The Vermont Service Center (VSC) VAWA/U/T Unit, which processes U visa petitions [see article], notified AILA [PDF version] on November 13, 2015, that it will stop processing Form I-918s (the petition for a U visa) because it is currently focused on updating U visa cap [see category] numbers. This is a routine process that will not ultimately change whether pending U visa petitions are ultimately approved. I will update my blog when the VSC provides notification that it has resumed processing Form I-918s.

Ksena Karelina Freed From Russian Prison
Ksena Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russia citizen, was freed from Russian prison in a prisoner exchange after she had received a lengthy sentence for making a $52 donation to a charity conducting humanitarian work in Ukraine.