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State Department Temporarily Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews Worldwide

  • Immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad are being cancelled due to a temporary pause imposed by the State Department. The pause applies only to immigrant visa interviews. Non-immigrant visa applicants (F, J, H-1B for example) are not affected.
  • Green card applicants who are already in the U.S. in a non-immigrant status typically do not apply for an immigrant visa sticker as part of the application process. Instead, they complete the process by applying for an Adjustment of Status with USCIS.

DHS Proposes $103,265 Fee for Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions; Higher Education Institutions Exempt

On August 24, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions, scheduled for publication on August 25. The proposed rule would impose a $103,265 fee on all initial cap-subject H-1B petitions, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption. This fee would be due at filing and would be charged in addition to all other applicable fees.

Change in USCIS Adjudication Policy

On August 5th, 2026, USCIS announced a new policy intended to reduce frivolous immigration benefits requests. Under this new policy, USCIS adjudicators can now deny a petition or application without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) if all required evidence is not included or if a benefit requestor fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit.

University of Michigan Comment on Proposed Prevailing Wage Rule

On March 27, 2026, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) published a proposed rule, titled Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States, that would change how prevailing wages are calculated for H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM-based green card applications. These changes would generally increase the wages required for those petitions.

Public Health Travel Restrictions to Prevent the Introduction of Ebola Disease into the United States

On May 18, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced targeted travel restrictions “to protect the health of the United States from the serious risk posed by the introduction of Ebola disease into the United States by covered aliens based on the emergent outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus  strain confirmed present in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.” The travel restrictions apply for a period of 30

Country-Specific Restrictions Quick Reference Tool

Over the past year, the U.S. government has put a number of restrictions in place. To use this tool to identify which restrictions apply to a particular country, select a country from the dropdown menu to see the restrictions currently in effect for that country, including the travel ban, the USCIS Pause, the 75 Country IV Pause, F, J, and H Visa Limits, and B Visa Bond requirements.
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