Editorial team

Nathan Reed

Editorial Lead

Articles

• Citizenship & Permanent Residence22 States Sue to Block DHS Public Charge Rule Before 18 September

  On 14 September 2026, 22 states and several cities sued to block a DHS public charge rule set for 18 September. Here is what Form I-485 filers need to prepare now.

• Work & EmploymentUSCIS Closes First-Half FY 2027 H-2B Cap After 4 September Cutoff

  USCIS filled the first-half FY 2027 H-2B cap. The final receipt date for start dates before 1 April 2027 was 4 September 2026. Here is what employers and workers should do next.

• Study AbroadDHS Ends Duration of Status for F, J, and I Visas on 15 September 2026

  On 15 September 2026 DHS replaces duration of status with fixed admission dates for F, J, and I nonimmigrants. Study in the States still lists the start date. Here is what your I-94, I-539, and travel plans need now.

• Policy UpdatesState Department Cable Reopens Refused Immigrant and Diversity Visa Cases

  On 10 September 2026 State Department cable 26 STATE 88862 told every post to reopen immigrant and Diversity Visa cases refused only under vacated pauses. DV-2026 still ends 30 September 2026.

• Immigration and Visa Policy 2026DHS Proposes Ending 60-Day Grace Period After Work Visa Job Loss

  DHS proposed on 10 September 2026 to eliminate the discretionary 60-day grace period for H-1B and other work visas after employment ends. Comments run about 60 days. Here is what the notice means for you.

• Policy UpdatesEl Salvador TPS Holders Keep Protections After 9 September 2026 Deadline

  DHS deferred the El Salvador TPS decision past the 9 September 2026 deadline. USCIS says Salvadoran holders retain protection and work authorization until a new Federal Register notice. Here is what to do now.

• Study AbroadAustralia Student Visa Refusals Hit 24.2% as Integrity Crackdown Deepens

  ABC News reports Australia's student visa refusal rate at 24.2 percent in June 2026, a ten-year high. Learn how Genuine Student checks and the BSB80120 course cutoff affect your subclass 500 plan.

• Policy UpdatesUSCIS Rejects Older Form I-485 Editions From 18 September 2026

  USCIS rejects older Form I-485 editions on and after 18 September 2026 and applies new public charge guidance the same day. File the edition your filing date requires, and prepare wider means-tested benefit evidence.

• Citizenship & Permanent ResidenceCanada Issues 3,500 Healthcare Express Entry ITAs at CRS 475

  On 4 September 2026 IRCC invited 3,500 healthcare and social services candidates in Express Entry round 441. The CRS cut-off was 475. Invited applicants have 60 days to file permanent residence.

• Policy UpdatesUSCIS Resumes FY 2026 Diversity Visa Adjustments After Court Vacates Hold

  USCIS will resume ordinary review of pending FY 2026 Diversity Visa Form I-485 cases after a California court vacated PM-602-0193. Covered selectees still face the 30 September 2026 fiscal-year cutoff.

• Policy UpdatesNew Zealand Ends Paper Forms for Many Visitor and Transit Visas From 1 October 2026

  Immigration New Zealand stops paper forms for many visitor visas and transit visas from 1 October 2026. Enhanced Immigration Online becomes the default. Act before the September and October cutoffs.

• Work & EmploymentUK Lets Modern Slavery Victims Switch Skilled Worker Sponsors From 8 October 2026

  On 3 September 2026 the Home Office laid HC 584. From 8 October 2026, Skilled Workers with a positive Conclusive Grounds decision leave an abusive sponsor and keep working for the rest of their permission.

• Citizenship & Permanent ResidenceCanada Closes Hong Kong Permanent Residence Pathways After 31 August 2026

  IRCC closed Hong Kong permanent residence pathways to new filings on 31 August 2026. Accepted files still process. Eligible applicants keep an open work permit route through 05/2029.

• Policy UpdatesU.S. Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews for Public Charge Training

  The U.S. Department of State paused immigrant visa interviews worldwide around 25 August 2026 for public-charge training. Family, employment, and Diversity Visa consular cases abroad wait for new dates. Nonimmigrant visas and Form I-485 inside the United States continue.

• Study AbroadCanada Raises Study Permit Living Funds to $23,448 From 1 September 2026

  IRCC raised the study permit living-cost floor to CAD 23,448 for a single applicant outside Quebec from 1 September 2026. Tuition and travel sit on top of this figure. File today with the new table, six-month bank records, and a clear plan for later years.

• Policy UpdatesUK Work Visas Fall to 234,841 as Home Office Care Route Collapses

  The Home Office published year-ending June 2026 statistics on 27 August. Work visas fell to 234,841. Care-worker grants collapsed to 344 after the July 2025 overseas recruitment ban. Check your SOC code and five-year ILR clock now.

• Citizenship & Permanent ResidenceJapan Raises Permanent Residence Fee to 200,000 Yen From 1 October 2026

  Japan's Cabinet set a 200,000 yen permanent residence fee on 25 August 2026, up from 10,000 yen, starting 1 October. Renewal fees also leave the old 6,000 yen flat rate. File before 30 September to keep current prices.

• Policy UpdatesImmigration Rules in the U.S., Belgium, the Philippines, and Australia Are Changing in August 2026

  Discover why major immigration policy shifts in the U.S., Belgium, the Philippines, and Australia are redefining international work permits, e-visas, and priority processing in August 2026.

• Policy UpdatesImmigration Rules in the U.S., Poland, Belgium, and Sweden Are Tightening in August 2026

  Discover why major immigration policy shifts in the U.S., Poland, Belgium, and Sweden are redefining international work permits and visa compliance in August 2026.

• Policy UpdatesGlobal Immigration & Mobility Flash Alert: U.S., Belgium, China & Croatia Policy Overhauls

  Review August 2026 global immigration policy updates, covering U.S. consular pauses, Belgian biometric frontier worker cards, China transit rules, and Croatian single permit reforms.

• Policy UpdatesUS DHS H-1B Program Overhaul & Strict CPT Mandate, South Africa Digital Visa Fee Enactment (August 26, 2026 Edition)

  Regulatory filings from official government gazettes and global mobility channels highlight a major tightening of US nonimmigrant and foreign student work rules, alongside South Africa's formal gazetting of a digital immigration fee structure. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) submitted a regulatory overhaul of H-1B visas to OMB targeting cap exemptions and third-party site placements, while issuing restrictive criteria for F-1 student CPT approvals. Concurrently, South Africa's Department of Home Affairs enacted digital processing fees across online visa and ETA portals.

• Policy UpdatesUS Visa Ban Vacatur, Saudi Project Management Quotas, Australia MD 119 Onshore Shift, and Thailand Visa Reforms Are Redefining Corporate Mobility

  Late-August 2026 global mobility dispatch: A US Federal District Court vacates the State Department's blanket 75-country immigrant visa suspension; Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources issues expanded Saudization rules for Project Management and corporate activities; Australia's Department of Home Affairs implements Ministerial Direction 119 establishing an onshore-first priority processing framework; and Thailand's Cabinet approves structural revisions to its visa-free entry categories.

• Policy UpdatesOCI Overhauls, EU Single Permits, Digital Nomad Visas, and Talent Gateways Are Redefining Global Mobility: India, Croatia, South Korea, and UK 2026

  Late-August 2026 global mobility dispatch: India's Ministry of Home Affairs fully enacts modernized Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) rules alongside digital e-Arrival Card mandates; Croatia implements major statutory amendments to its Law on Foreigners in alignment with the EU Single Permit Directive; South Korea codifies its permanent Workcation (Digital Nomad) Visa route; and the UK Home Office expands Global Talent Visa endorsement pathways for fast-growth tech enterprises.

• Immigration and Visa Policy 2026New Work Restrictions and Digital Visa Systems Are Changing Global Mobility: Poland, South Africa, Ontario, and Thailand

  Today's global mobility dispatch: Poland's statutory ban on visa-free employment for select foreign nationals takes full legal effect today, August 22, 2026; South Africa's Department of Home Affairs gazettes proposed fee schedules establishing a ZAR 500 Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) framework; Ontario officially replaces its legacy Employer Job Offer stream with the new OINP Workforce Priority Stream; and Thailand extends stay and work authorizations for regional workers through December 2027.