July 2026 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action Dates Will Apply for EB Matters for the Third Month in a Row; Minor Forward Movement and Some Retrogression in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Categories
The U.S. State Department has released its July 2026 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular immigrant visa application interviews and approvals. In...
CANADA (ONTARIO) | OINP Regulatory Amendments Now in Force — Program Redesign Ahead
Effective May 30, 2026, amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 have come into force. The changes, first announced in a program update on March 16, 2026, lay the legal groundwork for a redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee...
U.S. Department of State Introduces Expedited B-1/B-2 Visa Appointment Program for a $750 Fee
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that introduces a $750 fee to secure an expedited appointment for a B1/ B2 Visitor for Business or Pleasure nonimmigrant visa interview. Payment of the new fee will allow B1/B2 visa applicants...
Federal Judge in Boston Declares $100,000 H-1B Fee Unlawful
In a decision issued today, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston has struck down the $100,000 fee imposed on certain H-1B petitions for foreign nationals employed in specialty occupation positions. The $100,000 fee, which we reported on and analyzed in a number...
U.S. District Court Vacates USCIS Travel Ban Pause on Adjudications
On June 5, 2026, a federal court struck down Trump Administration policies that had frozen immigration benefit applications—including green cards, work permits, and asylum claims—for nationals of 39 countries, finding USCIS lacked the legal authority to impose the...
U.S. Department of State and USCIS Announce Immigrant Visa Unavailability in India EB-2 Category
The United States Department of State (DOS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have announced the exhaustion of all available immigrant visas in the Employment-Based Second Preference category (EB-2) for persons chargeable to India for the...
USCIS Issues Policy Memorandum Describing Adjustment of Status as a Discretionary and Extraordinary Measure: Q&As
What Happened on May 22, 2026? United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum (PM) entitled "Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to...
Mexico Immigration Update – Temporary Resident Visa Applications
On May 15, 2026, amendments to the General Guidelines for the Issuance of Visas were published in the Mexican Official Gazette (DOF) by the Ministries of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs. The updates entered into force on May 16, 2026. These amendments are...
June 2026 Visa Bulletin Issued: Final Action Dates Will Apply for EB Matters for the Second Month in a Row; Retrogression in the India EB-1 and EB-2 Categories
The U.S. State Department has released its June 2026 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular immigrant visa application interviews and...
USCIS Issues Interim Final Rule Clarifying Requirements for Valid Signatures on Petitions and Applications for Immigration Benefits
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued today an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that seeks to clarify the agency’s procedures for denying or rejecting a petition or application for an immigration benefit on the basis that it does not contain a...