This week’s immigration updates include inflation-adjusted fee increases for certain USCIS filings, significant EB-5 fee changes, the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, expanded social media screening for additional visa categories, and narrowed Medicaid and CHIP eligibility for certain immigrants. Here’s a practical overview of what you should know. 👇

Effective October 16, 2026, USCIS will implement inflation-adjusted fee increases for certain immigration benefit requests under H.R. 1. The adjustments reflect a 3.36% increase based on CPI-U data from July 2025 through July 2026. The following fees will increase: the Annual Asylum Application Fee from $102 to $105; Form I-131 immigration parole fee from $1,020 to $1,050; Form I-765 initial EAD fee for asylum applicants, parolees, and TPS holders from $560 to $570; and Form I-821 TPS application fee from $510 to $520. Filings postmarked on or after October 16 without the updated fee will be rejected.

On September 30, 2026, USCIS published a final rule establishing a new fee schedule for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, effective November 30, 2026. The rule increases average EB-5 filing fees by approximately 70.7%. The fee for Form I-526E increases from $3,675 to $7,850. A new $75 EB-5 Technology Fee will also apply to Forms I-526 and initial I-526E filings. EB-5 Integrity Fund fees are increasing by approximately 10%.

The U.S. Department of State has released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first bulletin of Fiscal Year 2027. For October, USCIS has confirmed that both family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment of status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart. Employment-based categories saw mixed results — EB-2 India, unavailable since July 2026, has reopened. However, EB-2 and EB-3 for Rest of World retrogressed. Family-sponsored categories saw modest forward movement, particularly for Mexico and the Philippines. Applicants should review the bulletin to determine whether their priority date has been affected.

Effective October 1, 2026, the State Department extended its online presence review requirement to I visas for foreign media representatives and TN and TD visas for USMCA professionals and their dependents. Applicants in these categories are now required to set all social media profiles to public for vetting purposes. Social media screening already applies to a broad range of visa categories including F, J, H-1B, H-4, and K visas.

Effective October 1, 2026, federally funded Medicaid and CHIP eligibility is generally limited to lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants, people residing in the United States under Compacts of Free Association, and lawfully residing children or pregnant immigrants in states that have adopted the relevant coverage option. Immigrants who do not fall within these categories may no longer be eligible for federally funded Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

Firm Update: Green Card Approved 🎉

Big news this week! Our firm is thrilled to share that we obtained a Green Card approval for our client, a milestone that allows them to live and work permanently in the United States. This is a life-changing outcome and a proud moment for our team. We are honored to have been part of this journey.

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