Highlights
On January 28th a federal judge in Nebraska ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must approve an EB-1A petition that was previously denied, based on the court’s finding that the “final merits requirement,” was unlawfully adopted by USCIS.
What Happened in the EB-1A Case?
On January 28, 2026, a U.S. District Court judge in Nebraska issued a decision in Mukherji v. Miller in favor of an EB-1A applicant who challenged the denial of her I-140 petition. The case focused on USCIS’s practice of applying a “final merits determination,” an additional layer of review that goes beyond evaluating whether an applicant meets the regulatory criteria for the EB-1A classification.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that the agency will increase the fees for premium processing service for certain employment-based applications and petitions on March 1, 2026 to reflect inflationary adjustments.
Those who plan to file a request for premium processing postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include the new fee for the specific benefit requested.
The new premium processing fees are as follows:
| Case type | Current Premium Processing Fee | New Premium Processing Fee | Increase |
Form I-140 |
$2,805 | $2,965 | $160 |
Form I-129 |
$2,805 $1,685 (H-2B & R-1) |
$2,965 $1,780 (H-2B or R-1) |
$160 $95 |
Form I-539 |
$1,965 | $2,075 | $110 |
Form I-765 (F-1 OPT) |
$1,685 | $1,780 | $95 |
Applicants and employers who wish to avoid the upcoming increase in the premium processing fee should make sure to submit their requests well in advance of the March 1st deadline.
Submitting early not only helps lock in the current lower fee but also reduces the risk of processing delays that could occur as the fee change approaches. Careful planning and timely submission are essential for those looking to take advantage of the existing rate before the new, higher fee takes effect.
For more information, please click here.
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We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the October 2025 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 October, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the October 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of October?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the July 2025 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 employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of July.
Please click here for more information.
Highlights of the July 2025 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-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the June 2025 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 employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of June.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of June.
Please click here for more information.
Highlights of the June 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of June?
Employment-Based Categories
Dates for Filing Advancements
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 Other Workers
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the May 2025 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 employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of May.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of May.
Please click here for more information.
Highlights of the May 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of May?
Employment-Based Categories
Dates for Filing Advancements
Final Action Advancements & Retrogressions
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 Other Workers
EB-5 Unreserved Categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5)
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the April 2025 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 employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of April.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of April.
Please click here for more information.
Highlights of the April 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of April?
Employment-Based Categories
Dates for Filing Advancements
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-3 Other Workers
We are pleased to report that today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the March 2025 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 employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of March.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of March.
Please click here for more information.
Highlights of the March 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of March?
Employment-Based Categories
Dates for Filing
Final Action Advancements & Retrogressions
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 Other Workers
EB-4 Religious Workers
Are you applying for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence (a green card)?
If so, you will be pleased to know that on January 22, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is waiving any and all requirements for the COVID-19 vaccination on the Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
As a result, adjustment of status (green card) applicants will no longer be required to present evidence that they have received the COVID-19 vaccination.
USCIS will also not deny any adjustment of status application based on an applicant’s failure to present documentation that they received the COVID-19 vaccination.
Due to this new policy, USCIS will no longer issue any Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) related to proving a COVID-19 vaccination.
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