Visa Lawyer Blog

Articles Posted in Family Visas

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gdj-july-4-8043756_1280We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the July 2026 Visa Bulletin.

In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.

Adjustment of Status Chart

For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of July, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for family-sponsored categories only.

For employment-based categories, USCIS will also continue using the Final Action Dates Chart.

   Highlights of the July 2026 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of July?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives

  • EB-1 China will advance 2 months to July 1, 2023
  • EB-1 India will retrogress 2 months to October 15, 2022

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 India will be unavailable

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

  • EB-3 India will advance 2.4 weeks to January 1, 2014
  • EB-3 China will advance 4.7 months to December 22, 2021
  • (Worldwide and Mexico) will advance 2 months to August 1, 2024

EB-3 Other Workers

  • EB-3 India will advance 2.4 weeks to January 1, 2014
  • EB-3 Philippines will advance 1 month to December 1, 2021
  • (Worldwide, Mexico) will advance 1 month to March 1, 2022

EB-4 Special Immigrants and Religious Workers

  • All countries will advance 2 months to September 15, 2022

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katie-moum-7XGtYefMXiQ-unsplash-scaledGood news for green card applicants impacted by the 39-country ban.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that it has resumed processing immigration applications for nationals from 39 countries after a federal court ordered the agency to halt policies that had frozen adjudications for months.

However, the government has already filed an appeal, meaning the future of these cases remains uncertain.

The case, Dorcas v. USCIS, challenged several USCIS policies that had suspended the processing of green card applications, work permits, naturalization applications, and certain asylum cases for individuals from designated countries. A federal judge ruled that these policies were unlawful and ordered USCIS to resume normal processing.

Importantly, the court’s decision requires USCIS to process applications, not automatically approve them. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements under existing immigration laws. Additionally, separate travel restrictions and other immigration policies remain in effect.

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the-now-time-KXUKLB-_Sb0-unsplash-1-scaledOn Friday, June 5, a federal judge struck down several Trump administration immigration policies that targeted asylum seekers and halted the processing of immigration benefit applications for individuals from 39 countries, finding that the administration had exceeded its legal authority.

Last year, the administration paused asylum case processing and suspended immigration benefit applications for affected individuals subject to the travel ban for an undetermined period of time, leaving millions of immigrants across the United States facing uncertainty about their legal status.

In a lengthy 135-page court opinion, Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell found that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acted unlawfully by implementing broad restrictions without authorization from Congress or established regulations. The court concluded that the policy unfairly targeted applicants based on their country of origin and violated federal immigration and administrative law.

The opinion comes after several plaintiff organizations including Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island and Refugee Dream Center filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that thousands of individuals were prevented from obtaining lawful immigration benefits despite meeting eligibility requirements. The ruling reinforces the principle that immigration agencies must follow existing law and cannot create sweeping restrictions without proper legal authority.

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jorono-banner-2693259-scaledThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has automatically extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible Lebanese nationals through November 27, 2026, giving thousands of immigrants continued protection from deportation and authorization to work in the United States.

The six-month extension was triggered because DHS did not complete its required review of Lebanon’s TPS designation before the statutory deadline. The agency cited the need for additional time to evaluate conditions in Lebanon and determine whether the designation should continue.

Approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals currently benefit from TPS. The extension also automatically renews certain employment authorization documents, helping affected individuals maintain their jobs without interruption.

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markus-spiske-RX-BevgxSXs-unsplash-scaledIn a policy memorandum released today, just ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, the Trump administration announced that temporary visa holders seeking green cards should leave the United States and complete their immigration process through consular processing in their home countries.

But is adjustment of status completely off the table? No. While the government has made clear that individuals intending to immigrate to the United States are generally expected to pursue immigrant visas abroad, adjustment of status remains a discretionary pathway to a green card.

When deciding whether to exercise discretion to grant adjustment of status in the United States, USCIS officers will apply a “totality of the circumstances” analysis, weighing both favorable and unfavorable factors before reaching a decision.

Overview

For decades, Adjustment of Status has been one of the most reliable pathways to apply for a green card for immigrants already living in the U.S., who entered the country lawfully. This process has involved filing the I-485, remaining in the country while the green card case is pending, waiting for an interview, and receiving a final approval.

The ability to apply for adjustment of status has not been taken away with today’s announcement, however, the sense of security that applicants once had has been blurred.

The Policy Memorandum

In its policy memorandum, the government stressed that individuals admitted to the United States on temporary visas (tourist, student, work visas, etc.) are generally expected to leave the country rather than pursue Adjustment of Status from inside the U.S.

Instead, those wishing to remain in the U.S. permanently are expected to apply for an immigrant visa from abroad. But today’s announcement does not prevent those who qualify from seeking adjustment of status, although applicants should exercise greater caution and understand that certain factors may negatively affect their chances of approval.

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elin-melaas-rAfpEO53684-unsplash-scaledWe are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the June 2026 Visa Bulletin.

In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.

Adjustment of Status Chart

For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of June, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for family-sponsored categories only.

For employment-based categories, USCIS will also continue using the Final Action Dates Chart.

   Highlights of the June 2026 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of June?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives

  • EB-1 India will retrogress 3.5 months to December 15, 2022
  • Except China, all other countries remain current

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 India will retrogress 10.4 months to September 1, 2013
  • Except China, all other countries remain current

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USCIS is expected to pause or delay adjudication of certain immigration benefit requests that require fingerprint-based background checks following the agency’s implementation of a new enhanced FBI security vetting process.

The new process became effective on April 27, 2026.

According to reports, USCIS officers have been directed to submit pending applications for enhanced FBI background checks and to withhold final adjudication until the required security clearances are completed.

The initial group of impacted cases is expected to include applications for which fingerprints were already collected and submitted before April 27, 2026.

At a Glance

Applications requiring fingerprint-based background checks may be subject to an adjudication pause for enhanced security checks, based on new USCIS internal guidance

Affected case types are expected to include adjustment of status, asylum, naturalization, family-based green card sponsorship petitions, and other immigration benefit requests requiring biometrics (fingerprints).

For pending cases where fingerprints were submitted before April 27, USCIS officers are expected to re-submit the fingerprints already on file through the new FBI system. Applicants generally should not be required to take further action unless specifically instructed by USCIS.

Newly filed cases received after April 27 may also be placed in a processing queue while USCIS works through the backlog of pending cases requiring re-vetting. At this time, one reported exception appears to be U.S. citizenship applications where oath ceremonies have already been scheduled.

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glen-carrie-vavYIIv-Puo-unsplash-scaledWe are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the May 2026 Visa Bulletin.

In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of May, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for family-sponsored categories only.

For employment-based categories, USCIS will now use the Final Action Dates Chart.

            Highlights of the May 2026 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of May?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-3 Other Workers

  • Worldwide and Mexico will advance 3 months to February 1, 2022

EB-5 Unreserved Categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5)

  • EB-5 China will advance 3 weeks to September 22, 2016

Dates for Filing Advancements

EB-5 Unreserved Categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5) 

  • EB-5 China will advance 4 months to March 1, 2017

Family-Sponsored Categories

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alexas_fotos-april-3109706-scaledWe are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the April 2026 Visa Bulletin.

In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.

USCIS Adjustment of Status

For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of April, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.

Highlights of the April 2026 Visa Bulletin

At a Glance

What can we expect to see in the month of April?

Employment-Based Categories

Final Action Advancements

EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives

  • EB-1 India and China will advance one month to April 1, 2023
  • All other countries will remain current

EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability

  • EB-2 India will advance 10 months to July 15, 2014
  • Except China, all other countries (Worldwide, Mexico, Philippines) will become current

*Note, there is an immigrant visa freeze for all countries subject to the 75-country ban on immigrant visa issuance. Lawsuits opposing the freeze are currently pending. 

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mana5280-XiF1p97u3fc-unsplash-scaled

Rising tensions in the Middle East are causing immediate disruptions to visa processing and international travel across the region. According to the State Department, several embassies throughout the Middle East have halted or significantly limited visa services following airstrikes targeting Iran and subsequent retaliatory actions.

The situation is fluid and is evolving on a daily basis.

Widespread Travel Disruptions Across the Middle East

The escalating security situation has triggered widespread travel interruptions throughout the region. Airspace closures have been reported in Iran, Israel, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, and Qatar. Airlines have suspended flights throughout the region, and there are reports of land border closures and shelter-in-place advisories in several countries.

These disruptions are expected to significantly affect visa issuance, passport returns, and the movement of workers.

U.S. Embassy Visa Services Suspended or Limited

The following U.S. diplomatic missions across the region have implemented operational changes, including canceled appointments, and the suspension of routine visa services until further notice.

  • United Arab Emirates: The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate in Dubai canceled all visa and U.S. citizen services appointments from March 2–4 while personnel sheltered in place.
  • Beirut: Since February 23rd non-emergency personnel have departed and all consular visa services have been suspended.
  • Qatar: Routine consular appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Doha have been canceled due to ongoing security concerns until further notice.
  • Israel: The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv branch office have suspended all routine visa services through March 13 and are prioritizing assistance to U.S. citizens.
  • Jordan: The U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a shelter-in-place directive and visa services are suspended for the foreseeable future.
  • Kuwait: Embassy personnel have been ordered to shelter in place and all routine visa have been suspended.
  • Dubai: The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai branch office issued a shelter-in-place directive and all routine visa services and appointments have been postponed.
  • Pakistan: The State Department has ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees from U.S. Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks.  At the U.S. Embassy Islamabad, the consulate will not be open for routine services on March 6, but staff remain available for emergency services only.
  • Cyprus: The State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees to leave Cyprus due to the threat of armed conflict. All routine visa services and U.S. Citizen services have been suspended.
  • Saudi Arabia: The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia has suspended all routine and emergency consular services until further notice. The State Department has authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees to leave Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Consulate in Dhahran has specifically ordered the public to stay away from the area due to ongoing attacks and security concerns.

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