Fees, forms, rules and court cases from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, explained the day they change.
● Developing USCIS and DHS Face October 28 Lawsuit Over Program Allegedly Intimidating Voters
Eight civil rights groups sued USCIS and DHS, alleging their voter-investigation initiative intimidates naturalized citizens and seeking to stop investigations and ballot challenges.
Matching bills would raise the H-1B-dependent employer salary threshold from $60,000 to about $145,600, potentially affecting tens of thousands of certified filings.
USCIS changed Form I-485 mailing addresses and will accept filings sent to old locations through November 9 if postmarked by then.
USCIS’s FY 2027 inflation adjustments raised four H.R. 1 immigration fees for covered requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026.
Minnesota and other states urged an appeals court to block the end of Somalia’s TPS designation while recipients challenge the termination.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the 10-day deadline for refugees to contest termination of their status through November 6 while a lawsuit proceeds.
USCIS opened a fee-free process for eligible Sileiri Doe class members to request reconsideration of certain immigration benefit decisions tied to the April 2025 parole termination.
The White House completed its review of a proposed Department of Labor PERM overhaul, moving it closer to public rulemaking while leaving its requirements undisclosed.
Columbia spent $200,000 lobbying in the third quarter, including against H-1B fees, as a federal judge blocked the fee rule again.
The Labor Department suspended new and pending PERM processing for Microsoft and seven other employers while federal investigations continue.
Sen. Jerry Moran asked DHS to establish a permanent USCIS field office in southwest Kansas and restore regular mobile appointments in three cities.
DOJ filed denaturalization actions against 40 naturalized citizens, asking federal courts to revoke citizenship over alleged concealment or serious crimes.
USCIS alerts say Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS beneficiaries retain protection and work authorization while DHS delays a decision, despite country pages still listing October 19 expiration dates.
SEVP’s CPT guidance has led Northwestern to tighten F-1 internship approvals, while higher-education groups seek a court order blocking the change.
USCIS sent rejection notices to hundreds of South African refugee applicants, citing eligibility issues without establishing that anyone’s refugee status was revoked or that they were deported.
USCIS ended automatic next-business-day extensions for certain age- or authorized-stay-based paper filing deadlines received on or after October 23, 2026.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged other states to copy Florida’s existing restriction on new H-1B hires at public universities; no new Florida restriction was announced.
DHS’s final rule ended automatic EAD extensions for affected renewal applicants, including H-4 spouses, effective October 14, 2026.
A report warned that Trump administration H-1B restrictions could weaken U.S.-India ties, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the changes are global, not India-focused.
Immigration lawyers warned H-1B employers and workers that USCIS may use AI to flag mismatches between address filings and worksite records, but no new rule was announced.
USCIS proposed removing choices for discontinued CHNV and Cuban Family Reunification Parole programs from Form I-131, without ending anyone’s immigration status.
USCIS’s pending naturalization caseload reached 813,453 in August as approvals fell and reported processing time rose to 12.7 months.
Infosys, TCS and Cognizant sharply reduced FY2027 H-1B registrations as a new wage-weighted selection system and employer costs took effect or were proposed.
Instacart will pay $5 million and provide compensation to U.S. workers allegedly disadvantaged in PERM recruitment from December 2023 to February 2026.
Lee’s Summit is reviewing a proposed federal immigration-records campus involving USCIS and GSA, with public hearings and city approval still pending.
After Haiti’s TPS termination took effect in July, U.S. authorities returned 749 Haitians, leaving some deportees without family or livelihoods in Haiti.
More than 12,000 Indian tech professionals have left the U.S. amid layoffs and visa uncertainty as DHS considers ending the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers.
Rep. Sam Liccardo plans to seek a House vote on a bill that would restore TPS protections for more than 8,000 Afghans.
Rep. David Schweikert introduced H.R. 10460, a bill proposing changes to H-1B selection, employment-based green cards, family immigration and the Diversity Visa program.
Sixty-three lawmakers asked USCIS to expedite pending green card applications for immigrants at risk of losing healthcare coverage under restrictions that took effect October 1.
USCIS is planning a $50 million to $100 million follow-on contact center contract, with AT&T named as the incumbent, but has not yet solicited bids.
USCIS sent a proposal to change Premium Processing deadlines for OIRA review, but current response periods remain in effect and the proposal text is unavailable.
USCIS approved 23.7% of Cuban adjustment applications decided in April–June 2026 as a May memo tightened its adjustment-of-status guidance.
Six legal-aid organizations sued over short-notice USCIS asylum interviews and expedited removal proceedings for unaccompanied children.
Microsoft president Brad Smith criticized the administration’s announced PERM sponsorship restrictions, warning they could push skilled workers and AI talent abroad.
USCIS field offices approved 76% fewer naturalization applications in April–June 2026 as pending N-400 cases rose 40%.
USCIS announced that its Charlotte Asylum Office is scheduled to open October 13, 2026, for assigned affirmative asylum cases in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Naturalization approvals fell sharply through July 2026, while more than 742,000 applications awaited decisions and DHS proposed higher filing fees.
USCIS updated fees for specified asylum, parole, and TPS-related filings, with the new amounts applying to requests postmarked October 16, 2026, or later.
USCIS’s binding precedent says SIJ petitions must be received on a calendar day before the applicant’s 21st birthday.
A non-government report says USCIS began routing about 400,000 immediate-relative I-130 petitions to field offices, but USCIS has not confirmed a nationwide program.
USCIS finalized revised EB-5 fees that apply to filings submitted on or after November 30, 2026.
DHS’s proposal to raise the N-400 fee to $1,330 and end reduced fees and waivers remains unfinalized, so current fees still apply.
USCIS launched a campaign inviting anonymous tips and evidence about suspected immigration fraud and abuse.
USCIS warned immigrants not to pay private parties promising guaranteed faster processing and explained that premium processing is limited to eligible filings.
Naturalization decisions and Cleveland oath ceremonies have declined amid USCIS delays and policy changes, while proposed fee increases could further affect applicants.
The DOL OIG is intensifying H-1B fraud investigations as complaints rise, while employers face potential audits, site visits, and records requests.
USCIS statistics show nearly 17,000 U visa petitions filed in the first half of FY 2026 as preliminary benefits fell and the backlog exceeded 461,000 cases.
The Labor Department suspended Cognizant and other companies from PERM filings, barring new and pending applications amid allegations of visa-program abuse.
Authorities arrested a former USCIS officer and an alleged intermediary over claims they took bribes to manipulate immigration cases, potentially prompting individual file reviews.
A California federal court vacated USCIS’s Diversity Visa adjustment hold, prompting the agency to resume ordinary review of affected FY 2026 cases.
USCIS denied H-1B petitions and revoked approvals tied to an unnamed Vermont IT consulting firm over alleged wage misclassification.
DHS proposed a $103,265 fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions as a December 11 funding deadline could affect some immigration processing.
A stopgap funding law keeps federal agencies operating through December 11, averting a shutdown that could have disrupted USCIS and consulates.
USCIS launched a dedicated R-1 resource page organizing Form I-129 filing guidance, evidence requirements, extension information, and case-question routing.
USCIS began accepting revised Affidavit of Support forms that authorize access to sponsors’ consumer-report information, and now requires the new editions for filings.
A California federal court ordered USCIS to resume ordinary processing for qualifying pending applications subject to two nationality-based holds.
Seventy-two House lawmakers asked DHS and USCIS to address errors and inadequate responses to congressional inquiries about constituents’ immigration cases.
USCIS posted 453 job announcements in early 2026, up 153% from the prior year, but the figures do not confirm hires.
USCIS will reject filings using outdated editions of two forms beginning September 15, 2026, with no grace period.
USCIS restored authority to deny employment-based petitions without first issuing an RFE or NOID when initial evidence is insufficient.
USCIS’s interim final rule took effect August 11, requiring online filing for designated forms after notice periods and allowing hardship waiver requests on Form I-936.
USCIS extended work authorization for eligible Salvadoran TPS recipients with pending renewals, and existing protections and work permits remain active for now.
Federal prosecutors charged a Miami man with allegedly falsifying disability certifications to help naturalization applicants bypass citizenship tests.
DHS’s proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period for H-1B and other nonimmigrant workers cleared White House review but remains unpublished.
DHS will require covered employers to pay $4,000 H-1B and $4,500 L-1 surcharges on extension petitions starting September 9, 2026.
USCIS ended 2025 with 11.3 million pending cases as lower completion rates and adjudication holds added to processing delays.
USCIS guidance effective August 5, 2026, tells officers to suggest DNA testing earlier when evidence of a claimed genetic relationship is insufficient.
DHS is preparing citizenship education standards and USCIS is considering third-party naturalization test administration, alongside a tougher civics test already in use.
USCIS designated different August 2026 filing charts for family and employment applicants and is preparing a revised I-485 for September public-charge rules.
The State Department proposed stricter J-1 sponsor requirements, while a separate final DHS rule will set fixed admission periods for new J-1, F-1, and I visitors.
USCIS resumed processing benefits for nationals of 39 countries after a federal court overturned policies freezing their applications.
DOJ filed civil denaturalization actions against 10 naturalized citizens over alleged criminal conduct and immigration fraud.
