Willy, Nanayakkara and Associates Attorneys and Counselors at Law

10/02/2026

Second Federal Court Blocks the $100,000 H-1B Fee

On September 30, 2026, a federal judge in Northern California issued a preliminary injunction against the $100,000 H-1B fee. That is a court order that pauses a policy while a lawsuit continues.

Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. found the agencies likely did not follow the public notice-and-comment process federal law requires for new rules. The order also covers the September 18, 2026 proclamation extending the fee.

A Massachusetts federal court set the fee aside on June 8, 2026, and an appeals court declined to pause that ruling on July 24, 2026. The fee remains blocked while the cases continue.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/
Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.
WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.
Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates

09/30/2026

9/30/2026 Immigration Webinar

09/29/2026

W, N & A is a full-service law firm with over 40 years of experience in investment, family and individual immigration.

09/29/2026

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: China Moves Forward, Most Other Countries Move Back

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin opens fiscal year 2027 on October 1, 2026.

In October 2026, USCIS will accept employment-based green card applications filed inside the U.S. under the Dates for Filing chart. You may file if your priority date, which is your place in line, is earlier than the date listed for your category and country.

Key Dates for Filing:
- EB-1 China and India advance seven months, to July 1, 2024
- EB-2 all other countries move back six and one-half months, to March 15, 2026
- EB-3 all other countries move back two years and two months, to August 1, 2024

Check your priority date before you file.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/

Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.

WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.

Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates

09/24/2026

Employer Layoffs Now Factor Into H-1B Approvals

On September 18, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order changing how H-1B cases are reviewed. The H-1B is the visa employers use to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations such as engineering, IT, and finance.

The order directs the Departments of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to consider whether a sponsoring employer laid off U.S. workers in the past year, or plans layoffs, when reviewing H-1B petitions, visa applications, entry at the border, and labor condition applications. Agencies will also consult federal wage and employment data.

The Department of Labor must begin reviewing previously filed labor condition applications by October 18, 2026. Implementing guidance has not yet been issued.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/
Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.
WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.
Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates

W, N & A is a full-service law firm with over 40 years of experience in investment, family and individual immigration.

09/24/2026

The $100,000 H-1B Fee Is Extended to 2027 and Remains Blocked in Court

On September 18, 2026, President Trump signed a proclamation, a formal presidential order, extending the $100,000 payment on certain H-1B petitions through September 21, 2027. The payment applies to H-1B workers outside the United States who need a visa to enter. Workers already in the country are exempt.

The payment is still blocked. On June 8, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts vacated, meaning canceled, the policy behind it. On July 24, 2026, a federal appeals court declined to pause that ruling. USCIS is not collecting the payment while the order stands. Employers should confirm current requirements before filing.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/

Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.

WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.

Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates

09/24/2026

Social Media Review Expands to TN, TD, and I Visas

On September 18, 2026, the State Department announced that its review of visa applicants' social media and online presence extends to TN, TD, and I visa applicants beginning October 1, 2026.

TN visas are for Canadian and Mexican professionals under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. TD visas are for their spouses and children. I visas are for foreign journalists and media representatives.

Applicants in these categories are instructed to set all social media profiles to public. Canadian citizens generally do not need a TN visa and may request TN status at the U.S. border.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/
Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.
WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.
Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates

09/23/2026

Immigration Webinar

09/16/2026

09/16/2026 Immigration Webinar

09/15/2026

Federal Court Postpones the Rule Ending Duration of Status for F, J, and I Nonimmigrants

A federal judge in Massachusetts postponed the Department of Homeland Security rule that would have ended duration of status for F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and I visa journalists. The order was issued on September 14, 2026, one day before the rule's September 15, 2026 effective date.

Duration of status means a person is admitted for as long as their program or assignment lasts, with no fixed end date.

What the order does:

- Postpones the rule's effective date until the court rules further.
- Bars DHS from taking any action to implement the rule.

Students, exchange visitors, and journalists keep duration of status for now. The government is expected to appeal, and the order could be reversed with little notice.

W***y Nanayakkara & Associates Immigration Law
(281) 265-2522
[email protected]
www.grwpc.com
https://grwpc.com/schedule-a-consultation/
Consultations are by appointment Monday through Thursday. Thursday consultations are free.
WNA Emergency Helpline: (281) 690-5100. Available Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM and 5:30 to 11:00 PM Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central. Helpline cards are available at our Sugar Land office.
Follow us on Facebook for ongoing immigration updates, and join our webinar every Wednesday at 10:30 AM Central, live on Facebook.

***yNanayakkaraAndAssociates