What you’ll learn at this webinar
Unpack how the shift to mandatory electronic payments signals a broader transformation in USCIS operations and compliance.
Explore the long-term implications for trust accounting, financial transparency, and client confidence.
Learn strategies for building resilience as traditional payment methods give way to digital-only systems.
Understand how technology and automation can turn compliance challenges into competitive advantages.
Gain perspective on how these changes will shape the future of immigration practice and community support.
USCIS goes digital: What the immigration community needs to know
On October 28, 2025, USCIS will officially end paper-based filing fee payments, requiring all applicants, employers, and attorneys to pay electronically. Credit card and ACH transactions will replace checks and money orders, signaling not just an administrative update but a fundamental shift in how the immigration process is managed.
While this transition reflects the government’s broader push toward modernization, it also creates new challenges for practitioners and organizations responsible for safeguarding client funds, ensuring compliance, and maintaining trust. For many, the question isn’t just how to adapt—but how to adapt wisely.
The compliance and security challenge
Electronic payments offer speed and convenience, but they also expose firms and applicants to new risks. Sensitive credit card and ACH information must now be listed directly on USCIS forms, creating vulnerabilities that checks never posed. For employers and attorneys, losing case-specific checks means losing a simple, auditable trail that tied every payment to a client matter. The result: heightened concerns around security, reconciliation, and compliance.
Rethinking financial workflows
When all charges show up simply as “USCIS,” firms and community organizations lose the built-in identifiers that made reconciliation straightforward. Without clear one-to-one tracking, staff must manually match payments to matters—slowing down operations and increasing the risk of costly errors. For practices already under pressure, this change highlights the urgent need to rethink financial workflows and adopt tools that make transparency and accuracy possible in a digital-only environment.
The future of trust and accountability
For immigration law, trust accounting isn’t just a process—it’s a responsibility. Every dollar paid on behalf of a client must be clearly documented and accounted for. By removing paper checks, USCIS is forcing firms and organizations to explore new systems for ensuring accuracy and compliance. This is more than an administrative hurdle; it’s a turning point shaping how the immigration community manages fiduciary responsibility in a digital era.
Preparing for what’s next
This upcoming 45-minute webinar with attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez will help immigration stakeholders understand the impact of this change and prepare proactively. Attendees will learn:
How to anticipate the operational, compliance, and security challenges of electronic-only payments.
Why traditional reconciliation methods no longer work in the new system.
What technology-driven solutions—such as virtual payment cards, automated reconciliation, and real-time tracking—can reduce risk and restore confidence.
By planning ahead, firms and organizations can transform disruption into opportunity, building systems that are not only compliant but also more efficient and client-centered.
Presenter
Giselle M. Rodriguez, Founder and Attorney, Giselle M. Rodriguez PLLC