On October 7, 2026, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s policy of not collecting the biometric information required to continue processing the immigration applications of people in immigration detention. The judge noted, among other things,...
Topic: Immigration Updates
Visa Bulletin for October Notes Retrogressions in Some Employment-Based Visa Categories
The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for October 2026 notes that with the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 immigrant visa numbers, dates for filing and final action dates have advanced across various immigrant visa categories. However, some employment-based...
Trump Admin Announces Investigation Into ‘Visa Fraud’ at Top U.S. Universities
At a press conference on H-1B and J-1 visa fraud held on October 8, 2026, Vice President J. D. Vance and Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General for the Department of Labor, announced “a historic investigation into the J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American...
Trump Admin Suspends Microsoft and Adobe From PERM Labor Certification Program
At a press conference on H-1B and J-1 visa fraud held on October 8, 2026, Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of Microsoft and Adobe from the PERM labor certification program, along with Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini. He...
DHS Proposes $70,000 Fee for Optional Practical Training
On October 7, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed rule that would require U.S. universities to pay a $70,000 fee for each F-1 student’s initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization and $30,000 for subsequent OPT...
Passport Redesign, Online Process Announced
On September 29, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced several upcoming changes to the U.S. passport and related processes, including: A transition to online applications in 2027 through the newly launched gov, including for first-time applications, with a...
Afrikaners Prioritized in FY 2027 Refugee Admissions, Trump Announces
On October 2, 2026, President Trump announced the admission of up to 17,500 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year 2027, to “primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa.” President Trump has previously claimed that white Afrikaners are being...
Supreme Court Rules Trump Administration Can Resume Mass Deportations to Third Countries
On September 29, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a one-page, unsigned ruling allowing the Trump administration to resume mass deportations of immigrants to third countries temporarily while litigation is pending. The Court said that it would hear oral arguments in...
DHS Agencies Announce Changes in Fees
Several Department of Homeland Security agencies have announced changes in fees: S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, effective October 16, 2026, fees will increase for several benefits. Any request postmarked on or after that date without...
Preliminary Injunction Blocks $100,000 Fee Implementation for New H-1B Applications
On September 30, 2026, a federal judge in Global Nurse Force v. Trump temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s agency policies implementing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions based on Presidential Proclamation No. 10973 and its extension, No. 11069. In...
