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.