https://usvisastack.ai/news Stay informed on US visa policy changes, USCIS processing updates, executive orders, and immigration law developments. en-us Copyright 2026 USVisaStack / Steeled Inc. support@usvisastack.ai support@usvisastack.ai https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-electronic-registration-process USCIS has opened the H-1B electronic registration window for the FY 2027 cap, running from March 10–24, 2026. Employers must register eligible beneficiaries through the myUSCIS portal during this period. The $215 per-beneficiary registration fee applies to all entries. Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.federalregister.gov/topics/aliens-immigration Following a federal court ruling, DHS has revised its policy guidance on what qualifies as a "specialty occupation" for H-1B purposes, broadening eligibility for software, data science, and AI-adjacent roles. The change reverses a 2020 narrowing that had increased denial rates significantly. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Change USVisaStack Immigration News https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ USCIS has updated processing time estimates showing EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) and EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher) I-140 petitions are averaging 8 months at the Texas Service Center. Premium processing remains available for these categories, reducing wait times to 15 business days. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Processing Update USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program/eb-5-immigrant-investor-regional-center-program A new executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a 90-day review of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, examining fraud prevention, job creation verification, and investor source-of-funds documentation requirements. No current applications are suspended during the review. Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Executive Order USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-and-studies USCIS internal data shows a 22% increase in O-1A Extraordinary Ability denials over the past 12 months. Officers are issuing more Requests for Evidence (RFEs) challenging peer review letters, citation counts, and critical role claims. The agency cited increased petition volume as part of the review rationale. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Change USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22search%22%3A%22per-country+green+card%22%7D&searchTab=legislation A bipartisan Senate bill introduced this week would eliminate per-country numerical limits on employment-based green cards, moving to a first-in, first-out system. The change would dramatically reduce the decades-long backlog facing Indian and Chinese nationals in EB-2 and EB-3 categories. The bill has 34 co-sponsors. Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Congressional USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-extension-for-stem-students-stem-opt USCIS has updated guidance requiring employers sponsoring STEM OPT extensions to complete E-Verify enrollment at least 30 days before the OPT extension start date — up from the previous 15-day requirement. Employers must also submit Form I-983 training plans 60 days in advance. Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/opinions/ The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld DACA in a 2-1 ruling, affirming that DHS must continue processing both renewal and first-time applications. The ruling conflicts with a 5th Circuit decision, potentially setting up a Supreme Court review. USCIS has resumed first-time DACA applications in states covered by the 9th Circuit. Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Court Decision USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases USCIS filing fees increase on April 1, 2026. I-485 (Adjustment of Status) fees rise from $1,440 to $1,620. I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) rises from $535 to $675. The agency states increases are needed to fund processing operations and technology modernization. Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-4-ead A federal district court dismissed a legal challenge to the H-4 EAD (Employment Authorization Document) rule, allowing H-4 visa holders who are dependents of H-1B workers to continue receiving work authorization. The plaintiffs, represented by Save Jobs USA, argued the rule exceeded DHS authority. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Court Decision USVisaStack Immigration News https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html The U.S. Department of State has added Kosovo to the list of E-2 Treaty Investor countries, effective January 15, 2026. Kosovo nationals can now apply for E-2 visas to invest in U.S. businesses. Average consular processing time for E-2 applications is currently 6-8 weeks at most posts. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Change USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/tn-trade-nafta-professionals CBP reports increased TN visa processing times at major land border ports (Buffalo, Detroit, Laredo), citing staffing constraints and higher application volumes. Average processing times have risen from 2-3 hours to 4-6 hours at peak periods. CBP recommends arriving with complete documentation to avoid secondary inspection. Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Processing Update USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual USCIS updated its Policy Manual Chapter on L-1B Specialized Knowledge, providing clearer guidance on what constitutes "specialized" vs. "advanced" knowledge. The update clarifies that specialized knowledge does not require unique knowledge held only by the petitioner — it must be special in nature within the organization. Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Change USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/apply-for-citizenship USCIS announced expansion of the N-400 interview waiver program, allowing more naturalization applicants to skip in-person interviews when their record is clear and documentation complete. The agency expects this will reduce per-case processing time by approximately 30% for eligible applicants. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/citizenship-and-immigration-services USCIS has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would extend automatic I-94 stay periods for certain nonimmigrant categories pending a status change application. The public comment period is open until February 20, 2026. If finalized, the rule would reduce unlawful presence accrual risks for applicants with pending petitions. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Policy Change USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-and-studies/immigration-forms-data USCIS published FY 2025 annual immigration data showing a record 580,000+ H-1B approvals and continued growth in employment-based backlogs. EB-2 and EB-3 India backlogs grew to approximately 1.1 million pending cases, representing the largest backlog in the program's history. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html The February 2026 Visa Bulletin shows EB-1 All Chargeability current for all countries except India (retrogressed to January 1, 2022) and China (January 1, 2021). EB-2 India remains at January 1, 2012. EB-2 China advances to March 1, 2020. USCIS has confirmed use of the Dates for Filing chart for all EB categories. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Processing Update USVisaStack Immigration News https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/directorates-and-program-offices/office-of-policy-and-strategy USCIS has announced a pilot program testing AI-assisted review of H-1B RFE responses at the California Service Center. The system will flag completeness and consistency issues before officer review, potentially reducing processing time for straightforward RFE responses. The pilot runs Q1-Q2 2026. Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT USCIS Announcement USVisaStack Immigration News