USCIS’s latest employment-based petition data show a striking split: EB-1A approvals fell to 32.2% in FY2026 Q3, while EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) approvals climbed to 55.3%. Employer-filed EB-1B and EB-1C cases remained above 90%.
These figures can help you understand the changing adjudication landscape. But they are not a prediction of what will happen in your case.
How should
Immigration news, not a change in the law yet: DHS has proposed eliminating the up-to-60-day grace period that certain employment-based visa holders may use after their qualifying job or activity ends. The proposal is not final. The current grace period remains in effect today.
The proposal appeared in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026, as Eliminating the Discretionary 60-Day
A fast-moving immigration alert for employers: On October 8, 2026, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced at a White House press conference that it was suspending PERM processing for eight major employers. The announcement was made by Vice President JD Vance, alongside Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and DOL Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito.
As of October 10,
Winter travel is approaching, and many families are deciding whether to visit relatives, attend important events, or take planned vacations outside the United States. If you have a pending green card application, however, your travel decision should be based on your complete immigration history, not simply on whether you have a travel document.
On August 13, 2026, the Board of
A second federal court has blocked the government from enforcing the extra $100,000 H-1B payment requirement.
On September 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam of the Northern District of California granted a preliminary injunction blocking the government from implementing key sections of the renewed presidential proclamation requiring certain employers to pay $100,000 when filing H-1B petitions for beneficiaries outside
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin was released by the Department of State on September 29, 2026-and it brings both major opportunities and important warnings.
This is the first Visa Bulletin of fiscal year 2027 (FY2027). The new fiscal year reset released a fresh supply of employment-based immigrant visa numbers, allowing several India and China categories to reopen or advance.
At
Update as of September 20, 2026: The White House has extended the $100,000 H-1B fee through September 21, 2027. However, the fee remains blocked by a federal court order, and USCIS is still barred from collecting it under the current litigation.
This article updates our July 2026 coverage, “Federal Court Deals Another Blow to Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Fee: What Employers
The Trump Gold Card is now available, but it is not a simple “pay $1 million and receive a green card” program. For some high-net-worth individuals, it may offer a faster way to present an employment-based immigration case. For others, especially people born in India or China, the Gold Card may speed up the petition while leaving the larger visa
H-1B alert: On September 18, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security, and State to consider an employer’s recent or planned layoffs when reviewing H-1B cases.
The order focuses on whether a sponsoring employer has “directly or indirectly” laid off employees within the previous year or plans layoffs that could negatively affect the
Important update: The official October 2026 Visa Bulletin has not been released as of September 20, 2026. This article is a preview based on official statements from the U.S. Department of State and the current September information from USCIS. It does not provide confirmed October cutoff dates.
Before you file an adjustment-of-status application or make travel and employment decisions, check