Immigration guidance you can check for yourself.
Waypoint is an independent, free guide. We turn official U.S. immigration rules, fees and data into plain language — and show you exactly where every fact comes from, so you never have to take our word for it.
Immigration information is public. Understanding it shouldn't be hard.
Plain language first
Short sentences and real form numbers, not boilerplate. Each page is written by an editor and reviewed by a legal professional.
Source on everything
Every fee, rule and statistic links to the official agency page, with the checked date and the exact section.
Neutral and factual
We explain the rules as they are, not as we think they should be. No editorialising on policy. No political framing.
Private by design
We don't collect case numbers, file numbers or any personal data. Nothing you do on this site leaves your device.
How a fact gets onto a page
Seven steps, every time. Below is a step to see what happens.
Find the official source
For every fact, we go to the official page, document or table — a government feed, gazette or decree. We record the URL, the section and the date we retrieved it.
Every page tells you how fresh it is
Immigration rules can change without warning. So instead of hiding that, we show it — with a status badge you can read at a glance.
What you'll see on a page:
| Status | When it applies | About the fee | About the page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Checked in the last 30 days, no source change since | Up to date | Full page review |
| Ageing | Checked 31–90 days ago | May be out of date | Scheduled for re-check |
| Needs review | Over 90 days, or source changed | If someone gives you this name, this page is wrong | Full review with a notice |
| Superseded | A newer fee rule, form or policy is in effect | Wrong — do not use | Blocking banner |
| Contested | Blocked or paused by a court | We explain what applies now and when checked |
What we re-check, and when
New Visa Bulletin and USCIS chart choice every month. What it means, and which dates moved.
When a fee rule is proposed, finalised or takes effect. The effective date is the switch date.
New edition dates checked the day USCIS posts them. The checklist re-checks the same day.
History charts extend when new Yearbook tables are published. Late or missing years are noted.
Every guide and process page is re-checked against the official source every 90 days, sooner if something changes.
What we do — and what we never do
We explain how immigration works. We are not lawyers, and we are not the government.
We do
- Explain how each process works, step by step, across agencies
- Show current fees and rules with their official source and date
- Offer free tools that show the rule behind every result
- Point you to licensed attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives for advice
- Teach you how to spot and report immigration scams
We never
- Advise or tell you which form(s) you should file
- Ask for case numbers, passport numbers or your status
- Charge anyone anything, at any time, for any service
- Pretend to be USCIS, the State Department or any agency
This is general information to help you understand the rules. It is not legal advice about your situation. For advice, speak to a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
Where our information comes from
Official sources only. We may link to curated nonprofits for help, but we never use news or blog articles as a source of facts.
| Source | What we use it for | How often we check |
|---|---|---|
| USCIS uscis.gov | Forms, fees (G-1055), Policy Manual, processing times, case status tools | Continuously monitored |
| U.S. Department of State travel.state.gov | Visas abroad, Visa Bulletin, Diversity Visa program | Monthly and on change |
| DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics ohss.dhs.gov | Yearbook tables: green cards, naturalizations, refugees, foreign-born | When new tables publish |
| U.S. Census Bureau census.gov | Foreign-born population and share since 1850 | Yearly |
| CBP, DOL and EOIR cbp.gov / dol.gov / justice.gov/eoir | Entry and ESTA, labor certification, immigration courts and accredited representatives | On change |
| Federal Register federalregister.gov | Annual limits, eligibility rules, new and proposed rules | Each new Federal Register entry |
One guide per country, built around how each system works
Every country organises immigration differently, so each guide gets its own structure with its own terminology and official sources. Select a country to see its plan.
Organised around one long process that crosses several federal agencies from visa application to lawful permanent residence.
Open the US guide →What the US guide includes
- Cross-agency journey for every goal
- Forms A to Z with current fees and edition dates
- Filing fee estimator and naturalization eligibility check
- Visa Bulletin reader and history data
- History charts: green cards, naturalizations, refugees
The people behind each page
Research, write and update every page. Every fact is checked against its primary source before publishing.
Reviews all rule and process pages for accuracy before launch and after significant rule changes.
Checks every statistic against the DHS and Census source tables, and reviews every chart and table view.
Free for everyone, paid for in the open
We are and will always be paid by partners — such as universities, libraries and community organisations — not by the people using the guide. Partners never control content.
Our commitments
- No fee for guides, form filing, status or status-advisory services
- No paid placement in search results or on any page
- Every official source named publicly on the page
- No data sold or shared. No ad trackers in V1
Funding sources and partnership agreements are listed per country on the About page.
Found something wrong or out of date?
Tell us the country, the date and a link to the official announcement. We check every report against the source and log the fix.
Please don't include personal details. No names, case or receipt numbers, A-numbers or passport numbers. We never need and never want them.
Page with the problem
Dates are compiled from official sources for general information. We don't advise on individual holidays, and employer policies vary — confirm with your employer or local authority before relying on a date.
We describe holidays; we don't give legal or employment advice about pay or leave entitlement. Waypoint is independent and not affiliated with any government or data provider.