USCIS
H-1B
Visa Updates
Employer Compliance
July 18, 2026
USCIS confirms FY 2027 H-1B regular and master’s caps reached; no second lottery. Cap-subject filings closed; cap-exempt filings remain viable; plan for unselected candidates.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: USCIS has officially filled the FY 2027 H-1B quota, and there will be no second lottery selection this year.
- Who Should Be Concerned: U.S. employers and foreign national professionals whose H-1B registrations were not selected in the initial FY 2027 lottery.
- Timeline for Action: Immediate; cap-subject filings are closed, so alternative planning must begin now.
- Next Steps: Review unselected candidates with your immigration attorney to explore alternative work authorization options, such as L-1, O-1, TN, or cap-exempt H-1B employment, or prepare for the FY 2028 cap season.
DHS
Policy Change
USCIS
Green Card
Adjustment of Status
July 18, 2026
DHS rescinds 2022 public-charge rule; broader discretionary review takes effect Sept 18, 2026; revised Form I-485 required for filings on/after that date.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: USCIS is implementing a stricter, highly discretionary public-charge review standard and requiring a new Form I-485 for adjustment of status applications.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Foreign nationals preparing to file for a green card (adjustment of status) from within the United States, as well as their family or employer sponsors.
- Timeline for Action: The rule and the new Form I-485 requirement take effect on September 18, 2026.
- Next Steps: Work closely with immigration counsel to thoroughly document financial independence, review past benefit usage, and ensure any Form I-485 filed on or after September 18 uses the new edition.
DHS
Policy Change
F-1
J-1
I
July 18, 2026
D/S admissions end; fixed admission periods introduced (generally 4 years for F/J; 240 days for I); EOS required; 30-day post-completion grace for F-1; transition provisions in place.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: Open-ended "duration of status" admissions are ending; F, J, and I visa holders will now face fixed expiration dates and formal USCIS extension requirements.
- Who Should Be Concerned: International students (F-1), exchange visitors (J-1), foreign media representatives (I), and the academic or sponsoring institutions hosting them.
- Timeline for Action: The final rule takes effect on September 15, 2026; transition provisions apply to those already in the U.S., but planning must begin immediately.
- Next Steps: Current and prospective students or exchange visitors should contact their designated school officials or program sponsors to understand their new fixed admission dates and prepare for the costs and timelines of filing USCIS extensions if their programs exceed four years.
Policy Change
USCIS
Form Compliance
Immigration Benefits
July 13, 2026
USCIS's new signature policy requires careful review of signatures on all filings; invalid signatures can lead to denial or delay; electronic signatures allowed only through USCIS processes; keep original signatures and audit filings.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: USCIS may reject or deny a filing submitted on or after July 10, 2026 if it later finds that a required signature is invalid.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Applicants, petitioners, employers, beneficiaries, preparers, interpreters, and representatives submitting USCIS benefit requests.
- Timeline for Action: Effective now for benefit requests filed on or after July 10, 2026.
- Next Steps: Audit every signature before filing, use only authorized signature methods, follow form-specific instructions, and retain the original hand-signed document.
H-1B
PERM
Prevailing Wage
Employer Compliance
Department of Labor
July 13, 2026
New OEWS wage data for 2026-27 affects wage determinations for H-1B, PERM, and related filings; employers must verify current wages and adjust filings; outdated wages may jeopardize filings.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: New federal prevailing-wage data is now in effect for many employment-based immigration filings.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Employers, HR teams, foreign workers, and counsel preparing H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, PERM, or related wage-dependent filings.
- Timeline for Action: Effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027; recheck wages before the next affected filing.
- Next Steps: Confirm the current occupation, wage level, and worksite rate, compare it with the offered and actual wage, and resolve any shortfall before filing.
DHS
Policy Change
USCIS
Alien Registration
Form G-325R
July 13, 2026
USCIS final alien-registration rule clarifies who must register and act; preserving Form G-325R process; action required for certain stays; not a status grant.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: The final rule keeps the Form G-325R system in effect and clarifies who is already registered and who must act.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Unregistered noncitizens staying at least 30 days, parents or guardians of covered children, children turning 14, and adults who must carry proof.
- Timeline for Action: Register before 30 days of presence when required; previously registered children generally must re-register within 30 days after turning 14.
- Next Steps: Review visa, I-94, EAD, parole, green-card, or other records, use the USCIS determination tool, and obtain case-specific advice before filing Form G-325R.
TPS
Policy Change
USCIS
Haiti
Syria
E-Verify
Employment Authorization
Form I-9
July 12, 2026
USCIS issued superseding TPS-based EAD guidance extending Haitian TPS through July 24, 2026 and six other countries through July 17, 2026, with immediate I-9/E-Verify steps for employers and employees.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: Qualifying Haitian TPS EADs are valid through July 24, 2026, while qualifying EADs from Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are valid through July 17, 2026.
- Who Should Be Concerned: TPS beneficiaries from the seven listed countries, their employers, and HR or Form I-9 compliance teams.
- Timeline for Action: Act immediately; the first listed extension expires July 17, 2026, and Haiti’s expires July 24, 2026, unless USCIS issues another update.
- Next Steps: Match the EAD to the country-specific USCIS notice, update Form I-9 and E-Verify exactly as directed, retain supporting guidance, and monitor USCIS daily.
Policy Change
USCIS
Parole
Deferred Action
Form I-131
Form G-325A
Filing Address
July 12, 2026
USCIS moved I-131 and G-325A filings from Montclair to lockboxes; grace period through Aug 6, 2026 with rejections starting Aug 7.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: Certain parole-in-place and re-parole Form I-131 filings and eligible Form G-325A deferred-action requests must now go to a USCIS lockbox, not Montclair.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Applicants, military families, deferred-action requestors, parole applicants, and representatives preparing affected paper filings.
- Timeline for Action: Use the new address now; Montclair accepts affected filings only when postmarked by August 6, 2026 and rejects them beginning August 7.
- Next Steps: Confirm the correct lockbox on the current USCIS form page, verify the form edition and payment method, retain tracking, and review any recently mailed Montclair package.
Policy Change
USCIS
Federal Court
July 7, 2026
USCIS vacated policy memoranda related to application holds following a federal court order, resuming processing of previously stalled cases.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: USCIS has officially vacated policies that allowed them to place broad holds on certain applications, following a federal court order.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Immigrants whose applications have been significantly delayed or placed on hold under the vacated policy memoranda (PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26).
- Timeline for Action: No immediate deadline, but monitor developments as USCIS resumes processing affected cases.
- Next Steps: Check your case status online and consult with your immigration attorney to see if this court order directly impacts your pending application.
Policy Change
USCIS
Asylum
July 7, 2026
USCIS opens new asylum offices in Atlanta and San Antonio to reduce asylum backlog and bring interviews closer to applicants.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: USCIS is expanding its capacity to process affirmative asylum claims by opening new offices in Atlanta and San Antonio.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Affirmative asylum applicants residing in the Southeast (Atlanta jurisdiction) and Texas (Houston/San Antonio jurisdictions) who are waiting for their interviews.
- Timeline for Action: No immediate deadline, but monitor developments as interviews will begin scheduling at these new locations.
- Next Steps: Ensure your current mailing address is updated with USCIS so you do not miss an interview notice, and continue preparing your case with your attorney.
Policy Change
USCIS
Immigration News 2026
Birthright Citizenship
Supreme Court
Fourteenth Amendment
July 6, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on June 30, 2026 in Trump v. Barbara that birthright citizenship is constitutionally guaranteed, striking down Executive Order 14160 and affirming that all children born on U.S. soil are American citizens regardless of their parents' immigration status.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: The Supreme Court has permanently struck down Executive Order 14160 — birthright citizenship is constitutionally protected and cannot be eliminated by executive action; only a constitutional amendment could change it.
- Who Should Be Concerned: Families with U.S.-born children whose parents are undocumented, on temporary visas (H-1B, F-1, TPS, etc.), or in any non-permanent immigration status — their children's U.S. citizenship is now confirmed and secure.
- Timeline for Action: No immediate deadline, but families should act promptly to obtain or verify their U.S.-born children's birth certificates, Social Security numbers, and U.S. passports to ensure full documentation of citizenship status.
- Next Steps: Obtain certified copies of your U.S.-born child's birth certificate from the issuing state. Apply for a Social Security number if not already obtained. Consider applying for a U.S. passport for your child as the strongest proof of citizenship. Consult an immigration attorney if any federal agency previously denied or delayed identity documents for your child under the now-invalidated executive order.
TPS
DHS
Policy Change
Haiti
Immigration News 2026
Temporary Protected Status
Supreme Court
Deportation
Syria
July 6, 2026
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 25, 2026 allowing TPS termination for Haitians and Syrians, with an expected July 27 effective date, affecting hundreds of thousands and triggering urgent planning and legal options.
What This Means for You:
- Key Point 1: TPS for Haitians and Syrians is ending — the Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate protections, and affected individuals will lose their legal status and work authorization on or around July 27, 2026.
- Who Should Be Concerned: All Haitian and Syrian TPS holders currently living and working in the United States, their U.S. citizen children and family members, and their employers — particularly those in healthcare, construction, and long-term care industries. Venezuelan, Salvadoran, Somali, Ethiopian, and Ukrainian TPS holders should also monitor developments closely as their protections may be next.
- Timeline for Action: Urgent — the termination is expected to take effect on or around July 27, 2026. TPS holders have a very narrow window to consult with an immigration attorney and explore alternative pathways to legal status before losing work authorization.
- Next Steps: Contact an immigration attorney immediately to evaluate whether you qualify for any other form of legal relief, such as adjustment of status through a U.S. citizen or LPR family member, asylum, or other humanitarian protections. Gather and organize all immigration documents. If you have a pending I-485 or other application, confirm its status with USCIS. Do not abandon the U.S. without first consulting an attorney, as departure may affect eligibility for future relief.
