Business Immigration Insights

A US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) interim final rule implementing a new Annual Asylum Fee goes into effect on May 29, 2026, and carries serious consequences if the fee is not paid within 30 days of notification. 

The State Department has published the May Visa Bulletin. The acceleration in green card availability that began in March will abruptly stop in May for all categories except EB-3 Other Workers, All Other Countries, which will advance 3 months. Moreover, for the first time this fiscal year, USCIS will accept I‑485 applications based on Final Action Dates, not the more favorable Dates for Filing chart. Any applicant who is current under Dates for Filing in April, but not Final Action Dates in May, must either file their green card application by the end of April or wait until their priority date is current again.

Please join Hunton’s Immigration attorneys as they provide a comprehensive overview of US business immigration in 2026.  We will delve into key policy updates, visa program changes, and enforcement trends affecting employers.  Our panel will provide practical guidance on navigating compliance and adapting to the latest challenges in immigration.

Without fanfare or formal announcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently implemented a policy shift that will materially increase fine amounts that U.S. employers potentially face during I-9 audits.

U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy (US District Court for the District of Massachusetts) ordered the postponement of the termination of TPS for Ethiopians in the United States stating that the record is “replete with evidence” that the conditions in Ethiopia remain too dangerous for Ethiopians to safely return and that the government failed to follow statutory requirements before ending a TPS program. 

In our article, Citizens of Almost 40 Countries Must Pay $5,000-15,000 Bond for U.S. Visitor Visas Under Pilot Program, we reported in detail on the State Department’s visa bond pilot program.

The State Department has published the April Visa Bulletin. The trend that began in March continues in April: the executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries continue to accelerate availability of green cards for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.

On March 6, 2026, the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC upheld the lower court’s finding that the government failed to “meet its burden of demonstrating irreparable harm alone justifies denying emergency relief that would upend the status quo and increase uncertainty while this appeal proceeds.” 

This post serves as a regularly updated resource to keep employers informed regarding TPS designations, extensions, cancellations, and other policy changes.

The State Department has published the March Visa Bulletin, marking the midpoint in the fiscal year. This is typically when priority dates slow their forward movement, stop entirely, or even reverse, but a series of executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries has resulted in accelerating them for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.