USCIS News & Policy Updates
Fee changes, new rules, court decisions and Visa Bulletin updates explained in plain language, with what each change means for your case. Updated as policy moves by the attorneys at Vega & Associates in Houston.
The EB-5 fee rule from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is final. On Sept. 30, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published the final rule in the Federal Register (91 FR 61940). It adjusts fees for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and codifies parts of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. BAL Immigration Law summarized the update, and the new fees apply to filings postmarked on or after Nov. 30, 2026. This EB-5 fee rule raises costs for investors who file EB-5 petitions and for the regional centers that sponsor their projects. Our team at Vega &...
Removal proceedings can feel like a countdown with no clear end. For years, administrative closure immigration cases offered a real pause button. The tool temporarily suspended removal proceedings while a visa, waiver, or other path opened up. So, an administrative closure immigration case doesn't erase your file. It simply sets the case aside until conditions change. Many families start researching administrative closure immigration options long before a judge ever grants one. That distinction matters, because a paused case is not a closed door. In fact, the Executive Office for Immigration Review oversees every immigration court that handled this kind of...
As of early October 2026, F-1 and J-1 visa holders can breathe easier. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that blocks a Department of Homeland Security rule tied to the duration of status rule. Auburn University reported the ruling in a recent campus announcement, noting that the rule would have swapped open-ended student status for fixed admission periods. This means international students and exchange visitors keep their current flexibility while the case moves through court. At Vega & Associates, our Houston immigration attorney team watches these changes closely so our clients always know where they stand. Here's what changed,...
On October 1, 2026, new Medicaid and CHIP rules took hold for many lawfully present immigrants. Under the 2025 reconciliation law (H.R. 1, Public Law 119-21), Medicaid immigrant eligibility restrictions now limit federal funding for full coverage to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants. KFF published its analysis of the rollout on September 22, 2026, and it raises real questions for lawfully present immigrants across the country, including many families in Houston. This matters because the change hits people who assumed their coverage was safe: refugees, asylees, parolees, trafficking survivors, and VAWA self-petitioners who...
The U.S. Department of State has issued the Visa Bulletin October 2026, the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027. Most family-based dates moved forward or held steady, but several employment-based dates for most countries moved backward. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP broke down the changes in its October 2026 visa bulletin analysis, noting that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has opened the pipeline for the new fiscal year even though the gains are small. This matters if you are tracking a priority date for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa interview abroad. The new cutoff dates decide who can...
As of October 4, 2026, Vega & Associates is tracking a confirmed USCIS fee increase tied to the H.R. 1 reconciliation law. On October 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Federal Register notice that raises several H.R. 1 filing fees for fiscal year 2027, effective October 16, 2026. The agency's own Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status page lists the current TPS fee, which rises from $510 to $520. The new fee schedule also touches asylum applications and employment authorization requests. The increases are small, from $3 to $30 per filing, and they apply to...
In August 2026, Sen. Mazie Hirono and a group of Senate colleagues asked the Department of Homeland Security to rethink a planned naturalization fee increase. They also want DHS to keep fee waivers in place for low-income citizenship applicants who qualify. The proposal, published by DHS in June 2026, would raise the current $760 Form N-400 paper-filing fee by about 75% (to $1,330) and end the reduced-fee option and fee waivers for non-military applicants. It is still a proposed rule, not final; you can check the current fee schedule at uscis.gov before you file. This fight matters for anyone weighing...
As of August 24, 2026, green card applicants have about three weeks left to prepare for a major policy shift. USCIS's new public charge rule takes effect September 18, 2026, replacing the framework used since 2022, Arias Villa Law reported this week. Officers can now weigh more factors, including a relative's use of public benefits and bond requirements for some applicants. What Changed: New Public Charge Rule Details USCIS confirmed the new effective date this month. The rule replaces the 2022 public charge framework and applies to every stage of the adjustment of status process, from filing to interview. Officers...
Green card application fees 2026 look different than they did last year. Congress passed H.R. 1, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) folded new charges into an already long list of costs. So if you filed a form before, expect a few surprises this time around. Before you send another form, it helps to understand how the green card process actually works from start to finish. USCIS publishes current numbers on its official fee schedule, and that page is the safest place to confirm a specific charge. Vega & Associates has tracked immigration law in Houston, and we follow...
As of August 12, 2026, Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders have a new date to track. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) quietly posted an update authorizing certain Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries to keep working through September 9, 2026, extending certain expired TPS-based EADs (categories A-12/C-19) for holders who remain eligible and whose EAD renewal application is still pending. Eligible holders receive a USCIS Notice that must be shown together with the expired EAD to prove work authorization through that date. You can read the official USCIS update on El Salvador TPS directly on the agency's site, and dates like this...
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