole appointments at the southern border, ending Biden-era humanitarian parole programmes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, directing enhanced interior enforcement, and initiating a review of refugee-admission ceilings. Subsequent implementing orders and court rulings have tempered, expanded, or delayed various elements.

Who it affects: Broad immigration ecosystem — asylum, border enforcement, parole programmes, humanitarian protections.

The White House ↗ · US Department of Homeland Security ↗ · USCIS — US Citizenship and Immigration Services ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2025
In force Residency

DACA programme remains under litigation; no new applications accepted

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remains under continued federal court litigation following the 5th Circuit's September 2023 ruling upholding the July 2021 district-court order that found the programme unlawful. Existing DACA recipients continue to be able to renew; no new initial applications are being processed pending final judicial resolution. Congressional legislation remains the only reliable permanent-status path.

Who it affects: Approximately 580,000 current DACA recipients and a larger pool of potentially-eligible undocumented youth.

USCIS — US Citizenship and Immigration Services ↗ · US Department of Homeland Security ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

Announced 7 Feb 2024
Repealed Residency

Bipartisan border-security and immigration-reform bill failed in Senate

A bipartisan border-security and immigration-reform bill negotiated by Senators Lankford, Sinema, and Murphy failed a procedural vote in the Senate on 7 February 2024, after opposition from then-former-president Trump. Represented the closest Congress has come to major immigration reform since 2013. Subsequent administrative actions by both the Biden (2024) and Trump (2025) administrations have substituted for legislative change in practice.

Who it affects: Broad US immigration policy — no major legislative reform enacted.

The White House ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2024
In force Residency

Public charge rule reverted to pre-2019 "totality of circumstances" framework

The 2022 final rule reverting the public-charge inadmissibility determination to a "totality of circumstances" framework (the pre-2019 standard) remains in force. USCIS Form I-944 is not required; Form I-864 affidavit of support continues to be the primary vehicle. Does not consider non-cash benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, or public housing as public charge factors.

Who it affects: All adjustment-of-status applicants and new immigrant-visa applicants.

USCIS — US Citizenship and Immigration Services ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2024
In force Residency

Visa Bulletin retrogression continues for key employment-based categories

Through 2024–2026 the Visa Bulletin continued to reflect significant retrogression in employment-based categories — particularly EB-2 and EB-3 for India (current priority dates in the early-mid 2010s) and China. EB-5 set-aside categories (rural, high-unemployment) remain current for most nationalities. Movement is a function of annual demand versus the 140,000 employment-based annual limit and per-country 7% cap.

Who it affects: Employment-based green-card applicants in backlogged categories and countries.

US Department of State ↗ · verified 2026-04-19