US Immigration Law Watch

Employment-Based Visa Changes

• 🔥 EB-5 Unreserved Category Freeze: The EB-5 investor visa unreserved category is now unavailable to Indian...

Family-Based Category Updates

• 🔥 F2A Current Status: As of June 2026 the F2A category is CURRENT with no wait time for spouses and children of...

July 2026 Visa Bulletin Updates

• 🔥 EB-2 and EB-1 India Impacts: EB-2 India is unavailable and EB-1 India shows retrogression per the July 2026...

Not selected in the H-1B lottery? This guide outlines practical alternatives:

• Cap-exempt H-1B for qualifying employers and roles
• O-1, L-1, TN/E-3...

The July 2026 Visa Bulletin delivers sharply contrasting outcomes across categories.

• EB-2 India unavailable: Category marked "U," halting all Form...

Attorneys at the San Diego conference flagged rising naturalization denials tied to IRS payment plans and stricter good moral character reviews.

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I-130 approval does not guarantee green card approval, as USCIS's updated I-485 policy memo now directs officers to actively weigh positive and...

Court Decisions

• 🔥 Federal Court Vacates USCIS Hold Policies: On June 5, 2026, Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled four USCIS policies...

Federal courts show a clear trend of challenging USCIS policies.

• Delays: Lawsuits viable when processing times drag on without justification
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Increasing PERM processing times are affecting the Employment-Based Green Card process for employers and foreign workers, with current wait times shaping how applicants and companies plan ahead.

• USCIS filing rules: All family-sponsored preference applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart for July 2026.
• Category retrogression: Bulletin...

Court Actions on H-1B Fees

• 🔥 H-1B Fee Stay Reinstated: A federal appellate court stay has temporarily reinstated the $100,000 H-1B visa fee...

A federal appellate stay has reinstated the $100,000 H-1B fee mandate after Judge Sorokin struck it down as an unconstitutional tax violating the...

• EB-1 India Final Action Date retrogresses two months to Oct 15, 2022, extending waits for priority holders.
• EB-2 India becomes unavailable,...

Many Ukrainian TPS applicants face significant processing delays.

• Employment-based paths can be combined strategically with other options.
• This approach provides a practical workaround amid current backlogs.

The US is rolling out a $750 Fast-Track Visa Interview Service in July 2026 for B-1/B-2 applicants, adding another paid expedited option alongside...

Court Rulings

• 🔥 H-1B Fee Struck Down: Federal court vacates the Trump-era $100,000 H-1B application fee nationwide, ruling it an...

A Massachusetts federal district court struck down the Trump-era $100,000 H-1B supplemental fee under Proclamation 10973.

• Legal view: Judge Leo T....

The Secure America Act channels $70 billion into ICE and CBP for expanded domestic enforcement sweeps, directly raising compliance burdens for...

Court Rulings on Processing Freezes

• 🔥 Federal Court Invalidates USCIS Asylum Pause: A federal judge ruled USCIS asylum and immigration...