Everything in the other guides describes the system as it is designed to work. This guide describes what has actually been changing, because several of the biggest developments of the past year are still unsettled.
Read this one with a date in mind. Every item below has an official source link, and every item is capable of changing again.
Entry restrictions by nationality
Presidential Proclamation 10998, signed on 16 December 2025 and effective 1 January 2026, fully or partially suspends entry and visa issuance for nationals of thirty nine countries, plus travellers using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. It continued and expanded the earlier Proclamation 10949.
The structure has tiers. Nationals of nineteen countries face a full suspension across immigrant and nonimmigrant categories: Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. A second group faces partial suspension covering B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas and immigrant visas, leaving categories such as H-1B and L-1 outside the proclamation. Turkmenistan is limited to immigrant visas only.
Two points matter for individuals. The proclamation applies to people who were outside the United States and did not hold a valid visa on the effective date, and visas issued before that date were not revoked by it. Limited exceptions exist, including certain dual nationals, some special immigrant visas and national interest exceptions.
Fixed admission periods for students, exchange visitors and media
DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 ending duration of status for F, J and I nonimmigrants and replacing it with fixed admission periods, up to four years for F and J and up to 240 days for I, with extensions to be filed with USCIS.
The effective date is 15 September 2026. The rule is classified as a major rule under the Congressional Review Act, and litigation is active, with a hearing in early September 2026. Transition provisions protect people already in D/S status, and students who timely file for OPT or STEM OPT by 18 March 2027 receive limited relief.
The H-1B lottery is no longer random
DHS published a final rule on 29 December 2025 replacing random selection in the H-1B cap lottery with a weighted process based on Department of Labor wage levels. A Level 4 wage offer receives four entries, Level 3 three, Level 2 two and Level 1 one.
The rule took effect on 27 February 2026, in time for the March 2026 registration season.
The 100,000 dollar H-1B payment
Proclamation 10973, issued 19 September 2025, imposed a 100,000 dollar payment tied to certain new H-1B petitions for beneficiaries outside the United States who did not hold a valid H-1B visa.
The litigation history is unusual. A federal court in the District of Columbia upheld the proclamation in December 2025. A federal court in Massachusetts vacated the implementing policy on 8 June 2026, holding it an unconstitutional tax imposed without congressional authorisation. The government appealed, obtained a brief administrative stay, and then on 24 July 2026 the First Circuit declined to stay the district court judgment, leaving the payment requirement blocked while the appeal proceeds.
The proclamation also carries a twelve month term that expires on 20 September 2026 unless extended.
Employers should treat this as live and verify current guidance immediately before filing.
The visa integrity fee
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted 4 July 2025, created a visa integrity fee of at least 250 dollars, collected when a nonimmigrant visa is issued, adjusted annually for inflation, and payable in addition to the existing application fee. Visa Waiver Program travellers and immigrant visa applicants are not subject to it.
Implementation has been uneven. A July 2025 Federal Register notice stated that cross agency coordination was required before collection could begin, and through 2026 some consular posts have collected the fee while others have not. The statute contemplates reimbursement for people who comply with their visa terms, but no reimbursement mechanism has been established.
Confirm with the specific consular post before your interview.
Public charge and financial screening
The Department of State issued guidance in August 2026 on immigrant visa processing for nationalities identified as at higher risk of public benefits reliance, and separate guidance on public charge bonds for immigrant visa applicants.
The practical effect is that affidavit of support evidence, assets, health insurance, age and medical conditions are receiving closer attention in immigrant visa interviews than they did a few years ago.
The diversity visa programme
The DV programme has had the most disrupted year of any category.
The entry period for DV-2027 did not open on the usual October schedule, and the Department announced changes in November 2025. On 23 December 2025 the Department paused all diversity visa issuance pending a review of screening and vetting. USCIS suspended approvals of pending DV based adjustment applications.
In litigation, a federal court certified subclasses of DV-2026 applicants and enjoined the freeze policies, and as of 28 August 2026 the Department stated the December 2025 pause was no longer in effect. The Department then issued further guidance affecting DV issuance, and a status conference was set for 18 September 2026. All DV-2026 visas must be issued by 30 September 2026.
Anyone with a DV case should follow the official pages weekly.
Consular processing changes
Several operational changes affect how and where people apply.
Interview waiver eligibility has been narrowed compared with the pandemic era policies, so more applicants are attending in person interviews.
The Department issued guidance in July 2026 on adjudicating both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants in their country of residence, which constrains the practice of applying at a convenient third country post.
Visa services in parts of Africa have been realigned to regional hubs.
Expanded screening and vetting was announced for H-1B and H-4 applicants in December 2025, and social media vetting for student and exchange applicants has expanded.
Proposals to watch
A DHS proposal to eliminate the sixty day grace period for nonimmigrant workers whose employment ends has cleared federal review. If finalised, it would significantly affect workers who are laid off.
How to keep track without chasing rumours
Use primary sources and check them on a schedule rather than reacting to social media.
Two habits help more than anything else. Read the effective date of any rule before reacting to it, and check whether a court has stayed or vacated it. Several of the biggest changes of the past year were announced, litigated and suspended within months, and people who acted on the headline rather than the current status made expensive decisions.
TR Immigration is an independent immigration information platform. It is not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice, an eligibility determination, or a prediction about your case. Rules and fees change often, so confirm anything you rely on against the official page it links to.