Immigration & benefits changes tracker
Rules in this space change constantly — fees move, programs restructure, court rulings flip state laws — and most of what circulates about those changes is secondhand. This page is our running log of changes we have verified against official sources, newest first, each linked to the source document and to our guide that already reflects it.
Last verified: 2026-07-21. Most recent change logged: TPS work-permit I-9 dates move again: Haiti and Syria to July 27, Somalia to July 29. Every entry cites its official source and links to our already-updated guide.
Scheduled changes — what's coming
June 30, 2026
Delaware passes new hospital charity-care minimums (SS 1 for SB 13) — awaits Governor's signature
The Delaware General Assembly passed SS 1 for SB 13 at the end of its June 2026 session: free hospital care at or below 300% FPL, 75% discount to 350%, 50% to 400%, and a medical-hardship policy to at least 500% FPL. Not law until signed. Our guide →
July 1, 2026
Germany's 45+ pension-provision thresholds reset July 1 — updated figures not yet published
Germany's pension-adequacy figures for self-employment-visa applicants aged 45+ reset every July 1. As of July 1, 2026, Berlin's immigration office still publishes the 2025 figures (€1,612.53/month for at least 12 years, or €232,204 in assets) — updated amounts have not yet been posted. Verify the current figures before applying. Our guide →
September 15, 2026
Fixed-period admission replaces 'duration of status' for F, J, and I (effective date)
From this date, new F, J, and I admissions receive a fixed admit-until date instead of D/S. Current D/S holders keep status until their I-20/DS-2019 program end date or 4 years after this date, whichever comes first. Subject to congressional review — DHS will publish a Federal Register document if the date changes. Our guide →
September 18, 2026
The 2022 public-charge rule's rescission takes effect (case-by-case framework; revised Form I-485 required)
From this date, the 2022 public-charge rule's limits on which benefits USCIS may consider are gone: officers assess all pertinent facts case-by-case for admissions and for I-485 applications postmarked or submitted electronically on or after September 18, 2026. Benefits received before this date are still considered under the 2022 rule. Older Form I-485 editions filed on or after this date will not be accepted. Our guide →
Verified changes, newest first
July 24, 2026
TPS work-permit I-9 dates move again: Haiti and Syria to July 27, Somalia to July 29
On July 24, 2026, USCIS/E-Verify posted superseding guidance for three of the seven court-stayed TPS countries: employers now enter July 27, 2026 on Form I-9/E-Verify for Haiti (replacing the July 10 guidance) and Syria (replacing July 17), and July 29, 2026 for Somalia (replacing July 17). EADs remain extended per court order. Burma (July 27), Ethiopia and South Sudan (July 30) and Yemen (July 24) keep their July 17 guidance dates. These extensions are 'limited relief' until the lower courts align with the June 25 Supreme Court ruling — check your country's USCIS page daily.
July 23, 2026
Court pauses asylum-fee enforcement — but the fee itself still has to be paid
On July 21, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts (Venez. Ass'n of Mass. v. USCIS, 26-cv-13038, D. Mass.) administratively stayed four applications of H.R.1: rejecting a Form I-589 for non-payment of the Annual Asylum Fee, terminating work authorization for non-payment, starting removal solely for non-payment, and applying H.R.1 to previously-extended TPS-based EAD expiration dates. Fee collection continues — anyone USCIS sent a notice must still pay it — and all other H.R.1 fees and requirements remain in effect. A hearing is set for July 30, 2026.
July 22, 2026
DC and Oregon raised their minimum wage on July 1 — our pages were still showing the old rates
The District of Columbia's minimum wage rose from $17.95 to $18.40 and Oregon's standard rate from $15.05 to $15.55 (Portland metro $16.30 to $16.80; non-urban $14.05 to $14.55), both effective July 1, 2026. We corrected both state pages in English and Spanish. Note that the Department of Labor's consolidated table lists a single rate per state and for Oregon that rate is the Portland metro figure, not the statewide standard — the rate that applies to you is the one for the place you actually work.
July 21, 2026
ICE detention is up 9.0% since April — and all of the growth is interior arrests
ICE released a new Detention Management snapshot on July 20, 2026 (data as of July 11). It counts 65,765 people in detention, up 5,454 (9.0%) from the 60,311 held on April 4. The entire net increase is interior enforcement: ICE-arrested detainees rose by 6,803 while CBP-arrested detainees fell by 1,349, moving the ICE share from 85.3% to 88.5%. The share with no criminal conviction barely moved, 70.8% to 70.6% (46,436 people). ICE publishes only the current snapshot and overwrites the file every ~2 weeks, so we now bank each release and publish the change between them.
July 21, 2026
USCIS restores the 30-day deadline to decide asylum-based work permits — and ties them to the Annual Asylum Fee
A correcting amendment published July 21, 2026 (91 FR 45637) puts back the 30-day timeframe for USCIS to grant or deny an initial (c)(8) work-permit application, which the April 29, 2026 H.R.1 fee rule had inadvertently deleted from 8 CFR 208.7(a)(1). It is applicable as of May 29, 2026, so DHS's position is that no gap took effect. No EAD may still be issued before day 180 after the asylum application was filed. The correction also adds 'rejected' to the rule, so a (c)(8) work permit is rejected or denied when the asylum application is rejected — the route by which not paying the Annual Asylum Fee, which causes the Form I-589 to be rejected, also costs the applicant the work permit.
July 17, 2026
TPS work-permit I-9 dates move again — now July 24, 27, or 30, 2026 depending on country
On July 17, 2026, USCIS/E-Verify posted superseding guidance for Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen: TPS EADs remain extended per court order, and the date employers enter on Form I-9/E-Verify moved from July 17, 2026 to July 24 (Somalia, Syria, Yemen), July 27 (Burma), or July 30 (Ethiopia, South Sudan). Haiti's guidance is unchanged — its I-9 date remains July 24, 2026. The extensions remain 'limited relief' until each lower court aligns with the June 25 Supreme Court ruling.
July 17, 2026
Final rule ends 'duration of status' for F-1, J-1, and I — effective September 15, 2026
DHS published the final rule (FR doc 2026-14439) replacing open-ended 'duration of status' admission with a fixed admission period for F, J, and I nonimmigrants — for F-1, up to 4 years or the program end date, whichever is shorter, with a 30-day grace period and an extension-of-stay application for more time. It takes effect September 15, 2026 (a major rule subject to congressional review — DHS will publish a notice if the date changes). Those already in the U.S. on D/S keep their status until their I-20/DS-2019 program end date or 4 years after the effective date, whichever comes first, and receive a dated I-94 if they travel and re-enter.
July 16, 2026
DHS finalizes rescission of the 2022 public-charge rule — effective September 18, 2026
DHS issued a final rule (FR doc 2026-14539, published in the Federal Register July 20, 2026 at 91 FR 45324) rescinding the 2022 public-charge regulation. Nothing changes before September 18, 2026: the rescission applies to admissions and to Form I-485 filings postmarked or submitted electronically on or after that date, and the rule states that benefits received before it will still be considered under the 2022 rule. From September 18, USCIS officers will assess all pertinent facts case-by-case, and a revised Form I-485 will be required — older editions filed on or after that date will not be accepted.
July 10, 2026
Correction: I-90 replacement processing time is 6.5 months, not 7
Our Form I-90 page carried a 7-month figure for the "Initial issuance or replacement" category, taken from a 2026-05-26 snapshot of the USCIS processing-times system. Re-verified live against egov.uscis.gov on 2026-07-10, USCIS now publishes 6.5 months for that category; the 10-year renewal figure is unchanged at 10.5 months. Both pages (EN + ES) and the underlying dataset were corrected, and the page now also explains the Case Inquiry Date, which governs when USCIS will actually accept a question about a pending case.
July 10, 2026
USCIS signature rule took effect July 10, 2026: invalid signature found after acceptance can mean denial with the fee kept
DHS interim final rule (Federal Register 2026-09289, amending 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)) applies to benefit requests submitted on or after July 10, 2026. If USCIS accepts a filing and later finds an invalid signature, it may reject it (fee refunded, filing date lost) or deny it and keep the filing fee — with no opportunity to correct the signature. Valid means handwritten (signature, thumbprint, or X); scanned/faxed/photocopied wet-ink originals stay acceptable; myUSCIS e-filing uses its secure electronic signature.
July 10, 2026
TPS work-permit I-9 dates move — July 17, 2026 for six litigation countries, July 24, 2026 for Haiti
On July 10, 2026, USCIS/E-Verify issued superseding guidance for the seven TPS designations extended per court order (Burma, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen). EADs remain extended as 'limited relief,' but the date employers enter on Form I-9 Section 2 and in E-Verify moves from July 10, 2026 to July 17, 2026 — and to July 24, 2026 for Haiti.
July 3, 2026
TPS work permits for all 7 countries in litigation extended per court order — employers enter July 10, 2026 on Form I-9 (July 1 USCIS/E-Verify guidance)
On July 1, 2026, USCIS and E-Verify issued updated per-country guidance for Burma, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen: TPS EADs remain extended per court order — including Haiti (Miot v. Trump, D.D.C.) and Syria (Dahlia Doe v. Noem, S.D.N.Y.), whose permits had been set to lapse July 1 after the June 25 Supreme Court ruling (Mullin v. Doe). Employers enter 'as per court order' in I-9 Section 1 and July 10, 2026 in Section 2/E-Verify. The guidance calls this 'limited relief' until each lower court aligns with the ruling. This CORRECTS our July 1 snapshot, which said Haiti and Syria EADs expired that day.
July 2, 2026
Tennessee now requires citizenship or 'qualified alien' status for professional licenses (Public Chapter 955, in effect since May 7, 2026)
Public Chapter 955 (HB 1709, signed May 7, 2026) makes US citizenship or 'qualified alien' status (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-58-102 — the 8 U.S.C. § 1641(b) categories plus lawful nonimmigrants under § 1621(a)) a condition of eligibility for professional and commercial licenses across dozens of Tennessee boards — health professions, educators, insurance, banking, trades, alcohol permits — for new applications AND renewals. It repealed the prior rule accepting any SAVE-verified federal work authorization, so an EAD by itself (for example, DACA-based) no longer establishes eligibility. Exceptions: physicians with a pending work-visa application; J-1/F-1 students for alcohol permits. The automatic-revocation provision scheduled for July 1, 2026 never took effect (its companion bill HB 1711/SB 2108 died in committee).
July 1, 2026
Correction: 104 driver's-license pages verified against federal sources — EDL eligibility, I-9 framing, fee figures
Three template claims on our 52-jurisdiction driver's-license pages failed primary-source verification and were corrected in English and Spanish: (1) Enhanced Driver's Licenses were described as available to green-card holders — DHS confirms EDLs prove U.S. citizenship and are for U.S. citizens only (issued by MI, MN, NY, VT, WA; valid at land/sea entry from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean — not Bermuda); (2) the Form I-9 note was garbled — a state license is a List B identity document by itself, and a separate List C work-authorization document (such as an unrestricted Social Security card) is what must accompany it; (3) generic fee ranges like "$20-$80" were removed and every fee cell now links to that state's official fee page. The CDL Social Security-number requirement citation was corrected to 49 CFR 383.153(e)(1).
July 1, 2026
Correction: Illinois driver's-license page updated — the TVDL was eliminated July 1, 2024
Our Illinois driver's-license guide still described the Temporary Visitor Driver's License (TVDL) as the path for undocumented residents. Illinois eliminated the TVDL on July 1, 2024: undocumented and no-SSN residents now receive the standard Illinois license (marked Federal Limits Apply) — $30, with a passport or approved consular card, one year of Illinois residency, and proof of insurance; existing TVDL holders can switch for $5. The page and every site mention have been corrected against the Illinois Secretary of State.
July 1, 2026
Tennessee's state crime for remaining after a final removal order takes effect (HB 1704 / Public Chapter 771)
Section 1 of Tennessee's HB 1704 (Public Chapter 771) is in effect as of July 1, 2026: a Class A misdemeanor (up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a $2,500 fine) for a noncitizen 18 or older who has an outstanding final removal order under the 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a) deportability grounds and intentionally remains in Tennessee more than 90 days after that order. The federal challenge (Lucy v. Skrmetti) was dismissed without prejudice on June 26, 2026, so no court order blocks the law; the plaintiffs may refile or appeal.
July 1, 2026
Maine hospitals must now give free care to patients at or below 200% FPL — 22 M.R.S. §1716-A takes effect
Maine's amended hospital charity-care law (P.L. 2025, ch. 488) is in effect as of July 1, 2026: hospitals must give free medically necessary care when family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (up from 150% under the prior rule), offer payment plans capped at 4% of monthly income for patients up to 400% FPL, and provide written notice and appeal rights.
July 1, 2026
Indiana hospitals must now offer payment-assistance applications before sending bills to collections — HEA 1271 (P.L. 88-2026) takes effect
Indiana's HEA 1271, enacted as Public Law 88-2026, is in effect as of July 1, 2026: every hospital must notify patients about payment assistance and offer an application before referring any bill to collections. Nonprofit hospitals must keep charity-care criteria indexed to the federal poverty guidelines; each hospital sets its own thresholds.
July 1, 2026
Haiti and Syria TPS work permits expire — 334,595 lose work authorization after the June 25 Supreme Court ruling
June 30, 2026
Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship; Executive Order 14160 struck down (6–3)
June 26, 2026
Supreme Court clears the way to end TPS for Haiti and Syria; work permits expire July 1, 2026
June 26, 2026
USCIS publishes notice for clients of former immigration attorney Alexandra Lozano
Alexandra Lozano resigned from the Washington State Bar in lieu of discipline (May 26, 2026), closed her firm (June 10, 2026), and was suspended from practice before DHS, the immigration courts, and the BIA (June 18, 2026). USCIS lists steps for her clients: update your mailing address (special VAWA/T/U procedure if it applies), request your file through FOIA, and call 800-375-5283 if you do not know which office has your case.
June 24, 2026
DACA renewal processing times have risen in 2026
USCIS data reported by CNN in May 2026 showed the median DACA (Form I-821D) renewal taking about 70 days from October 2025 through February 2026, up from roughly 15 days a year earlier, amid expanded background vetting introduced in April 2026 and higher filing volumes. There is no premium processing for I-821D — only a discretionary expedite request. Renewals continue nationwide and first-time applications remain frozen. The practical advice on our renewal guide is unchanged but more urgent: file at the front of the 120–150-day window.
June 23, 2026
Supreme Court narrows returning green-card holders' rights at the border (Blanche v. Lau, 6–3)
June 15, 2026
ICE detention facility directory verified against the official ICE list
Every facility page's street address was checked against the current official ICE detention-facility list (151 facilities). Two active facilities that were missing — Dakota County Sheriff Office in Dakota City, Nebraska and Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa — were added with verified address and phone, bringing coverage to all 151. The visitation-hours guidance was also corrected across the directory to send families to the facility and the official ICE page for current hours.
June 15, 2026
State demographic figures refreshed to the 2024 Census ACS 5-year estimates
Across every state guide, the foreign-born, total-population, and Hispanic/Latino figures were refreshed from the 2023 to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (the latest available), pulled directly from the US Census Bureau API. Puerto Rico stays on the 2023 vintage because the 2024 release suppresses its foreign-born figure.
June 15, 2026
IRS Free File income limit for the 2026 filing season is $89,000
The IRS Free File guided-software income cap is $89,000 in adjusted gross income (up from $79,000) for the 2026 filing season. We updated the figure across every state's free-tax-help guide and the tax-software comparison; your ITIN is accepted, and the free return covers your federal taxes (some partners also include a free state return).
June 12, 2026
Correction: Mexico consulate directory — official county-level jurisdictions added; Anchorage page removed (closed since 2015)
We added Mexico's official consular jurisdictions (SRE master list cross-checked against each consulate's own circunscripción page) — 53 offices, county-by-county for split states. Three errors fixed in the process: our Anchorage page described a consulate that closed in November 2015 (Alaska belongs to Seattle); the New Brunswick consulate's address is 390 George Street, Suite 100 (not 100 Bayard Street); and the directory counted 55 offices when the network is 52 (51 consulates plus the embassy's consular section, including Oklahoma City and San Juan).
June 12, 2026
Correction: EOIR delisted 3 adjudication centers (74 locations); state court listings fixed
EOIR's hearing-access page now lists 74 court locations (the Falls Church, Richmond and Fort Worth adjudication centers were delisted). We also fixed state pages against the live list: Georgia was missing both Atlanta courts, Texas was missing El Paso SPC, Pennsylvania showed a nonexistent Pittsburgh court, and Alaska showed a nonexistent Anchorage court. Per EOIR's administrative control list, the Boise, Helena and Anchorage DHS offices are assigned to Portland, OR, and West Virginia to Philadelphia, PA.
June 12, 2026
Correction: EOIR court count and in-absentia fee updated on 104 court pages
Our immigration-court state pages said EOIR operates 71 courts with 700+ judges; EOIR's own hearing-access list covers 77 court locations, and the judge count was unsourced. The same pages garbled the H.R.1 in-absentia arrest fee: it is $5,130 after the 2026 inflation adjustment (originally $5,000), and proposed rule 2026-10082 (May 20, 2026) would raise it to $18,000 but is not in effect.
June 12, 2026
Correction: 7 immigration-court addresses fixed on our by-state pages
Seven court listings (LaSalle and Oakdale LA, Kansas City MO, Otero NM, Guaynabo PR, San Antonio TX, Los Angeles-West CA) showed EOIR headquarters' Falls Church, VA address as the court city. Each was re-verified against its justice.gov page and corrected, in both languages.
June 3, 2026
Federal court strikes down Nebraska in-state tuition for undocumented students
On June 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska struck down LB 239 (2006) as preempted by federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1623) and barred its enforcement, ending in-state tuition for undocumented students immediately; the same ruling revoked their Nebraska Opportunity Grant and ACE Scholarship eligibility. Nebraska joins Texas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma; 19 states plus DC still offer in-state access.
May 28, 2026
Lebanon TPS automatically extended through November 27, 2026
The TPS designation for Lebanon was automatically extended six months, from May 28 through November 27, 2026 (91 FR 32069).
May 18, 2026
Federal court largely halts ICE arrests at New York City immigration courts
In African Communities Together v. Lyons, a district court stay issued May 18, 2026 largely prohibits ICE civil enforcement in or near 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick St, and 290 Broadway — after the government admitted in March 2026 that its 2025 memo never authorized immigration-court arrests. Other cities are not covered by the stay.
April 6, 2026
Colombia changed passport fees at its US consulates
New fee schedule for Colombian passports issued at consulates in the United States took effect April 6, 2026 — ordinary booklet US$86, executive US$175, minors' processing differs.
March 30, 2026
US Embassy in Caracas formally reopened — visas still processed through Bogotá
After nearly seven years closed, the embassy resumed operations on March 30, 2026. The consular section is still being rebuilt: Venezuelan visa cases continue through the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Bogotá until limited interviews restart in Caracas.
March 25, 2026
Government admits its 2025 memo never authorized immigration-court arrests
In the New York courthouse-arrest litigation, DOJ conceded in March 2026 that the 2025 memorandum cited as authority for arresting people at immigration-court hearings does not and never has authorized those arrests — the admission that led to the May 18, 2026 stay.
March 1, 2026
Georgia raised its property-residence threshold to US$150,000
The republic of Georgia raised the minimum property value for its short-term residence permit from US$100,000 to US$150,000, effective March 1, 2026.
March 1, 2026
SBA closed its loan programs to every non-citizen owner - green-card holders included
SBA now requires a business to be owned 100% by U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals: 7(a) and 504 from March 1, 2026 (SOP 50 10 8) and microloans from April 1, 2026 (SOP 52 00 B). SBA's Ineligible Person list names undocumented owners but also lawful permanent residents, asylees, refugees, DACA recipients and visa holders. Free SCORE/SBDC/WBC counseling is unaffected, and SBA disaster loans still admit qualified aliens under SOP 50 30 9 - so an LPR is barred from a 7(a) loan yet still eligible for a disaster loan. GAO found on July 1, 2026 (B-338157) that SBA skipped Congressional Review Act submission, but the notices remain in effect.
February 19, 2026
Colombia's 2026 minimum wage raised visa income floors ~23%
Colombia's visa income requirements are pegged to the minimum wage (SMMLV), set at COP 1,750,905 for 2026 by transitional decree: the M pensioner visa floor is now ≈US$1,467/month and the rentista floor ≈US$4,889/month. The decree is under Consejo de Estado review and could move again.
February 10, 2026
Colombia reset its immigration fees — foreigner ID card now COP 294,000
Migración Colombia's annual fee resolution (Resolución 0599/2026) set the cédula de extranjería at COP 294,000 (≈US$82), effective February 10, 2026. These fees re-index every February.
January 21, 2026
B1/B2 visa bond of up to $15,000 for Cuban and Venezuelan nationals
Per US embassy guidance effective January 21, 2026, nationals of Cuba and Venezuela found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visitor visa may be required to post a bond of up to $15,000 before issuance, wherever they apply.
January 1, 2026
Ecuador's 2026 basic salary pushed retiree-visa income floor to $1,446/month
Ecuador's pensioner and rentista visa floors are 3× the unified basic salary (SBU). With SBU 2026 set at $482, the floor rose to $1,446/month plus $250 per dependent.
January 1, 2026
1% federal excise tax on cash-funded remittances takes effect
IRC §4475 (enacted in the 2025 budget law) imposes a 1% excise tax on remittance transfers funded with cash, money orders, or cashier's checks sent abroad on or after January 1, 2026. Transfers funded from a US bank account or a US-issued debit/credit card are exempt.
September 2025
Philippines restructured the SRRV retirement visa — age floor now 40, categories consolidated
The Philippine Retirement Authority abolished the SRRV Smile and Human Touch categories for new applicants and set the age floor at 40. Deposits now run $15,000-$50,000 depending on age and pension status.
July 4, 2025
HR-1 immigration fees in force: TPS application $510, work permits no longer fee-waivable
The 2025 budget law (HR-1) raised the TPS application (Form I-821) to $510 and added non-waivable employment-authorization fees of $560 (initial) and $280 (renewal) that stack on top. These amounts adjust for inflation each January.
July 4, 2025
Child Tax Credit now requires the TAXPAYER to have an SSN (from 2025 returns)
The 2025 tax law (P.L. 119-21) raised the CTC to $2,200 per child and added a second SSN requirement: beginning with 2025 returns, the taxpayer claiming the credit must have an SSN (at least one spouse on a joint return). Two ITIN-only parents can no longer claim the CTC even for a US-citizen child — the $500 Credit for Other Dependents applies instead.
June 2025
Texas ended in-state tuition for undocumented students; Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska followed
Federal litigation ended Texas's two-decade-old in-state tuition access for undocumented students in June 2025, with similar outcomes in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska during 2025-26. As of mid-2026, 19 states plus DC still offer access.
January 5, 2025
WEP repealed — foreign pensions no longer reduce US Social Security benefits
The Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). A pension from your home country no longer shrinks the US Social Security benefit you earned on your US work record.
How this connects to the rest of the site
The tracker complements the living-data pages that update automatically:
- US visa interview wait times — re-pulled from the State Department daily
- Border crossing wait times — CBP feed, daily
- Visa Bulletin movement tracker — monthly, with category-by-category movement
- TPS status by country — designation and litigation posture per country
- DACA litigation status — dated updates as rulings land
- USCIS processing times — 43 forms across all offices
Last verified: 2026-06-11.
General procedural information for educational purposes. Not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Laws and fees change — verify with the issuing agency before taking action. For case-specific guidance, consult a licensed immigration attorney or other appropriate professional.