Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2026

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 27,736 H-2B visas made available for the second allocation of returning workers for fiscal year 2026 with start dates from April 1 to April 30, 2026, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (fiscal year 2026 TFR).  April 21, 2026 was the final receipt date for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the second allocation of returning worker H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026. These additional H-2B visas will support American businesses with seasonal or temp

DHS Announces Consequences for Unpaid Annual Asylum Fees, Unveils New H.R. 1 Requirements

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing an interim final rule to implement immigration fees and requirements from the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Act of 2025 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). H.R. 1 created new fees to increase funding for immigration enforcement operations and ensure aliens pay for immigration services.

On July 22, 2025, USCIS published a Federal Register notice implementing a filing fee for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, and an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) to be paid each calendar year an asylum application remains pending.

Annual Asylum Fee

In an effort to satisfy the statutory mandate that DHS require payment of the

Visa Bulletin June 2026 Predictions

For official May 2026 Visa Bulletin & Analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-may-2026.aspx

Please see June 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based categories for all countries):

Family Based:

Final Action Dates

Dates For Filing Applications

"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	08OCT17	08OCT17	08OCT17	01NOV07	01JUN13
F2A	22OCT24	22OCT24	22OCT24	15OCT23	22OCT24
F2B	15JUN17	15JUN17	15JUN17	01JUN09	15MAY13
F3	08MAR12	08MAR12	08MAR12	08MAY01	01FEB06
F4	08OCT08	08OCT08	15NOV06	01MAY01	22SEP07

"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	08NOV18	08NOV18	08NOV18	22DEC08	08JUN15
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	01FEB18	01FEB18	01FEB18	01SEP10	08NOV13
F3	22DEC12	22DEC12	22DEC12	22JUL01	08OCT06
F4	15OCT09	15OCT09	08JAN07	22MAY01	01APR08

May 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis

For May 2026 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-may-2026.aspx

Please see below analysis of May 2026 Visa Bulletin:

Family Based:

Final Action Dates

Dates For Filing Applications

"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	+4 Months	+4 Months	+4 Months	+6 Months	No Change
F2A	+6 Months	+6 Months	+6 Months	+6 Months	+6 Months
F2B	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F3	+1 Month 24 Days	+1 Month 24 Days	+1 Month 24 Days	No Change	+4 Months 21 Days
F4	+3 Months 7 Days	+3 Months 7 Days	No Change	No Change	+5 Months 14 Days

"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	+7 Months	+7 Months	+7 Months	+5 Months 16 Days	No Change
F2A	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2B	+4 Months 24 Days	+4 Months 24 Days	+4 Months 24 Days	No Change	No Change
F3	+16 Days	+16 Days	+16 Days	+14 Days	+24 Days
F4	+3 Months 17 Days	+3 Months 17 Days	No Change	No Change	No Change

May 2026 Visa Bulletin

For April 2026 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-april-2026.aspx

For analysis of May 2026 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-analysis-may-2026.aspx

May 2026 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from May 1 to May 31 only). Please see below for more details.

Family Based:

Final Action Dates

Dates For Filing Applications

"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability  Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland  born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01SEP17	01SEP17	01SEP17	15AUG07	01MAY13
F2A	01AUG24	01AUG24	01AUG24	01AUG23	01AUG24
F2B	22MAY17	22MAY17	22MAY17	15FEB09	08APR13
F3	15FEB12	15FEB12	15FEB12	01MAY01	22NOV05
F4	15SEP08	15SEP08	01NOV06	08APR01	15JUL07

"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability  Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland  born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01OCT18	01OCT18	01OCT18	01OCT08	22APR15
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	01JAN18	01JAN18	01JAN18	15MAY10	01OCT13
F3	08DEC12	08DEC12	08DEC12	15JUL01	08AUG06
F4	01SEP09	01SEP09	15DEC06	30APR01	22MAR08

Justice Department Files Case to Revoke U.S. Citizenship of Mastermind Behind Multimillion-Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme

USCIS assisted with the investigation and is supporting denaturalization case

BALTIMORE – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services helped investigate Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, a native of Nigeria recently named in a civil denaturalization complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Kazeem orchesrated a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme. In 2017, he was convicted on 19 counts—including mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy—and later sentenced to 15 years in prison. President Biden commuted his sentence in 2024 after he had served only six years.

The denaturalization complaint alleges that Kazeem committed his fraud scheme befo

FY 2027 H-1B Initial Registration Selection Process Completed

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year 2027 H-1B numerical allocations (known as the H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master's cap).

USCIS selected enough beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations to reach the H-1B cap and notified all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for those beneficiaries. Registrants' online accounts will display their registration status. For more information, visit the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page.

H-1B cap-s