Immigration Update – November 03, 2026

Headlines:

USCIS Extends L-1 Fee – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy alert announcing the extension of a fee initially imposed only on certain L-1A and L-1B petitions to “all L-1 petitions filed by covered employers postmarked on or before September 30, 2027, unless the petitioner is filing an amended petition that does not seek an extension” of the worker’s currently authorized L-1 status.

Sileiri Doe Class Members May Request Reopening or Reconsideration Without Fee – Under a court order, Sileiri Doe class members may file a request with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reopen or reconsider an adverse decision or action on an immigration benefit request without a fee if the class member believes that the adverse decision or action was made as a result of an April 2025 parole termination.

DOS Orders Non-Emergency U.S. Government Employees to Leave Saudi Arabia – The Department of State ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks, and imposed travel restrictions.

CBP Announces Global Entry Partnership With Saudi Arabia – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now an official Global Entry partner. Saudi Arabian citizens may use the Trusted Traveler mobile application during the Global Entry application process.

CBP Suspends CNMI Travel Authorization Program for PRC Nationals – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has suspended the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS–TAP). EVS–TAP allowed prescreened nationals of the People’s Republic of China to travel to the CNMI without a visa for temporary visits under specified conditions.

Details:

USCIS Extends L-1 Fee

On October 27, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy alert (PA-2026-16) announcing the extension of a fee initially imposed only on certain L-1A and L-1B petitions to “all L-1 petitions filed by covered employers postmarked on or before September 30, 2027, unless the petitioner is filing an amended petition that does not seek an extension” of the worker’s currently authorized L-1 status. “The rule also codifies longstanding practice applying the fee to petitioners with 50 or more employees if 50 percent or more of those employees are in H-1B or L-1 status in the aggregate, including part-time and full-time employees,” the memorandum states.

The update removes references to specific fee amounts, referring instead to the Fee Schedule, which lists all of the fees petitioners must pay when filing a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) for an L-1 beneficiary.

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Sileiri Doe Class Members May Request Reopening or Reconsideration Without Fee

On October 26, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the following update related to a court order in Sileiri Doe v. DHS (emphasis in original):

On Sept. 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order requiring DHS to remediate certain adverse consequences for the class of aliens paroled into the United States after scheduling an appointment through the CBP One mobile app, and whose parole was terminated by the federal government via mass email in April 2025. Sileiri Doe v. DHS, 1:25-cv-12245-ADB (D. Mass).

Pursuant to the Sept. 28 court order, Sileiri Doe class members may file with USCIS a request to reopen or reconsider an adverse decision or action on an immigration benefit request without a fee, if the class member believes that the adverse decision or action was made as a result of the April 2025 parole termination.

Class members may request reopening or reconsideration of an adverse decision without a fee, excluding a request for employment authorization based on parole, if USCIS issued the original decision or action between April 1, 2025 and April 21, 2026. There is no deadline for Sileiri Doe class members to file a request to reopen or reconsider such adverse decisions, pursuant to the court order.

USCIS noted that Sileiri Doe class members include all individuals who:

• Scheduled their appointments for entry into the United States using the CBP One app;
• Were paroled into the United States between May 16, 2023, and January 19, 2025;
• Had their parole terminated in April 2025 pursuant to an email stating, “It is time for you to leave the United States,” or similar language; and
• Remain in the United States.

The announcement includes details about eligibility and how to file a request to reopen or reconsider under this process.

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DOS Orders Non-Emergency U.S. Government Employees to Leave Saudi Arabia

On October 23, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks. DOS imposed the following travel restrictions:

• S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization to use any airport in Saudi Arabia.
• S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border due to safety risks.
• S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia need special authorization to travel to:
  • The cities of Qatif, Taif, and Yanbu
  • The provinces of Jizan, Asir, and Najran.

DOS said that additional adjustments may be imposed on U.S. personnel due to evolving security issues.

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CBP Announces Global Entry Partnership With Saudi Arabia

On October 27, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now an official Global Entry partner. Saudi Arabian citizens may use the Trusted Traveler mobile application during the Global Entry application process.

Through Global Entry, preapproved, low-risk travelers receive expedited clearance at U.S. airports and access to TSA PreCheck for eligible domestic flights. CBP said that Saudi Arabian applicants “will undergo rigorous vetting by both U.S. and Saudi Arabian authorities, including an in-person interview conducted by CBP before enrollment.”

Saudi Arabia joins 22 international partners whose citizens are eligible to apply for Global Entry membership: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

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CBP Suspends CNMI Travel Authorization Program for PRC Nationals

On October 27, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the suspension of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS–TAP). EVS–TAP allowed prescreened nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to travel to the CNMI without a visa for temporary visits under specified conditions.

The suspension was effective at 2 p.m. ET on October 30, 2026. The announcement states that the Secretary of Homeland Security “has determined that there is good cause to suspend EVS-TAP, while [the Department of Homeland Security], in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Interior, evaluates the program.”

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