After a series of bans and cancellations since August 2025, the US immigration system remains operational. Visas are being issued, status changes are available, but consular interviews are on hold until mid-September, and new public charge rules have expanded officers’ discretion in denials.
What Happened Since August 2025
The sequence of events began in August–September 2025, when fees on H1B petition processing were introduced at approximately $100,000. This significantly complicated immigration in this category. Following this came new fees, and the visa situation remains uncertain.
In January 2026, an immigration pause on 75 countries was introduced, which prohibited the issuance of immigrant visas at consular interviews. This was the final stage of the immigration process. However, on August 21, 2026, a court in litigation reviewed this decision and issued a ruling against the ban. The order was lifted, and the issuance of immigrant visas became technically possible again.
Attempted Closure of Status Change and Its Reversal
In May 2026, the US administration introduced a migration memorandum that effectively prohibited status changes within the country. This occurred after people began entering the US on tourist visas and O1 visas and then applying for status changes.
However, within a week, the government rescinded this memorandum. As a result, status changes to EB categories remained largely unchanged. Admittedly, several new questions were added to application forms, processing times may be longer, and those entering on a tourist visa will face even more questions. But no direct prohibitions on status change within the US were introduced—the procedure remains available for any category.
Pause on Consular Interviews in Late August
After the lift of the pause on 75 countries, literally within days a new migration pause was introduced. It was dated to late August and affected consular interviews—they were cancelled and authorities announced they would return to this later with new information.
This pause is unlikely to last long. It is expected to be lifted around September 15, as it was introduced for personnel training on the new rule.
New Public Charge Rule from September 15
Around September 15, a new immigration rule on public charge takes effect. It grants immigration officers and administrative personnel conducting interviews for the issuance of immigrant visas abroad quite broad discretion.
Officers can interpret many conditions and factors against the applicant and deny based on the risk that the immigrant will seek benefits after arrival. This means that the grounds for denial have widened, and officers have been granted greater discretion in decision-making.
Current Status of All Visa Categories
At this time, procedures for all visa categories are operational: EB1, EB2, O1, L1, and other categories are being reviewed. Applications are being processed both online and offline.
New tools allow cases to be filed through online accounts. Older cases that were under consideration since 2023 in offline mode have begun to be transferred online. To do this, you need to create an account where status is tracked, a new tracking number appears, and all further correspondence is conducted online.
EB categories are being reviewed somewhat more strictly. This does not mean that mass denials have begun, but the time to receive a decision has increased by approximately 20–30 percent compared to before the current administration.
Overall Assessment of the Situation
Overall, the immigration system is operational and remains accessible. There are certain variables in timelines and availability of individual visas due to quotas, but the situation has not fundamentally worsened. All categories remain in play, and procedures continue to function. Constant adaptation to political changes is the reality of the current moment.
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