Posts

Sep 09, 2026 • Policy Updates • 2 min read

Duration of Status Ends September 15: F-1 and J-1 Holders Face Fixed Admission Periods and Mandatory New Forms

DHS's final rule replacing Duration of Status with fixed admission periods takes effect September 15, 2026, and new mandatory editions of Forms I-539 and I-765 arrive the same day with no grace period.

USCIS Processing Times H-1B

Sep 09, 2026 • Immigration News • 2 min read

Former USCIS Officer Charged in Alleged $960,000 Scheme to Approve Green Card and Citizenship Applications

Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas charged a former Senior Immigration Services Officer and an associate with taking roughly $960,000 to unlawfully approve and expedite immigration applications.

USCIS Green Card Processing Times

Sep 09, 2026 • Immigration News • 2 min read

Labor Department Suspends Cognizant and Cloudera Green Card Filings in Widening Visa Fraud Investigation

DOL Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito announced on September 8 that PERM labor certification filings by Cognizant and Cloudera are suspended pending a fraud investigation.

Green Card H-1B EB-2 USCIS

Sep 09, 2026 • Policy Updates • 2 min read

Universities Pause CPT Authorizations After SEVP Tightens the 'Integral to the Curriculum' Standard

SEVP guidance issued to designated school officials in August 2026 narrowed CPT eligibility, prompting UC Berkeley, UC Davis and other universities to suspend Course Credit CPT applications.

USCIS Policy Updates H-1B

Sep 09, 2026 • Immigration News • 2 min read

USCIS Is Publicizing Its Fraud Cases — What the Agency's Enforcement Push Means for Honest Applicants

USCIS has been posting individual fraud detections publicly while DOL escalates H-1B and PERM investigations, marking a shift toward visible, data-driven enforcement.

H-1B USCIS Green Card Policy Updates

Sep 09, 2026 • Immigration News • 2 min read

USCIS Reverses Course on Form I-864 After Lawsuit, Granting a Grace Period Through September 30

After AILA sued over mandatory form changes imposed without notice, USCIS will accept the prior edition of Form I-864 until September 30, 2026.

USCIS Green Card Policy Updates

Sep 08, 2026 • Policy Updates • 3 min read

DHS Proposes $103,265 H-1B Fee, Pushing Total Sponsorship Cost Past $200,000

DHS has proposed a $103,265 fee on cap-subject H-1B petitions that, combined with the existing $100,000 payment, could push sponsorship costs above $203,000 per worker. Comments close September 24, 2026.

H-1B USCIS NIW Policy Updates

Sep 02, 2026 • Visa News • 3 min read

Family Green Card Dates Jump Years in the September Visa Bulletin — F3 Moves 29 Months, F4 Moves 26

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin froze every employment-based category except EB-4 while family-sponsored final action dates surged by more than two years in F3 and F4.

Visa Bulletin Green Card EB-2 Policy Updates

Sep 02, 2026 • Policy Updates • 3 min read

New Form I-864 Lets USCIS Pull Your Sponsor's Credit Report — and a Credit Freeze Can Stall the Case

USCIS published a new 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864 with no grace period. The new version adds an authorization for USCIS and the State Department to obtain the sponsor's consumer credit information.

USCIS Green Card Policy Updates

Sep 02, 2026 • Immigration News • 3 min read

Religious Workers Get Two Developments at Once: EB-4 Advances Two Months and USCIS Publishes New R-1 Guidance

EB-4 was the only employment-based category to move in the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, advancing two months, while USCIS launched a new resource page for R-1 religious workers and their petitioning employers.

Visa Bulletin USCIS Green Card