Immigration Guides

EB-5 Fee Increase 2026: New USCIS Fees Take Effect November 30

Starting with petitions postmarked on or after November 30, 2026, the USCIS fee for Form I-526E (regional center investor) rises from $3,675 to $7,850, Form I-526 (standalone investor) rises from $3,675 to $7,615, and Form I-829 (removal of conditions) rises from $3,750 to $5,000. The Department of Homeland Security published the final EB-5 fee rule in the Federal Register on September 30, 2026 (FR Doc. 2026-20016), and USCIS announced it on September 29, 2026. As of today, October 1, 2026, the current (lower) fees still apply, and they remain in effect for filings postmarked through November 29, 2026.

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Major Changes in EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin is the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027, and it’s got a mixed bag for those waiting for an immigrant visa. EB-2 India and EB-5 Unreserved India, which were listed as Unavailable in September, are back up and running again with new Final Action Date: November 1, 2013 and December 1, 2023, respectively.

If Your Employment Ends on a Work Visa, What Are the Options Within 60 Days?

If your job ends while you hold E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, or TN status, federal regulation (8 CFR 214.1(l)(2)) provides that you and your dependents are not considered to have failed to maintain status solely because the employment ended, for up to 60 consecutive days or until your current authorized stay expires, whichever comes first.

H-1B to Green Card: Mapping the Routes and What Each One Depends On

There is no single “H-1B green card process.” An H-1B worker generally reaches permanent residence through one of five employment or family routes: an employer-sponsored petition through PERM labor certification (EB-2 or EB-3), a self-petitioned or employer-filed EB-2 National Interest Waiver, an EB-5 investment petition, or a family-based petition such as marriage to a U.S. citizen.

Is an EB-2 NIW Faster Than Employer Sponsorship? Comparing the Steps Each Route Requires

A national interest waiver (NIW) is faster than employer sponsorship at the front of the process because it removes the Department of Labor stages an employer-sponsored EB-2 must complete before the immigration petition can be filed: the prevailing wage determination, the recruitment period (including the notice of filing), and the labor certification (PERM) adjudication.

USCIS Can Now Deny a Case Without an RFE: The August 2026 Policy Change Explained

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has restored its officers’ full discretion to deny an immigration benefit request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). That authority took effect on August 5, 2026 under Policy Alert PA-2026-05, and immediately applied the moment it was published and reached pending cases.

There Is No Premium Processing for the I-130. Here Is What Actually Moves a Family Petition

USCIS does not offer premium processing for Form I-130. There is no fee that buys a faster decision on a family petition, no upgrade to request, and no version of Form I-907 that applies. Anyone offering to accelerate an I-130 in exchange for payment is describing a service that does not exist.

From L-1A to EB-1C: How the Transfer Can Set Up a Green Card Petition

An approved  L-1A petition helps an EB-1C case but does not decide it. The two categories share the one-year-abroad requirement, the qualifying corporate relationship, and the managerial and executive definitions, and neither requires labor certification (PERM). An EB-1C case requires that the U.S. employer must already have been doing business for at least one year on the date the Form I-140 is filed.