March 2026 Visa Bulletin: Movement Forward and Current EB-2 Categories

The Department of State has just issued the March 2026 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Immigrant Visa):

Table B: Dates for Filing – Form I-485 Applications to Adjust Status with these priority dates or earlier may be filed with USCIS:

USCIS will continue to use Table B: Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in March 2026. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

The most significant surges forward are for Adjustments of Status under the Dates for Filing Chart, where EB-2 categories for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico and the Philippines are current for the first time since November 2022, and EB-2 India moved forward nearly a year to November 1, 2014.

EB-1 China and India each moved forward 1 month. EB-3 All Chargeability Areas and Mexico moved forward 3 months, and EB-3 Philippines moved forward 2 months.

Interestingly, the visa bulletin confirms that the dates for filing and final action dates advanced significantly in March 2026 as a result of the various immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. The visa bulletin notes that if immigration restrictions are later eased or if visa demand increases, retrogression could be necessary later in the fiscal year. 

USCIS Places Hold on Benefit Applications related to Travel Ban

On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum announcing an adjudicative hold on all pending benefit applications filed by individuals from the “high-risk countries” listed in Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 (Trump's Travel Ban).

Last month, USCIS abruptly enacted the adjudicative hold, as discussed by MU in December 2025, but that hold has now been made official USCIS policy.

 

USCIS’s adjudicative hold applies to cases filed by individuals who list a country from the Travel Ban as either their country of birth or country of citizenship. USCIS does not specifically list the form types affected by the hold, nor how long the hold will be in effect.

 

Furthermore, USCIS will re-review approved benefit requests such as Green Cards for individuals from Travel Ban countries. This may include interviews or re-interviews to reassess Green Card eligibility.

 

Are there any exceptions?

 

The following case types are exempt from USCIS’s adjudicative hold:

• Green card replacements (Form I-90);
• Replacement naturalization/citizenship documents (Forms N-565, N-600);
• Certain work permit categories (Form I-765);
• Benefit requests filed by professional athletes—including coaches and relatives—for the purpose of attending the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event; and
• Case types that would serve a U.S. national interest.

If you have specific questions or concerns about this Policy Memorandum, do not hesitate to reach out to your MU attorney.

DOS Freezes Visa Issuance to Nationals of 75 Countries

On January 14, 2026, the Department of State announced a visa freeze for nationals of 75 countries.

The pause applies only to consular Green Card issuances. This means it does not affect temporary visas issued abroad or Changes of Status or Adjustments of Status filed within the US.

Dual nationals who have citizenship in at least one non-paused country are exempt from the pause.

 

Pursuant to its pause, effective January 21, 2026, DOS will not issue immigrant visas to applicants who are nationals of the following countries:

 

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen

 

DOS asserts the pause is required to ensure that immigrants from the affected countries do not become public charges in the US.

 

The DOS visa freeze is being enacted in addition to several other policies already in effect to restrict immigration, including the Travel Ban and USCIS's own Travel Ban restrictions.

 

If you are filing benefit requests as a national of one of the countries above, consult with your MU attorney to discuss your best strategies for filing.

February 2026 Visa Bulletin: Movement Forward for Most EB-3 Categories

The Department of State has just issued the February 2026 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Immigrant Visa):

Table B: Dates for Filing – Form I-485 Applications to Adjust Status with these priority dates or earlier may be filed with USCIS:

USCIS will continue to use Table B: Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in February 2026. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Date

MU Law Analysis

EB-3 All Chargeability, EB-3 Mexico, and EB-3 Philippines are the only categories to progress forward in February 2026, with forward movement of 5.5 weeks.

All remaining categories stayed steady and made no progress.

Trump Expands Travel Ban to 39 Countries

On December 16, 2025, President Trump announced an expansion of his Travel Ban under Proclamation 10998. Proclamation 10998 amends Proclamation 10949, issued in June 2025, which originally imposed a travel ban on 19 countries.

The December 2025 Travel Ban extends travel restrictions on foreign nationals from 20 additional countries.

The new Travel Ban takes effect on January 1, 2026.

Which countries are affected?

Individuals born in the following countries are prevented from obtaining new visas under the travel ban (countries added to the ban in December 2025 in bold):

• Full travel ban on both temporary visas and immigrant visas (Green Cards):

• Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, nationals holding travel documents from the Palestinian Authority, Laos, and Sierra Leone.

• Partial travel ban on B, F, M, and J temporary visas and immigrant visas (Green Cards):

• Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, Turkmenistan (Turkmenistan’s ban includes immigrant visas only), Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. The ban does not apply to:

• existing Green Card holders;
• dual nationals, as long as the individual travels on a passport issued by a country that is not included in the ban;
• athletes, coaches and immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event determined by the Secretary of State;
• specific diplomatic visas and visas issued to certain Iranian minorities; and
• other case-by-case determinations that an individual’s visa issuance would serve the US national interest.

If you have specific questions or concerns about how this Proclamation may affect your situation, do not hesitate to reach out to your MU attorney.

January 2026 Visa Bulletin: More Forward Movement in All Categories

The Department of State has just issued the January 2026 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month’s Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates – Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency Card) or Immigrant Visa Appointment:

Employment- based	All Chargeability  Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland  born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01FEB23	01FEB23	C	C
2nd	01APR24	01SEP21	15JUL13	01APR24	01APR24
3rd	22APR23	01MAY21	15NOV13	22APR23	22APR23

Table B: Dates for Filing

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland  born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01AUG23	01AUG23	C	C
2nd	15OCT24	01JAN22	01DEC13	15OCT24	15OCT24
3rd	01JUL23	01JAN22	15AUG14	01JUL23	01JUL23

USCIS will use Table B: Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in January 2026. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

EB-1: EB-1 China and EB-1 India each moved forward in the January 2026 Visa Bulletin. All other EB-1 categories remain current.

• EB-1 China: 1 week
• EB-1 India: 11 months

EB-2: EB-2 categories made the following progress forward in the January 2026 Visa Bulletin: 

• EB-2 All Chargeability, EB-2 India, EB-2 Mexico, and EB-2 Philippines: 2 months
• EB-2 China: 3 months 

EB-3: EB-3 categories made the following progress forward in the January 2026 Visa Bulletin:

• EB-3 All Chargeability, EB-3 Mexico, and EB-3 Philippines: 1 week
• EB-3 China: 1 month
• EB-3 India: 7 weeks

December 2025 Visa Bulletin: Movement Forward in All Categories

The Department of State has just issued the December 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment:

Table B: Dates for Filing

USCIS will use the Table B Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in December 2025. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

The Dates for Filing chart did not change from November 2025 to December 2025.

MU Law Analysis

EB-1: EB-1 China and EB-1 India each moved forward one month. All other EB-1 categories remain current.

EB-2: EB-2 categories made the following progress forward in the December 2025 visa bulletin:

• EB-2 All Chargeability, EB-2 China, EB-2 Mexico, and EB-2 Philippines: 2 months
• EB-2 India: 6 weeks

EB-3: EB-3 categories made the following progress forward in the December 2025 visa bulletin:

• EB-3 All Chargeability, EB-3 Mexico, and EB-3 Philippines: 2 weeks
• EB-3 China and EB-3 India: 1 month

CALL FOR CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT OF HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RESILIENCE ACT

As discussed in a previous blog post, Musillo Unkenholt is pleased to report that the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HWRA) has been reintroduced into Congress. The HWRA has bipartisan sponsorship of Senators Durbin and Cramer in the Senate and Representatives Brad Schneider and Don Bacon in the House.

The HWRA offers an immediate response to the U.S.’s nursing shortage crisis by recapturing 25,000 previously authorized but unused immigrant visas (Green Cards) for highly-qualified international nurses who meet strict professional requirements. The bill does not displace any U.S. nurses or increase the total number of available immigrant visas (Green Cards).

Musillo Unkenholt endorses the HWRA, an efficient and long-awaited step toward immigration reform that will work to meet the country’s growing need for a strong U.S. health care workforce.

The HWRA has the highest chance of passing in Congress with more co-sponsorship. If you or your employer would benefit from common-sense lawmaking to remedy the U.S. nursing shortage, contact your congressional representative about co-sponsorship of the HWRA.

DOS Will Now Require Proof of Residence from Green Card Applicants

As discussed in an MU blog post last month, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that, effective November 1, 2025, the National Visa Center (NVC) will only schedule immigrant visa (Green Card) interviews in an applicant’s country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality.

Related to the new policy, late last week, many Green Card applicants began receiving notices from DOS requesting proof of their residence.

The notices also explain that applicants may interview outside their country of residence and/or nationality only if experiencing special circumstances, which must be communicated to the NVC in specific terms before an interview can be scheduled. The DOS notices clarify that traveling to or residing temporarily in a third country in order to apply for a U.S. visa does not constitute a special circumstance.

Finally, although the notices request proof of residency, the notices indicate that applicants who interview outside their country of nationality may experience delayed visa processing.

MU is continuing to monitor DOS processes and trends related to its interview policy. If you have questions about your Green Card interview location or the evidence required by DOS, contact your MU legal team for assistance.

HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RESILIENCE ACT REINTRODUCED INTO CONGRESS

Musillo Unkenholt is pleased to report that the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HWRA) has been reintroduced into Congress. The HWRA has bipartisan sponsorship of Senators Durbin and Cramer in the Senate and Representatives Brad Schneider and Don Bacon in the House.

As America grapples with a devastating nursing shortage that is directly undermining the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare for millions of Americans in rural communities across the country, Musillo Unkenholt endorses policymakers taking immediate action.

The HWRA offers an immediate response to this crisis by recapturing 25,000 previously authorized but unused immigrant visas (Green Cards) for highly-qualified international nurses who meet strict professional requirements. The bill does not displace any U.S. nurses or increase the total number of available immigrant visas (Green Cards).

This bipartisan solution will help to ensure rural and elderly Americans receive the nursing care they need today while policymakers seek additional solutions to help America produce more nurses in the future and end this crisis once and for all.

Musillo Unkenholt endorses the HWRA, an efficient and long-awaited step toward immigration reform that will work to meet the country’s growing need for a strong US health care workforce.

Green Card Interviews to be Scheduled in Country of Residence

The U.S. Department of State has announced that, effective November 1, 2025, the National Visa Center (NVC) will only schedule immigrant visa (Green Card) interviews in an applicant’s country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality.

Existing immigrant visa appointments scheduled through the NVC will generally remain in place and will not be automatically canceled or rescheduled based on this new policy.

If you have questions about your Green Card interview location, contact your MU legal team for assistance.

September 2025 Visa Bulletin: No Movement and No Retrogression So Far

The Department of State has just issued the September 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment:

Table B: Adjustment of Status Filing Chart

USCIS will continue to use the Table A Final Action chart for I-485 employment-based filings in September 2025. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

There was no movement forward for any employment-based category, and as of August 18, 2025, no category has retrogressed.

The Visa Bulletin notes that there has been a steady increase in visa demand throughout the fiscal year. If, at any time before September 30, 2025, the annual limit of any category is reached, the Department of State will immediately make the preference category “unavailable”, and no further requests for visas will be honored.

End of Fiscal Year FAQ

Q.  Why do visa categories often retrogress in September?

A. The Department of State has a limited number of immigrant visas it may issue each fiscal year, which runs from October 1 – September 30. The Department of State must avoid issuing excess immigrant visa numbers before the end of the fiscal year or else it violates federal law. 

The issuance totals in some categories are approaching the annual limit for FY-2025, which could require the Visa Bulletin’s retrogression in order to slow down issuance rates. 

Q. Does this mean that certain categories will permanently be retrogressed?

A.  No. This would be a temporary retrogression in effect for the remainder of the fiscal year (i.e. until September 30, 2025). The Department of State generally advances final action dates in October each year, when the new fiscal year begins.

Q.  If I have an interview, but my priority date retrogresses in September, will I still be able to get my green card?

A.  If you have an interview before your category retrogresses, you will be able to get your green card.  However, if the Department of State updates your category to “unavailable” prior to your interview date, the interview may be postponed until your priority date becomes current again, which could be as early as October 1, 2025.

If you have questions on this month’s Visa Bulletin, please reach out to your MU attorney directly or Contact Us.

Immigrant Caregivers are Crucial to Staff Direct Care Industry

President Trump’s “immigration crackdown” has elicited a warning from the direct care industry: immigrants are essential.

Although immigrants comprise 17% of the total American labor force, they make up 31% of the home care workforce and 21% of the residential care aide and nursing assistant workforce, according to a 2024 report from Leading Age, an organization representing nonprofit aging services providers.

 

A recent article by USA TODAY highlights the severity and scope of the direct care worker shortage, which is set to reach critical levels as the US faces even higher demand to care for aging Baby Boomers.

 

In 2020, 55.8 million people in the US were 65 and over, according to census data. A study in Health Services Research estimates that number will reach nearly 70 million by 2030.

 

From 2022 to 2037, a National Center for Health Workforce Analysis estimated the demand for home health aides will rise 35%, the demand for personal care aides will rise 38%, and the demand for nursing assistants will rise 41%.

 

Articles by Axios and AP News echo the essentiality of immigrant caregivers in US nursing homes, and warn of the effect President Trump’s immigration policies are already having on nursing home staffing in the US.

 

AP News reports:

 

“The aging of the massive Baby Boom generation is poised to fuel even more demand for caregivers, both in institutional settings and in individuals’ homes. BLS projects more growth among home health and personal care aides than any other job, with some 820,000 new positions added by 2032.”

 

Due to high demand and Department of State backlogs, immigrant nursing aides who qualify for a Green Card are currently waiting more than three years to enter the U.S. after their cases are approved.

 

Because of lengthy backlogs, staffing companies employing nursing assistants and nurse aides are best equipped to withstand immigration delays in their business models; however, meeting the demand for direct caregiving in the US in the coming years will require policies to extend temporary work authorization for direct care workers and policies to alleviate Department of State backlogs for permanent immigration solutions.

August 2025 Visa Bulletin: Slight Movement Forward for EB-3 India, Slight Retrogression for Others

The Department of State has just issued the August 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment:

Table B: Dates for Filing

USCIS will continue to use the Table A Final Action Dates chart for I-485 employment-based filings in August 2025. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

EB-3 India was the only category to progress forward in August 2025, with forward movement of 1 month.  

EB-2 All Other, EB-2 Mexico, and EB-2 Philippines all retrogressed 6 weeks.  

All remaining categories stayed steady and made no progress.

As August is the penultimate month of the fiscal year, slight retrogression is typical and not a cause for concern. September 2025’s visa bulletin is unlikely to make progress forward and may slow or even retrogress again before the start of the fiscal year in October.