Immigration Update – June 22, 2026

Headlines:

DOS Creates $750 Fee for Expedited B-1/B-2 Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Appointments – The new fee, effective July 1, will allow eligible B-1/B-2 visa applicants to secure an interview appointment at selected posts within 10 business days, subject to availability.

Visa Bulletin for July 2026 Includes Updates for China, India, Philippines – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for July 2026 includes updates in several employment-based green card categories.

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Details:

DOS Creates $750 Fee for Expedited B-1/B-2 Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Appointments

The Department of State (DOS) published a temporary final rule, effective July 1 through December 31, 2026, to create a $750 fee for an expedited B-1/B-2 business and tourism nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview appointment. The new fee will allow B-1/B-2 visa applicants to secure an interview appointment at selected posts within 10 business days, subject to availability.

DOS said that this service “will be an optional premium addition to the standard NIV application fee and will be offered only to applicants at limited posts as published on travel.state.gov and in limited quantities.” It is being offered as a pilot program “to assess demand from applicants for visas who seek to bypass longer wait times for visa interviews,” DOS explained.

Immigration attorneys have noted that the pilot program appears to create a separate, fee-based pathway to expedited B-1/B-2 visa appointments that does not require applicants to demonstrate urgent circumstances, such as significant business needs, medical emergencies, humanitarian issues, or other compelling reasons. The new fee only expedites the visa appointment, not processing otherwise, and the usual fees are still required. The expedited appointment does not guarantee visa issuance, and it does not expedite any later adjudicative steps, including administrative processing.

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Visa Bulletin for July 2026 Includes Updates for China, India, Philippines

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for July 2026 includes updates for China, India, and the Philippines in several employment-based green card categories:

• Retrogression in the EB-1 category for India. High demand has made it necessary to retrogress the final action date to hold number use within the fiscal year (FY) 2026 annual limit. Further retrogression or making the category unavailable may be necessary in the coming months if India’s pro-rated limit in this category is reached before the fiscal year ends.
• Unavailability of EB-2 numbers for India. India’s pro-rated EB-2 limit was reached, and the category is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026. In October, when the new fiscal year starts, the final action date is likely to advance but will depend on demand for EB-2 numbers by Indian applicants and the FY 2027 annual limit on employment-based visas.
• Visa availability in the EB-2 category for China. It may be necessary to retrogress the final action date or make this category unavailable in the coming months to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY 2026 annual limit.
• Visa availability in the EB-3 category for the Philippines. It may be necessary to retrogress the final action date or make this category unavailable in the coming months to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY 2026 annual limit.
• Unavailability of EB-5 unreserved numbers for India. India’s pro-rated EB-5 unreserved limit was reached, and the category is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026. In October, the final action date is likely to advance but will depend on demand for EB-5 unreserved numbers by Indian applicants and the FY 2027 annual limit on employment-based visas.

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Firm in the News

Cyrus Mehta was a featured speaker at the AILA Annual Conference in San Diego, CA on the following panels: “When Representation Goes Wrong: Protecting Clients and Restoring Trust” on June 18, 2026 and “Protecting and Defending Your Client – and Yourself” on June 20, 2026.

David Isaacson was a featured speaker at the AILA Annual Conference in San Diego, CA and spoke on the panel “Habeas Corpus: Challenging Prolonged or Unlawful Detention” on June 19, 2026

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