Posts

Sep 11, 2026 • Immigration News • 3 min read

USCIS Received 45% Fewer Filings and Still Fell Further Behind — Backlog Clearance Time Doubled to 24 Months

New American Immigration Council data shows USCIS pending cases hit a record 12.1 million in FY2026 Q2 while receipts fell 45% and completions fell 44.5%. The EAD queue for green card applicants tripled to 585,000.

USCIS Processing Times NIW EB-2

Sep 10, 2026 • Green Card • 3 min read

856,662 Approved Petitions Are Waiting for a Green Card - and India EB-2 Alone Accounts for 356,360

New USCIS data as of June 2026 shows the employment-based backlog by category and country, with India holding 57% of all approved petitions awaiting a visa number - and dependents are not even counted.

NIW EB-2 Visa Bulletin USCIS

Sep 10, 2026 • Policy Updates • 3 min read

DHS Publishes the 60-Day Grace Period Rule: 3,795 Workers a Year, 208,000 Dependents, Comments Close in November

The proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period for H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and E visa holders hits the Federal Register September 11, opening a 60-day comment period - and DHS's own numbers show the reach extends far beyond the workers themselves.

H-1B USCIS Policy Updates

Sep 10, 2026 • Immigration News • 3 min read

H-1B Approvals Held at 97% Through June - and the RFE Rate Fell. The Crackdown Isn't in the Data Yet

New USCIS I-129 data through June 30, 2026 shows H-1B approvals at 97% and RFEs at 8.5%, while L-1A and O-1 petitions drew RFEs roughly three times as often.

H-1B USCIS Processing Times Policy Updates

Sep 10, 2026 • Policy Updates • 3 min read

The $4,000 H-1B and $4,500 L-1 Fee Now Applies to Same-Employer Extensions - Effective September 9

A DHS final rule effective September 9, 2026 extends the 9-11 biometric fee to routine extension petitions filed by covered 50-50 employers, and the trigger is the filing date.

H-1B USCIS Policy Updates

Sep 10, 2026 • Visa News • 3 min read

The U.S. Resumed Immigrant Visas for Poland and Hungary — and the White House Chose Them

Immigrant visa processing has restarted at U.S. missions in Poland and Hungary while remaining frozen almost everywhere else, on White House instructions the State Department will not explain.

Green Card Processing Times Policy Updates

Sep 10, 2026 • Immigration News • 3 min read

USCIS Q3 Data: NIW Approvals Finally Overtake Denials as EB-1A Slides to 32%

New USCIS I-140 data for April-June 2026 shows the National Interest Waiver approval rate climbing to 55.3% while EB-1A fell to 32.2% - and the NIW backlog hit a record 96,297 pending petitions.

NIW EB-2 USCIS Processing Times

Sep 09, 2026 • Policy Updates • 2 min read

Board of Immigration Appeals Reverses 2012 Precedent: Advance Parole Travel Can Now Trigger the 10-Year Bar

In Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, the BIA overruled Arrabally and Yerrabelly and held that leaving the U.S. on advance parole is a 'departure' that can trigger the three- and ten-year unlawful presence bars.

Green Card USCIS Policy Updates

Sep 09, 2026 • Visa News • 2 min read

DHS Proposes a $103,265 Fee on Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions — Public Comments Close September 24

A DHS proposed rule would add a $103,265 fee to every initial cap-subject H-1B petition, paid by the employer. The public comment window closes September 24, 2026.

H-1B USCIS Policy Updates

Sep 09, 2026 • Policy Updates • 2 min read

Duration of Status Ends September 15: F-1 and J-1 Holders Face Fixed Admission Periods and Mandatory New Forms

DHS's final rule replacing Duration of Status with fixed admission periods takes effect September 15, 2026, and new mandatory editions of Forms I-539 and I-765 arrive the same day with no grace period.

USCIS Processing Times H-1B