Your October 2026 US immigration roundup: the new Visa Bulletin, the green card lawsuit, stricter work visa extension reviews, and 300,000 visa revocations.
October brought the start of a new US fiscal year and, with it, a steady run of news that points in one direction: more waiting, more review, and more attention to what applicants say and do. Here is what happened each week, and why it matters for professionals pursuing work visas and green cards from Africa and Southeast Asia.
October Visa Bulletin Opens FY2027 With EB-2 and EB-3 Changes
The State Department released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin on September 29, the first of fiscal year 2027, and the biggest shift for most readers was in the Rest of World column. EB-2, which had been current, retrogressed to a final action date of January 1, 2025, and EB-3 moved back from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024. Because the National Interest Waiver is processed under EB-2, approved NIW holders from most countries now wait for their priority dates to come up. EB-2 India, listed as unavailable in September, reopened with a date, while EB-1 stayed current in the Rest of World column. USCIS is also accepting the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based cases, which lets some applicants file adjustment applications earlier. Applicants chargeable to the Philippines, Mexico, China, or India should read their own columns on the official bulletin, since movement differs by country.
Green Card Applicants Sue Over USCIS Policies
On October 5, a coalition of labor unions, university faculty associations, a legal services provider, and individual green card applicants filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts, AAUP v. Mullin, challenging two 2026 USCIS policies. The first, issued in May, treats a decision to seek a green card through adjustment of status inside the United States, rather than through a consulate abroad, as a negative factor in the officer’s discretion. The second, from August, lets officers deny some applications without first giving the applicant a chance to respond to a request for evidence. The plaintiffs argue the policies could push eligible applicants to leave the country and separate families. As of mid-October, no court had blocked either policy, so both remain in effect while the case proceeds.
USCIS Proposes Stricter Reviews for Work Visa Extensions
On October 14, DHS published a proposed rule that would remove the long-standing regulation telling USCIS officers to defer to a prior approval when the facts of an extension request have not changed. If finalized, extensions on Form I-129, which covers H-1B, L-1, and O-1 petitions among others, would be reviewed much like new filings, with officers free to ask for more evidence. DHS says deference leads to less careful review of extensions. This is a proposal only, and the current rule stays in force until a final rule takes effect. Public comments are open until November 13 under docket USCIS-2026-0529, and DHS could change or drop the plan. For O-1 holders, the practical message is to keep your evidence of continued qualification current, so a renewal does not rest on last time’s approval.
U.S. Reports More Than 300,000 Visa Revocations
On October 20, the State Department said it has revoked more than 300,000 visas since January 2025, up from more than 175,000 reported on August 10 and more than 100,000 in January. Spokesman Tommy Pigott said the administration has revoked visas at a faster pace than any before it. A department official said most cases involved crime, public safety concerns, or immigration violations such as fraud and misrepresentation, and the department linked more than 4,000 to birth tourism. It has not published a full breakdown of the reasons. The figure does not mean 300,000 people were removed or that ordinary visa holders are at risk. It does show how closely compliance, accuracy in applications, and online conduct are now being watched, which fits with the expanded social media screening we covered last month.
What October Means for Your Plans
Read together, these stories describe a system where each stage, from waiting for a priority date to renewing a visa to staying in good standing, is getting more scrutiny. That raises the value of preparation. Extraordinary ability categories such as the O-1A and EB-1A carry no lottery, and EB-1A was still current for the Rest of World this month, but every petition now has to withstand a closer look. That makes clean, accurate, well-documented evidence and a clear long-term plan more important than ever. AgoraVisa can help you assess where you stand and build a file that holds up.
If this month’s news has you rethinking your timeline, AgoraVisa can help you plan around it. Start your free eligibility review at agoravisa.com.
AgoraVisa is not a law firm, and this roundup is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. It reflects publicly reported developments as of late October 2026, and immigration rules can change quickly, so confirm current requirements with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney.
