THEIMMIGRANTS™

Three proposed US rules that would hit H-1B, OPT and other work-visa holders are still open for public comment: the 60-day grace period closes 10 November, the $70,000 OPT fee about 9 to 10 November, and the end of deference to prior approvals 13 November. None is final. The $100,000 H-1B entry fee is blocked in court, but other rules are already in force, so "blocked" does not mean "safe". H-1B and OPT: 3 US Rules You Can Still Comment On Status board: in force, blocked or o

The new U.S. fiscal year brought fresh visa numbers — but not a fresh start for everyone. October 2026 delivered important changes across family-sponsored and employment-based Green Card categories, including significant movement in some family queues and new cut-off dates for employment-based applicants. Here is what changed, who benefited, and what the October Visa Bulletin actually meant for people waiting for U.S. permanent residence. October 2026 U.S. Visa Bulletin: EB-2

Know your rights, understand the difference between judicial and administrative warrants, and learn what to do if immigration officers come to your home. Immigrants.live | U.S. Immigration Rights Guide | October 2026 Can ICE Enter Your Home Without a Judge’s Warrant? A knock at the door can become a frightening moment when the people outside identify themselves as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Can you keep the door closed? Do you have to answer questions? Wh

980,000 Deportations About four in five of the roughly 980,000 people deported during the first 18 months of President Trump's second term had no criminal conviction, according to a Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis published on October 22, 2026. MPI counts deportations from January 20, 2025 to July 31, 2026. It built its estimate from government data released through public-records requests, because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stopped publishing detaile

What families need to know about immigration bond, bond hearings, eligibility restrictions, evidence, costs, and possible alternatives to detention in the United States. ICE Detention: Immigration Bond, Eligibility & Release Last reviewed: October 24, 2026 When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains a family member, one of the first questions is often: Can they be released from detention while their immigration case continues? In some cases, the answer is yes.

An asylum denial does not always mean the end of your case. But your next move depends on who denied your application, why it was denied, and which deadline applies. Asylum denial notice and immigration court appeal documents on a desk in a U.S. courtroom. For people seeking protection in the United States, an asylum denial can create immediate uncertainty. Can you appeal? Can you submit new evidence? Could you qualify for another form of protection? And what happens if the g

A final removal order does not always mean every legal option is gone. But the available remedies can be limited, deadlines may be strict, and filing paperwork does not automatically stop deportation. Can a Final Deportation Order Be Reopened or Stopped? For immigrants in the United States, receiving a final order of removal can be frightening. Some people have lived in the country for years. Others have U.S. citizen children, pending family petitions, employment authorizatio

Missed your immigration hearing and discovered that a judge ordered you removed from the United States? You may still have legal options. Learn which grounds can support reopening, what evidence matters, and why acting quickly is critical. Immigration court hearing notice and removal order documents on a desk in a U.S. immigration courtroom. Missing an immigration court hearing can have serious consequences. If an immigration judge decides a case in the person's absence, the

A practical emergency guide for immigrant families in the United States A family member detained by ICE? Learn how to locate them, contact an immigration lawyer, gather documents, protect children, and act on urgent deadlines. When ICE arrests a family member, the first hours can be frightening and confusing. You may not know where the person is being held, whether they can call you, what will happen to their immigration case, or how to protect children and other dependents.

A family needs medical care. A parent applies for food assistance. A worker loses a job and struggles to pay rent. At the same time, someone in the household is preparing a green card application. Immigrant family reviewing a green card application and public charge documents under the 2026 U.S. public benefits rule, with the U.S. Capitol in the background. Could accepting public benefits affect that immigration application? For some applicants, the answer now requires more c

The Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery — better known as the Green Card Lottery — is one of the few legal pathways that can lead an ordinary person from almost anywhere in the world to permanent residence in the United States. How to Win the Green Card Lottery But the phrase “winning a Green Card” is misleading. The lottery does not award Green Cards. It randomly selects applicants for further review. If you are selected, you still must prove that you qualify, submit an immigrant vi

Facing deportation in the United States? This guide explains what to do if your visa expires, you receive an immigration court notice, ICE detains you, your asylum claim is denied, or a judge has already ordered your removal. Learn how to identify possible legal defenses, protect important deadlines, find qualified legal help, and understand which options may still be available after a deportation order. How to Stop Deportation in the U.S.: A Complete Guide Deportation is not

What the latest U.S. immigration crackdown means for visitors, students, workers, and families planning a move to America 300,000 U.S. Visas Revoked: Could You Be at Risk? Updated: October 21, 2026 More than 300,000 U.S. visas have been revoked since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, according to the U.S. Department of State. The administration announced the figure on October 20, 2026, marking a substantial increase from the more than 175,000 revocati

Cinematic cover with headline “ICE Took Him From His Father. Called Him ‘Unaccompanied.’ Put Him on a Plane Alone.” showing a lone boy in a vast night airport, separated by glass from his father, with a Venezuela departure board and red “UNACCOMPANIED” stamp. In April 2026, ICE agents in El Paso, Texas arrested an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy named Andrés together with his father, Luis. His father had done nothing to separate them — they were picked up at the same place, at the

A legal analysis of permanent residency, First Amendment protections, and the Mahmoud Khalil case Can a U.S. Green Card holder be deported for political speech? Understand First Amendment rights, deportation law, and the Mahmoud Khalil case. A U.S. Green Card gives a person the right to live and work permanently in the United States. But does it protect an immigrant from deportation if they criticize the government, participate in political protests, or publicly express contr

Updated: October 18, 2026 F4 Philippines Green Card Backlog 2026 If you are a U.S. citizen with a brother or sister in the Philippines, you may be able to sponsor them for a Green Card. But there is a major obstacle: the F4 family immigration category has a long waiting list, and the process can take many years. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin shows that the F4 Philippines Final Action Date is May 15, 2008, while the Date for Filing is March 22, 2009. These dates help families

Nearly one million Indian nationals are trapped in the US employment-based green card backlog. New data puts the EB-2 wait at 179 years. Here is exactly why, who it affects, and what — if anything — is being done about it. In December 2019, Akhilesh Malavalli marched through downtown San Jose with dozens of other Indian tech workers, all of them holding approved green card petitions and no path to actually receive one. "We need to wait 150 years to get a green card," he told

Ukraine's Protected Status Expires Tomorrow Maria Hlyten checks her immigration account several times a week. She has lived in the US since September 2022, building a life and a career while the war that pushed her out of Ukraine ground into its fifth year. "If you ask me what I'm going to do on October 19," she told RFE/RL, "I don't know." She is not alone. Tomorrow, October 19, 2026, Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine is scheduled to expire — and as of this writing, the

Updated: October 18, 2026 DV-2027 Green Card Lottery: Registration Date and Latest Update The delayed DV-2027 Green Card Lottery could soon reopen after a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of State to resume registration for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. On October 14, 2026, a federal court in California issued a preliminary injunction requiring the government to announce the DV-2027 registration details by October 29 and open registration by November 1. The r

On the afternoon of October 8, 2026, Oscar Belgal picked up his 5-year-old son from school in the Marble Hill section of the Bronx. Minutes later, ICE agents in plainclothes and masks surrounded his car. What happened in the next moments is disputed in almost every detail except one: a single agent fired seven rounds into the vehicle, with the child still in the back seat. Belgal, 28, was hit in the neck and has spent the ten days since in a legal and medical limbo that has p