Business Immigration Insights

On September 14, 2026, a federal court stayed the effectiveness of the new DHS rule that drastically changes how F and J visa holders are admitted into the United States. 

The State Department has published the September Visa Bulletin.

Effective today, August 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of State’s 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program becomes permanent, as widely expected.  The list of nations subject to the requirement still stands at 50, but the final rule allows DOS to add countries with 15 days’ notice or remove countries with immediate effect.

The State Department has published the August Visa Bulletin. Priority dates for India freeze next month, while China and the rest of the world remain current or see modest gains in nearly all categories.

The Supreme Court upheld the 14th Amendment’s Birthright Citizenship Clause today in a 6-3 decision.

The State Department has published the July Visa Bulletin. As is typical near the end of the fiscal year, priority date advances are more modest and pauses and retrogression are more common.

On May 21, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum, PM-602-0199, addressing the adjudication of adjustment of status (AOS) applications filed in the United States. Although framed as a reminder of existing law, the memo signals a shift in how USCIS officers are instructed to evaluate AOS applications—prompting concern among employers, foreign nationals, and immigration practitioners.

The State Department announced that visitors from countries required to post bonds to obtain B-2 visitor visas will be waived for nationals of competing countries. 

The State Department has published the June Visa Bulletin. For the first time this fiscal year, the agency will retrogress certain categories due to high demand. EB-1 and EB-2 India will be affected in June, while EB-2 China and EB-3 Philippines are predicted to retrogress later this fiscal year. As it did in May, USCIS will again accept I‑485 applications based on Final Action Dates, not the more favorable Dates for Filing chart.

A Federal Judge blocked the May 4, 2026, termination of the Yemen TPS program, furthering the protection for more than 3,000 Yemeni nationals.