All Topics

Following a federal court order in Medani v. Trump, the U.S. Department of State has resumed issuing Diversity Immigrant Visas after a nine-month pause that began in December 2025. DV-2026 selectees now face a critical deadline of September 30, 2026, to complete their visa processing or permanently lose their opportunity for permanent residence through the diversity visa lottery program.

U.S. citizens and Green Card holders can reunite with their foreign spouses through a structured immigration process involving Form I-130, proving a genuine marriage, and navigating consular procedures. Understanding the differences between immediate relative and family-preference categories, financial sponsorship requirements, and conditional residence rules is essential for successful family reunification through marriage.

In a recent PTAB decision, Director Squires addressed whether Microsoft's IPR petition should proceed despite Sandpiper CDN's discretionary denial request. The ruling hinged on two critical factors: the novelty of Microsoft's art citations and Sandpiper CDN's failure to disclose its own commonly assigned prior art during patent prosecution. This case provides important guidance on how patent owners' prosecution conduct can impact discretionary denial outcomes at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.