THEIMMIGRANTS™

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

Green Card Lottery 2028 The Green Card Lottery 2028, officially called DV-2028, is the upcoming annual U.S. Diversity Visa Program. As of now, the U.S. Department of State has not published the official DV-2028 registration dates, eligible-country list, or result-release date. The only official entry website is dvprogram.state.gov. You cannot enter yet unless the Department of State officially opens registration. When it opens, eligibility will usually depend on your country

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

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

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

You filled out the form honestly. Your kid was sick, you were between jobs, you signed up for Medicaid or SNAP like anyone in that position would. Under the rule that took effect September 18, 2026, that honesty can now be held against you when you apply for a green card, even if the benefit went to your child, not you. Since September 18, 2026, USCIS can weigh Medicaid, SNAP, housing aid and more against green card applicants. What changed, who is exempt, and what to do. Thi

Your I-140 is approved. Your priority date is years old. So why are you still waiting for a U.S. Green Card? China Green Card Backlog 2026: EB-2 & EB-3 Dates For many employment-based immigrants born in mainland China, the hardest part of the U.S. Green Card process is not getting an employer to sponsor them. It is waiting for an immigrant visa number to become available. You may have an approved I-140. You may have been working in the United States for years. You may have wa

As of today, September 18, 2026, the version of Form I-485 you must use has changed. If you're filing to adjust status inside the U.S., get the edition wrong in either direction and USCIS rejects the application outright — no grace period, no exceptions. USCIS Requires a New Green Card Form As of Today Published September 18, 2026 | Source: USCIS, DHS Public Charge Final Rule Today — September 18, 2026 The new Form I-485 edition (09/18/26) is now mandatory. The previous editi

If you are waiting for a U.S. Green Card from Bangladesh, your waiting time depends on your visa category and priority date — not simply on the date your I-130 was approved. Bangladesh Green Card Waiting Time 2026 And September 2026 brought a significant change to several family-based categories. For Bangladesh, the U.S. Department of State uses the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column of the Visa Bulletin because Bangladesh does not have a separate country co

Your child is almost 21. Your family has been waiting for a U.S. Green Card. Does turning 21 mean your child automatically loses the case? Not necessarily. For some family-based and employment-based immigration cases, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) can protect a child from “aging out” at 21. But CSPA is not an automatic extension of childhood. The calculation depends on several dates in the immigration case, including the child’s date of birth, the petition’s processi

Last updated: September 16, 2026 If you are waiting for a U.S. Green Card through a family member or employer in the Philippines, the most important number in your case may be your priority date. But knowing your priority date is not enough. Philippines Green Card Waiting Time 2026: F1, F2B, F3, F4 and EB-3 Priority Dates Explained You also need to know: your immigration category; whether your case is family-based or employment-based; which Visa Bulletin chart applies; whethe

ICE made 50,925 arrests across the United States in August 2026 — a new monthly record. But the number that matters for many immigrants is not 51,000. It is this: ICE made 50,925 arrests in August 2026. Can ICE arrest you with a pending green card, asylum or work permit case? What immigrants need to know now. Can ICE arrest you if you already have an immigration case pending? If you are waiting for a green card, asylum decision, work permit, family petition or another immigra

The U.S. employment-based Green Card backlog has passed 1.2 million people by one major estimate. For some Indian EB-2 applicants, the projected wait has reached an extraordinary 179 years. But those numbers do not mean everyone applying for a Green Card will wait decades. US Green Card Backlog 2026: How Long Will You Actually Wait? Your real timeline depends on something much more specific: your immigration category + country of chargeability + priority date + visa availabil

Introduction: A Program in Legal Limbo Green Card Lottery 2026 Update — Suspension, Court Ruling & Sept 30 Deadline Meta description: The DV Lottery was paused, partly restored by a federal court, and DV-2027 registration still hasn't opened. Here's the full timeline and what it means for you. If you're trying to follow what's actually happening with the Diversity Visa Lottery — commonly known as the Green Card Lottery — you're not alone in being confused. Over the past nine

Everything you need to know about obtaining U.S. permanent residency in 2026 Last Updated: September 3, 2026 | Reading Time: 25 minutes The Complete Guide to Getting a Green Card in 2026: All 7 Legal Pathways Quick Navigation Pathway Best For Timeline Budget Difficulty 1. Employer Sponsorship (EB-2/EB-3) Professionals with job offer 2-10 years $5,000-15,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2. EB-1: Extraordinary Ability Top professionals, researchers, artists 1-3 years $10,000-20,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3. EB-2 NIW: