The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Homeland Security (DHS) plan to publish a temporary rule on February 3, 2026, to exercise their time-limited Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 authority to issue up to an additional 64,716 H-2B visas for this fiscal year. The supplemental visas...
Topic: Immigration Articles
FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens March 4
On January 30, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap will open at noon ET on March 4 and run through noon ET on March 19, 2026. During that period, prospective H-1B...
DHS Increases Self-Deportation ‘Exit Bonus’
On January 21, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has temporarily increased the "exit bonus" for self-deportation through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app from $1,000 to $2,600, in addition to a free flight home. DHS...
EOIR Raises Fees for Immigration-Related Filings
On January 21, 2026, the Department of Justice announced "inflationary adjustments" to immigration-related fees for filings with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The new fees are...
February Visa Bulletin Notes Imminent Expiration of ‘Certain Religious Workers’ Category
The Department of State's Visa Bulletin for February 2026 notes that the Employment-Based Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category is scheduled to expire on January 30, 2026. The bulletin states that the SR category is listed as "Unavailable" for all...
USCIS Releases Guidance on ‘Hold and Release’ Policies and Procedures
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released memoranda on "hold and release" policies and procedures for all pending asylum applications, USCIS benefit applications filed by individuals from "high-risk" countries, and Diversity Visa...
WHD Releases Info on ‘Project Firewall’ Enforcement Initiative to Maximize Compliance with H-1B Visa Program
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently released an announcement and a flyer on "Project Firewall," a WHD "enforcement initiative to protect highly skilled U.S. workers and maximize compliance with the H-1B visa program." The announcement notes...
Harvard Hits High for Foreign Student Enrollment Despite Battles With Trump Administration
According to reports, Harvard University's international student enrollment hit a high of 6,749 students in the fall of 2025, which is nearly 28 percent of the total number of students studying at Harvard and is the highest recorded share since at least 2002. The...
DHS Reduces Wait Times for Certain Religious Workers Abroad
On January 14, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has issued an interim final rule, effective immediately, to eliminate the one-year foreign residence requirement and allow thousands of religious workers in R-1 status, who had reached...
DHS Terminates TPS Designation for Somalia
On January 13, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is terminating Somalia's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation, effective March 17, 2026. DHS said it has automatically extended the validity of certain Employment Authorization...
