Federal Agency
Appears in 9 stories · Last updated Nov 2, 2026
Processing gatekeeper; has begun approving some petitions filed without the $100,000 payment after cases stalled past premium processing deadlines
Two federal judges have blocked the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions. A Boston judge ruled in June that the fee is an unlawful tax Congress never authorized, and a California judge ruled Sept. 30 that the administration skipped required rulemaking.
Updated Nov 2
Issuing and implementing the new policy
Since 1952, foreign nationals living legally in the United States could apply for a green card without leaving. On May 23, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services closed that route for most applicants.
Updated Oct 16
Administering H-1B program; enforcing fraud crackdown
The wage-weighted H-1B selection rule took effect February 27, 2026, replacing the random lottery. The first registration period under it ran March 4–19. Under the new system, a worker offered a Level IV wage (the top tier) gets four entries in the selection pool; a Level I worker gets one. The rule was designed to curb the duplicate-registration fraud that inflated FY 2024 submissions to 758,994 for 85,000 slots.
As of September 2026: Implemented the re-application bar and earlier 2026 asylum rules
A person denied asylum in the United States can no longer file a new application on the same claim. The rule took effect immediately, covering every new and pending asylum application.
Updated Sep 20
As of September 2026: Processes I-539 extension applications under the new rule
F-1 student visas used to stay valid as long as you kept studying, with no expiration date printed on your arrival record. As of September 15, 2026, that changed: U.S. Customs and Border Protection now prints a fixed 'admit until' date, usually the program end date capped at four years, plus a 30-day grace period.
Updated Sep 15
As of September 2026: Ended work authorization for Haitian TPS holders in August 2026
Harriett Cecilia Joseph built a life in Springfield, Ohio: a quality-control job, her own event-planning business. On a Monday in August, her work permit expired and her legal status vanished, the result of a Supreme Court ruling that let the Trump administration end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
As of May 2026: Implementing adjustment-of-status restriction requiring applicants to apply from abroad
The 75-country immigrant visa freeze took effect January 21, 2026, as planned. Two weeks later, a coalition of civil rights groups sued in federal court, arguing the ban violates immigration law and the Constitution. The case, CLINIC v. Rubio, is pending on cross-motions for partial summary judgment with no injunction issued as of May 2026.
Updated May 23
As of May 2026: Administered FRP intake and now unwinds cases and parole-linked benefits
DHS just turned a promised “legal pathway” into a ticking clock. A Federal Register notice published December 15, 2025 terminates every Family Reunification Parole program tied to seven countries—and tells people already here that their parole will end on January 14, 2026.
Updated May 15
As of May 2026: Not the decision-maker for visa stamps, but its approvals trigger consular stamping demand
The State Department is implementing social media screening for employment visas. Starting December 15, 2025, H-1B workers and H-4 spouses and kids applying for visa stamps abroad get an "online presence review" — and they're told to make their social profiles public so officers can look.
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