Retrieving official visa bulletin data and running analysis...
Retrieving official visa bulletin data and running analysis...
Blog
Practical articles about the visa bulletin, filing strategies, and the immigration process.
EB-2 India: Visas Exhausted
On May 22, 2026, DOS confirmed that every EB-2 immigrant visa available to Indian-born applicants for FY2026 has been issued. No I-485 approvals, no consular visa issuances — the queue is frozen until October 1. Here is what that means for every type of pending case.
EB-2 NIW 2026
The EB-2 National Interest Waiver was approving more than 95% of petitions as recently as FY2022. Case tracking for March 2026 puts the rate at around 44%. The Dhanasar framework has not been repealed. What changed is how USCIS applies it — and the new AOS discretion overlay that every pending NIW case now faces.
Consular Processing 2026
The May 21 USCIS discretion memo reframes consular processing as the default path for most green card applicants. For employment-based applicants who have spent years inside the US, 'going to the consulate' means the NVC pipeline, an immigrant visa interview abroad, extended separation from US employment, and a set of risks that adjustment of status does not carry. Here is what the path actually looks like.
I-485 Denial & Removal Risk
The February 2025 NTA policy and the May 2026 AOS discretion memo work together in a way most applicants have not been told: a denied I-485 can now trigger a Notice to Appear and removal proceedings. Here is exactly who is at risk, what the employment-based exception actually covers, and what to do before this becomes your problem.
USCIS Interviews 2026
Two policy changes landed in May 2026 that every employment-based I-485 applicant needs to understand. USCIS tightened interview waiver criteria, so more people in the EB-1 through EB-3 pipeline are being called in for field office interviews. And effective May 18, if your attorney isn't physically in the room, they aren't at the interview at all.
AOS Discretion 2026
On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued policy memorandum PM-602-0199 reminding officers that adjustment of status under INA 245 is "a matter of discretion and administrative grace" and an "extraordinary relief" that is not designed to supersede the ordinary consular visa process. The memo doesn't change the statute. It changes how every I-485 — pending or not yet filed — will be adjudicated going forward. Here is what the memo actually says, why dual intent alone is no longer enough, and what to do if you have an AOS case in the pipeline.
USCIS Filing Rules 2026
On May 11, 2026, DHS finalized an interim rule giving USCIS authority to deny immigration benefit requests containing invalid signatures — and keep the filing fees. No RFE, no chance to fix it. The rule covers I-485, I-140, I-130, H-1B petitions, and EAD applications filed on or after July 10.
H-4 EAD 2026
On October 30, 2025, DHS eliminated the automatic employment authorization extension that had protected H-4 EAD holders from work gaps during renewal processing. With USCIS taking 5 to 9 months on initial applications and 3 to 7 months on renewals, the gap between card expiration and approval is no longer theoretical. Two lawsuits are pending. No court has issued an injunction. Here is what changed, who is affected, and what to do.
June 2026 Filing Window
USCIS confirmed this week that employment-based I-485 applicants must use Final Action Dates for June 2026 — the second consecutive month without Chart B. Combined with the EB-2 India retrogression to September 2013 and EB-1 India pulling back to December 2022, the filing window is significantly narrower than it was sixty days ago. Here is what the pattern is telling you and what to do.
F-1 & J-1 Rule Change 2026
On May 5, 2026, DHS sent a final rule to the White House that would replace the longstanding Duration of Status system for F-1 and J-1 visa holders with a hard four-year admission cap. Every student who needs more time — and that includes virtually every doctoral student — would have to file Form I-539 with USCIS. DHS estimates the rule generates 414,000 extra filings a year into an already backed-up system. Here is what it actually changes and what to do about it.
June 2026 Visa Bulletin
The June 2026 Visa Bulletin holds EB-1 China and EB-2 China at the same dates as May, but pulls EB-1 India back three and a half months and EB-2 India back more than ten. EB-1 China and EB-1 India were sitting on the same date last month — that has now broken. Here is what changed, why India is the one giving back ground, and what the State Department's warning at the bottom of the page actually means.
USCIS Security Vetting 2026
On April 27, 2026, USCIS activated the FBI's Next Generation Identification system and immediately paused final approvals on thousands of pending I-485, N-400, and asylum cases. No timeline has been published. Here is what actually changed and what applicants need to know right now.
DOL Proposed Rule 2026
The Department of Labor filed a proposed rule on March 27 that would raise prevailing wage percentiles for H-1B, PERM, and related programs across all four wage levels. Level I moves from the 17th to the 34th percentile; Level IV moves from the 67th to the 88th. DOL estimates the average certified wage goes up $14,000 a year. Comments close May 26, 2026.
EB-5 May 2026
The May 2026 Visa Bulletin issued an explicit warning that India's EB-5 Unreserved category may retrogress before September 30, 2026. The Final Action Date sits at May 1, 2022, reserved categories remain Current, and DOS is saying demand has outpaced the annual quota. Here's what actually changes, and what it doesn't.
H-1B Cap Season 2026
The FY2027 H-1B cap lottery replaced the random draw with a wage-level weighting system for the first time. Level I registrations saw about 15 percent selection odds. Level IV saw about 61 percent. Every selected petition also carries a $100,000 additional fee this cycle. Here is what the first-year results showed, and what employers and workers need to know before the filing window closes June 30.
Visa Bulletin May 2026
The May 2026 Visa Bulletin closed the employment-based Chart B window and got all the attention. What didn't: F2A jumped six months on Final Action Dates and sits at Current on Dates for Filing, meaning LPR spouses and minor children can file I-485 right now regardless of priority date. F1, F3, and F4 also advanced.
USCIS Policy Watch
USCIS Policy Memos PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194 placed adjudicative holds on pending immigration benefits for nationals of designated countries. Here is what the holds do, who they affect, and what the April 27 Maryland court order changed.
H-1B Reform Watch
Rep. Eli Crane introduced the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 on April 22 alongside seven House Republican co-sponsors. The bill proposes a three-year freeze on new H-1B issuances, a cap of 25,000, a $200,000 salary floor, OPT elimination, and a prohibition on adjustment of status. Here is a plain-language read of what it says and where it actually stands.
Visa Bulletin Breaking
USCIS is switching employment-based I-485 filings to Final Action Dates starting May 2026, ending a six-month Chart B streak. A plain-language read on who gets cut off on April 30, what DOS is telling us between the lines about the rest of FY26, and what the last six days actually look like.
Priority Date Strategy
What you actually keep after an approved I-140: priority date retention, employer withdrawal after 180 days, the exceptions that can still kill the case, and what has to be refiled.
AC21 Portability
The real rules for changing jobs after your I-485 has been pending 180 days: same or similar work, Supplement J, pay and title changes, and the evidence that makes USCIS less nervous.
Layoff Survival Guide
A stage-by-stage guide to layoffs during PERM, after I-140 approval, and after I-485 filing, including the 60-day grace period, new H-1B filing timing, priority date retention, and AC21 portability.
Visa Bulletin Guide
A plain-English walkthrough of the monthly Visa Bulletin: what the two charts mean, how to find your category and country, and how to tell whether your priority date is current.
Green Card Strategy
A realistic look at the EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade strategy for employment-based green card applicants, including who benefits, what it costs, and why it's not always the slam dunk people think it is.
Filing Guide
A step-by-step guide to what happens once you see your priority date is current on the Visa Bulletin, from choosing between I-485 and consular processing to surviving the wait after filing.
Immigration Timeline
The real end-to-end timeline from H-1B visa to green card, including PERM labor certification, I-140, priority dates, and the waiting game. Honest numbers for EB-2 India, EB-2 China, and rest of world.
China Applicants
An overview of the green card backlog for China mainland-born applicants and strategies to manage or reduce the wait, including NIW, EB-1A, cross-chargeability, and status maintenance options.
India Applicants
An honest look at the EB-2 and EB-3 India green card backlog, what the per-country cap means, strategies to reduce the wait, and how to plan your career and family life around a decades-long timeline.
Planning Strategy
An end-to-end explainer on cross-chargeability — the rule that lets married couples use whichever spouse's country of birth gives a faster priority date. How it works, who qualifies, and how to claim it at the right step without tripping up your case.
Reading the Bulletin
Every month the Visa Bulletin moves — sometimes forward, sometimes backward, sometimes not at all. This guide unpacks what 'retrogression' actually is, why it happens, why forward movement slows in late fiscal year, and how to read the movement without panic.
The Two-Chart System
USCIS decides every month whether to honor Chart B (Dates for Filing) or only Chart A (Final Action Dates). This is the single most misunderstood mechanism in the Visa Bulletin. Here is exactly how it works, why it flips, and what it means for your I-485.