Insights & Updates on EB-1A Green Card and U.S. Immigration

Artificial intelligence can draft a petition letter in seconds. It can also invent a court case in the same breath. In October 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) showed what that mistake can cost, and a survey of court errors worldwide shows that even judges are not immune. This article explains why unverified AI use in an immigration profile or filing can hurt an applicant.

To begin with a familiar wit in the immigration circle, immigration lawyers and critics of the H-1B visa program have made the same complaint: the penalties for breaking the rules are cheaper than the rules themselves. A new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives is now designed to end this tradition. On October 1, 2026, Representative Beth Van Duyne of Texas introduced H.R. 10643, formally titled "H–1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act." Its stated purpose, per the bill text filed with Congress, is to increase penalties for certain violations of the H–1B non-immigrant visa program.

On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a dispute over a Trump administration policy that subjects millions of immigrants who entered the country illegally to mandatory detention during their deportation proceedings, according to Reuters. The justices will take up the case in the term that begins Monday. The outcome could decide whether many detained people ever get to argue before a judge that they should be released. Here, our EB1A consultants have presented a detailed background and analysis of this important piece of news.

Immigration attorneys are raising concerns about H-1B extension petitions filed for employees of some of the largest sponsors of foreign workers, among them are Microsoft, Cognizant and Infosys. What worries them most is the silence from federal agencies. Neither USCIS nor the Department of Labor has explained why some cases are taking so long. Our EB-1A consultants have presented a deep dive into this important news and touched upon what the applicants can expect regarding H-1B extension.

A second federal judge has struck down the $100,000 fee on new H-1B workers, and with it the September 2026 proclamation that renewed it. U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. found the policies arbitrary and capricious and ruled they were legislative rules that required public comment first. In plain terms, the government cannot create a charge of this size through agency memos and guidance without asking the public. Once again, our EB-1A consultants have overviewed this important piece of news in great detail.

Some U.S. immigration fees are rising again, though only by small amounts. On September 30, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced inflation adjustments to certain fees created by the 2025 budget law known as H.R. 1. The agency describes the adjustments as "minor." The new amounts take effect on October 16, 2026. Here, our EB-1A consultants have presented a clear summary of the change in prices and highlighted who will have to comply with the changed prices.

The EB-5 program has long offered foreign investors a route to a U.S. green card in exchange for capital and jobs. From November 30, the government’s price of admission is about to climb. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalised a fee schedule that more than doubles the cost of applying for an EB-5 visa, a change likely to affect applicants from India.

The State Department’s October 2026 Visa Bulletin is the first of fiscal year 2027, and it brings mixed news for green card seekers. For EB-1A “extraordinary ability” applicants, it is mostly reassuring. Rest-of-World applicants stay current, China holds its position, and India moves forward. The biggest change may be an administrative one at USCIS.

For years, H-1B sponsors were judged mostly on wages, job descriptions and paperwork. A new executive order adds a sharper question: did you lay off American workers first? On September 18, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Order 14431, directing the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State to weigh layoffs in H-1B processing. The order was published in the Federal Register on September 23.

Few people read USCIS news releases, but the agency's newsroom over the past week has read like a court docket. The listing shows a conviction in a Florida smuggling case, charges against two New Jersey residents accused of illegal voting and false statements while applying for citizenship, a Kansas indictment, and a Romanian woman's admission to a sham marriage. Each is a small story. However, together they show how closely a citizenship file can be examined by the USCIS.

Anyone who has waited a decade for a green card knows the feeling of refreshing a case-status page. This week, for many Indian applicants, that ritual delivered a mysterious shock. Over roughly five days, a large number of I-485 adjustment-of-status applicants logged in to their USCIS accounts and found the status reading "Case requires USCIS to send a notice," and in some cases "initial review."

A short reminder from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is circulating among immigrant communities. It carries a deadline that many people overlook in the chaos of packing boxes. USCIS reminded immigrants that any change of address must be reported within 10 days of moving. It warned that failing to do so could mean missed notices, delayed cases and trouble receiving immigration documents. The agency shared the message on X and pointed to its webpage on updating addresses.