Updates
What is changing in 2026 for EB-1A, NIW and O-1
U.S. immigration rules shift every month this year: consular pauses, fees, the Visa Bulletin, public charge. A chronicle of each change, with one note on what it means for your petition.
September 2026
The DV-2026 lottery closes on 30 September: unissued visas are forfeited, and no new drawing has been announced
A DV-2026 selection does not carry over: visas not issued by 30 September have expired. DV-2027 registration never opened, and there is no announcement of DV-2028. What remains are the ordinary routes — work visas and self-petitions.
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October Visa Bulletin: EB-1 for Russia is Current, and EB-2 and NIW have retrogressed
EB-1 for Russia is still Current: an approved petition can go straight to adjustment of status or an immigrant visa. EB-2, including NIW, has retrogressed — Final Action Dates at January 1, 2025, Dates for Filing at March 15, 2026. The priority date is fixed on the day the I-140 is filed, so the queue is not a reason to wait.
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$100,000 H-1B payment extended through September 2027 — while a court injunction remains in force
For anyone planning H-1B from abroad, the uncertainty now lasts another year: the payment may start being collected at any moment after the appeal is decided, and employers price that risk in advance. Routes without a sponsoring employer — O-1, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW — are not touched by this proclamation at all.
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