Immigration Blog

November 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis: Priority Date Movements

November 2026 visa bulletin breakdown of EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-3 Other Workers, and EB-5 Final Action Date and Dates for Filing changes for India, China, Mexico, Philippines, and Rest of World.

H-1B Extensions at Wage Level II

How an H-1B wage level is set, a 2026 AAO decision on a revoked extension, DOL's pending wage rule, options after a denied extension, and LCA filing data.

October 2026 PERM Suspension: What It Means at Each Stage of a Green Card Case

What the October 8, 2026 PERM suspension of eight named employers means for a pending PERM, an approved I-140, H-1B extensions, EB-1 and NIW, under 20 CFR 656.31.

October 2026 Visa Bulletin and November Outlook

EB-2 Rest of World retrogressed to Jan 1, 2025, EB-2 India reopened at Nov 1, 2013, and USCIS accepts Dates for Filing. What to watch for November.

Why GreenCardClock is adding a paid tier

Updated October 5, 2026: since September 29 the Estimator's three scenario dates need a $0.99 24-hour pass (up to 3 priority dates), the Day Pass or Pro. What else is part of Pro, what a day pass buys, and why bulletin alerts stay free.

FY2026 Year End: Why a Bigger FY2027 Pool May Not Move India EB-2

A year-end look at the published FY2026 employment green card data and what it sets up for FY2027. Of about 222,000 pending I-485s, about 153,000 have a priority date that is already current, so USCIS processing rather than the visa bulletin is their constraint. Roughly 90,000 pending Rest of World I-485s carry into next year, and because Rest of World EB-2 now wants more than its own share of the category, a much larger FY2027 pool would still leave India EB-2 collecting close to its 7 percent per-country limit.

The End of F-1 Duration of Status: What It Means for International Students and Documented Dreamers

DHS ends F-1 duration of status on September 15, 2026. What the fixed four-year admission, I-539 extensions, academic mobility limits, OPT timing, the SEVP August 2026 CPT warning, doctoral programs longer than four years, and the H-4 versus F-1 in-state tuition tradeoff mean for international students and documented dreamers.

H-1B in 2026: Which Fees Are Real, the Wage Proposal, and What Happens If You Lose Your Job

Three different H-1B fees are being discussed as though they are the same thing. One starts September 9, one is not being collected, and one is a proposal open for comment until September 24. Plus the prevailing wage percentiles DOL proposed, the 60-day grace period and the rule that would remove it, and how the H-1B to H-4 change of status actually works.

What Actually Changed in 2026, and What Only Sounds Like It Did

A dated, sourced checklist of the 2026 immigration changes, updated August 28. Denials without an RFE, the end of automatic EAD extensions and mandatory e-filing authority are binding now. The $4,000 H-1B and $4,500 L-1 fee on extensions starts September 9, new F-1 limits September 15, and a broader public charge standard September 18. The $103,265 H-1B fee and higher prevailing wages are still only proposals.

USCIS August 2026 I-485 Inventory: Supply, Processing and What FY2027 Actually Delivers

The employment-based pending queue fell to 222,477 in August, its first decline. India EB-2 and EB-5 Unreserved have exhausted their FY2026 limits. FY2026 supply, what has been processed, what is pending by country, what the worldwide consular pause does before September 30, and why a larger FY2027 spillover pool does not automatically mean a FY2022 style year for India.

September 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis: Employment Frozen, Family Dates Jump

Every tracked employment cutoff is unchanged from August and India EB-2 remains Unavailable, while family-sponsored dates advanced up to 34 months. Updated August 26 with the court ruling vacating the 75 country immigrant visa suspension and the worldwide pause on immigrant visa interviews, and what both do to the FY2027 spillover pool.

USCIS May 2026 I-485 Inventory: India EB-2 Rises for the First Time in Eight Months, the 2015 Cohort Jumps From 5 to 747

USCIS published its employment-based I-485 pending inventory as of May 6, 2026. India EB-2 rose 2,664 to 28,444, ending a seven-month decline. Applications with a January 2015 priority date went from 5 to 747. The total employment-based queue grew 20,423 in one month, the largest jump in this series, driven by Rest of World EB-3. Full breakdown by country, category, and priority date year.

August 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis: Priority Date Movements

August 2026 visa bulletin breakdown of EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 Final Action Date and Dates for Filing changes for India, China, Mexico, Philippines, and Rest of World.

EB-5 Investor Green Card Timelines Are Now on GreenCardClock, Including the Set-Aside Window

The Priority Date Estimator now covers EB-5 investors: unreserved queue estimates for India, China, and every other country, filed-case visa number ETAs, and the numbers nobody else publishes, how much demand is already sitting in the Rural and High Unemployment set-aside queues that are still Current today.

Immigration Updates from June and July 2026: What Changed for Green Card Applicants

India EB-2 and EB-5 unreserved went Unavailable in the July bulletin, EB-5 set-asides stayed current for every country, a court vacated the USCIS adjudication pause, fee increases were proposed, and PERM times kept climbing. A plain-English roundup.

India vs China Employment-Based Green Cards: FY2026 Closed, What FY2027 Could Bring, Category by Category

Corrected August 26 2026: the FY2027 projections here were produced by a supply model that double counted spillover, and have been revised from about 45,200 to about 23,000 for India. Side by side India and China comparison of FY2026 against the FY2027 outlook, with the original figures shown alongside the corrected ones.

Why Our Conservative, Base, and Optimistic Dates Are So Far Apart: 15 Years of Real India EB Visa Data

Readers asked why the conservative estimate runs years beyond the base case. The answer is in 15 years of official State Department issuance data: India EB visa supply runs in two regimes, floor years and spillover years, with almost nothing in between. Here is the full FY2010 to FY2024 table and exactly how to read each scenario.

USCIS April 2026 I-485 Inventory: India EB-1 Drops 1,475, EB-2 Falls for the Seventh Straight Month, First 2015 Dates Enter the Queue

USCIS published its employment-based I-485 pending inventory as of April 3, 2026. India EB-2 fell to 25,780 for the seventh consecutive monthly decline. Five cases with a 2015 priority date appeared in the report for the first time. India EB-1 dropped a sharp 1,475 in a single month. Here is the full April breakdown by country, category, and priority date year.

USCIS March 2026 I-485 Inventory: India EB-2 Falls Again, the 2013 Cohort Keeps Clearing

USCIS published its employment-based I-485 pending inventory as of March 3, 2026, just four days after the February file. India EB-2 pending fell again to 26,251, down 733, with the drop once more concentrated at 2013 priority dates while the 2014 wall barely moved. Here is the full month-over-month breakdown by country, category, and priority date year.

USCIS February 2026 I-485 Inventory: India EB-2 Backlog Shrank, and Why 2015 Priority Dates Are Not in It Yet

USCIS released its employment-based I-485 pending inventory as of February 3, 2026 on June 4. India EB-2 pending fell to 26,984, with the drop concentrated at the 2013 priority date front. Here is the full breakdown, why a 2015 priority date is not in the report yet, and what it does and does not tell you about your wait.

The USCIS Adjustment of Status Memo, One Week Later: What PM-602-0199 Says and What It Does Not Change

On May 22, 2026 USCIS issued PM-602-0199, describing adjustment of status as a matter of discretion rather than an entitlement. One week on, here is what the memo actually says, what it does not change, what the reported USCIS statement does and does not say about employment-based and family-based applicants, and the open questions to watch. Not legal advice.

DOL Prevailing Wage NPRM: The Comment Window Closed. H-1B Wage Hike: 1,155 Comments, Opposition Leads 2 to 1

The 60-day comment window on DOL's prevailing wage NPRM closed May 26, 2026. Early read on commenters, what may happen next, litigation risk, and a grandfathering map.

EB-2 India in FY2026: How Many Visas We Estimated, the Just-Announced Limit, and What FY2027 Could Bring

On May 22, 2026 the State Department announced India EB-2 had reached its FY2026 limit, after an estimated 5,950 numbers (this post first estimated about 9,300; corrected). The India and China picture, why the date stayed in 2013, and where FY2027 could land: at a base case of about 7,200 numbers, about early 2014. Not legal advice.

Withdrawn Post (May 2026)

This May 2026 post on India EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 approvals was withdrawn because several of its figures contained errors and are out of date. Current estimates are in the Priority Date Estimator. Not legal advice.

June 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis — Priority Date Movements

June 2026 visa bulletin breakdown — EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 Final Action Date and Dates for Filing changes for India, China, Mexico, Philippines, and Rest of World.

EB-2 and EB-3 Approval Velocity in May 2026: What Community Timelines Show

Roughly 200 community-shared employment-based timelines, plus the April-to-May 2026 bulletin shift, give a real picture of who is getting approved and how fast. Rest of World EB-2 is the active cohort right now, with median I-485-to-green-card wait of about 5 months. India EB-2 stays sparse, consistent with the still-tight Final Action Date.

Why We Revised Our FY2027 Family-to-Employment Spillover Estimate

In March 2026 we projected ~95,000 family-to-employment visa spillover for FY2027. The May 2026 visa bulletin revealed our model missed how the State Department actively redistributes unused numbers. Here is what changed and our revised range.

May 2026 Visa Bulletin: India EB Categories Hold, EB-5 India Retrogression Warning

The May 2026 Visa Bulletin holds all India EB Final Action Dates at April levels. USCIS is accepting adjustment of status under Final Action Dates only. DOS issued an explicit EB-5 India retrogression warning for later in FY2026.

May 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis — Priority Date Movements

May 2026 visa bulletin breakdown — EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 Final Action Date and Dates for Filing changes for India, China, Mexico, Philippines, and Rest of World.

China EB Visa Data FY2025: EB-5 Collapsed, EB-2 Surged, and What It Means for the Queue

Complete FY2025 China employment-based visa data with monthly consular breakdowns, I-140 approval trends, I-485 inventory growth, EB-5 analysis, and China vs India backlog comparison.

FY2025 Immigrant Visa Data: Family and Employment Issuances, AOS vs Consular, and Spillover Analysis

Complete FY2025 immigrant visa data with monthly breakdowns by category, I-485 AOS quarterly data, consular vs AOS comparison, country-level EB data, and what it means for FY2026 EB spillover.

FY2025 Employment-Based Visa Data: EB-1A Denials Hit 47%, Consular Dropped 88%, and 180K I-140s Pending

Complete FY2025 EB visa analysis with monthly consular data, I-140 petition trends by category and country, EB-1A denial rate surge, NIW backlog growth, and I-485 AOS quarterly breakdown.

EB-1A Extraordinary Ability in 2026: Criteria, Costs and Self-Reported Timelines

A guide to EB-1A in 2026: the 10 criteria, the two-step review, current fees ($715 filing, $600 Asylum Program Fee, $2,965 premium processing), self-reported case timelines, common mistakes and the visa bulletin. Not legal advice.

EB-1 India, ROW, and the Vertical Spillover Picture: What the Data Shows for FY2026

Data-driven analysis of EB-1 India and ROW pending inventory, consular issuance trends, the 2022 filing surge, and what vertical spillover means for EB-2 India.

EB-3 ROW, India, and the Spillover Picture: What the Data Shows for FY2026

Data-driven analysis of EB-3 ROW and India pending inventory, consular issuance, PERM delays, and what horizontal spillover could mean for EB-3 India priority date movement.

PERM Delays, EB-2 ROW Demand, and What It Means for EB-2 India in FY2026

April 2026 analysis of PERM delays, EB-2 Rest of World demand and spillover to EB-2 India, with a dated update: India EB-2 reached its FY2026 limit on May 22 after about 5,950 numbers, and the inventory gaps reflected filing cutoffs. Not legal advice.

USCIS Strengthened Screening and Vetting: What Changed and Who Is Affected (March 2026)

On March 30, 2026, USCIS published a detailed update on its strengthened screening and vetting measures, including three policy memoranda placing holds on applications from 39 high-risk countries, enhanced vetting practices, Operation PARRIS, and a list of holds that have been partially lifted.

State Department Expands Social Media Review to 15+ Visa Categories (March 2026)

Starting March 30, 2026, the State Department requires social media disclosure for K-1 fiancé, R-1 religious worker, H-3 trainee, and 12+ additional nonimmigrant visa categories. What applicants need to know.

Proposed DOL Prevailing Wage Rule (2026): Wage Level Changes and Historical Context

Data-driven analysis of the proposed DOL prevailing wage rule: new wage level percentiles, DOL's estimated wage impact, and how it compares with the 2017 specialty occupation policy shift.

How to Create a USCIS Account and Check Your H-1B Lottery Results (2026 Guide)

Step-by-step guide to creating a myUSCIS account, checking FY2027 H-1B lottery selection status, the new wage-weighted selection process, $100K fee, and tracking your case.

EB-2 India Green Card Wait Time in 2026: What to Expect

Updated EB-2 India wait times after the April 2026 Visa Bulletin — FAD jumped 10 months to July 2014, INA 202(a)(5)(A) spillover is active, and what it means for your timeline.

EB I-485 Inventory Deep Dive: Q1 FY2026 Data + April 2026 Visa Bulletin Shakes Everything Up

Updated analysis of the USCIS EB I-485 inventory (Oct 2025 – Jan 2026) with April 2026 Visa Bulletin impact — ROW EB-2 hits Current, INA 202(a)(5)(A) activates, India EB-2 FAD jumps 10 months, and what to expect in Q2–Q4 FY2026.

EB-2 to EB-3 Downgrade (Interfiling): How It Works, Risks, and Strategy

Complete guide to EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade (interfiling) — eligibility, process, risks of date retrogression, and how to decide whether downgrading makes sense for your green card case.

Will Green Card Numbers Go Unused in FY2026 and FY2027?

How employment-based visa numbers go unused, the official FY2026 limit, our FY2027 estimate and what FY2020 to FY2023 show, based on public DOS, USCIS and DHS data.

How to Prepare for Filing I-485: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Everything you need to prepare before filing Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status): documents, medical exams, timing, and common mistakes to avoid.

10 Tools Every H-1B Worker Needs for Their Green Card Journey

A complete guide to the immigration tools on GreenCardClock, most of them free: priority date estimates, salary benchmarks, employer research, case tracking, and policy alerts.

March 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB Category Movement Analysis

March 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis of EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 priority date movements for India, China, and all other countries, plus the context behind the April 2026 spillover event.

EB-1 vs EB-2 vs EB-3: Processing Times Compared (2026)

Compare EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 green card processing times for 2026. Eligibility requirements, per-country caps, expected timelines, and when changing categories makes sense.

Consular Processing vs Adjustment of Status: Which Is Faster?

Compare consular processing and adjustment of status for your employment-based green card. Eligibility, processing times, benefits while pending, and trade-offs for 2026.

F-1 to H-1B to Green Card: Complete Timeline Guide

The full F-1 OPT to H-1B to employment-based green card pathway. Key milestones, typical processing windows, lottery mechanics, PERM and I-140 steps, and planning tools.

How to Read the Visa Bulletin: A Simple Guide

Complete guide to reading the Department of State Visa Bulletin. Understand Final Action Dates, Dates for Filing, USCIS chart selection, retrogression, and what each column means for employment-based applicants.

EB-3 India Green Card Wait Time in 2026

EB-3 India wait times in 2026, how per-country caps and spillover affect the queue, comparisons to EB-2 India, and practical planning steps for applicants.

What Is a Priority Date? Green Card Priority Date Explained

Complete explanation of green card priority dates: definition, how they are assigned for EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, family-based cases, how to find yours, and how portability and retention work when you change employers.

EB-2 vs EB-3 Green Card: Which Is Faster in 2026?

Compare EB-2 and EB-3 green card processing times, wait times by country, and when it makes sense to downgrade or upgrade categories.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin: FAD, DFF, and What They Mean

How to read the monthly visa bulletin, understand Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing, and what 'current' means for your green card.

H-1B to Green Card: Complete Timeline and Process in 2026

Step-by-step timeline from H-1B visa to employment-based green card, including PERM, I-140, and I-485 processing times.