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November Visa Bulletin Released- Dates for Filing Remain Mostly the Same
The much-anticipated November Visa Bulletin was released on October 22, and shows that most categories remain unchanged on the Dates for Filing chart for November. USCIS has indicated that it will honor the Dates for Filing chart for November.
The good news is that applicants looking to file by October 31 based upon the Dates for Filing chart now have through November to file their applications to adjust status.
It is important to remember that the Dates for Filing chart allows foreign nationals to file applications to adjust status if their priority date is before the date indicated for their category on the chart. These dates are earlier than those on the Final Action Date chart, which is the chart that shows when the immigrant visa numbers become available. The applications will not be adjudicated until their priority date becomes current under the Final Action Date chart.
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New Public Charge Assessment and Visa Review Processing for Immigrant Visas
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has introduced a new public charge assessment and immigrant visa review process that is affecting immigrant visa (IV) and diversity visa (DV) applicants at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
In September 2025, DOS instructed consulates and embassies to resume processing and issuing immigrant and diversity visas, after having implemented a pause for all consular officers to complete training on the revised public charge assessment. Consular officers are now processing cases and have been instructed to review cases that were refused during the January 2026 visa issuance pause.
Due to a new multi-step review and approval process, it is expected that immigrant visa processing at U.S. consulates will take longer and denials will increase. DOS has introduced new adjudication guidelines for consular officers. Before an immigrant visa can be issued, the case must be “print authorized” and reviewed by a consular manager. The consular manager must then submit the case through a special app for an additional layer of adjudication review. After a response is received through the app, the consular officer must review the report and decide whether more action is needed. This can include “spoiling” (canceling) a visa before it is issued or considering revocation if the visa has already been printed and issued.
New public charge questionnaires: Immigration attorneys report that several consular posts, including London, Kingston, and Paris are now requiring immigrant visa applicants to complete new, detailed questionnaires focused on the public charge ground of inadmissibility. These forms request expanded information on finances, support, and related factors.
Due to the new process and multi-step review, applicants for immigrant visa must now be prepared to answer detailed questions and provide documentation showing how they will cover living expenses and avoid relying on public benefits in the United States. Applicants must be prepared and have documentation regarding the following:
- Housing Plans
- Where will the applicant live in the United States? Provide a specific address if available.
- If the applicant has not secured housing, explain plans to find housing.
- Who else will live with applicant, if anyone?
- Employment Plans and/or Assets/Income for all Adult Applicants
- What type of work does the applicant and derivatives plan to do?
- What education, training, or experience do the they have for this work?
- Do they need additional training, license, or certification to work in this field? If yes, who will pay for this and support financially during the process?
- What salary does the applicant expect to earn in their first year?
- Health Insurance Plans for Each Family Member
- Does the applicant or dependents have any known health conditions that will require ongoing treatments (ranging from common chronic conditions like diabetes to acute conditions like cancer)
- Do they have health insurance in the United States?
- If the applicant does not have dependents who can be caregivers in old age, what are the plans for care?
If applicants are issued immigrant visas, they should immediately travel to and enter the United States as it is possible that the consular officer will receive a notification in the app to revoke the visa(s).
Processing for immigrant visas at U.S. consulates has just become increasingly more difficult and now requires a lot more documentation. Applicants should work with their attorneys to collect documents and evidence and prepare for the interview.
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SEVP Issues New Broadcast Messages on CPT – Heightened Scrutiny, No Regulatory Change Yet
In August 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued two broadcast messages that signal a significant shift in how curricular practical training (CPT) will be reviewed and enforced, even though the underlying regulations remain unchanged.
1. Broadcast Message 2608-01 (August 12, 2026)
SEVP’s first message reminds designated school officials (DSOs) that CPT must be an “integral part of an established curriculum,” as required by 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i), and notes a rise in CPT authorizations that may not meet this standard. Key points include:
- Increased scrutiny: SEVP indicates it may request documentation to confirm the curricular basis for CPT authorizations, particularly where the training does not appear integral to the curriculum or directly related to the student’s major field of study.
- DSO certification under penalty of perjury: SEVP emphasizes that the DSO’s signature on Form I‑20 certifies, under penalty of perjury, that the CPT information is true and correct to the best of the DSO’s knowledge.
- Institutional and individual exposure: Improper CPT authorizations may lead to sanctions, up to and including withdrawal of SEVP certification for the institution, and potential personal liability for DSOs who knowingly make inaccurate certifications.
2. Broadcast Message 2608-02 (August 24, 2026)
The second message provides Q&A-style guidance on how SEVP is now interpreting when practical training is “integral” to an established curriculum. Although framed as guidance and doesn’t change the current regulations, it tightens the traditional understanding of CPT eligibility. Some of the guidance includes:
- A focus on "required training" distinguishing CPT from Optional Practical Training (OPT), emphasizing that CPT hinges on whether the training is a required component of the student’s curriculum, and required for all students in the program. The new guidance requires a stronger, program-level curricular connection.
- Cooperative agreements vs. employer letters: The broadcast messages reiterate that CPT must be offered by employers through “cooperative agreements” with the school, but that term is not defined in the regulation.
Both broadcast messages are characterized as agency-level guidance, meaning they do not amend the CPT regulation or create new binding legal standards. Instead, they offer clarification on how SEVP intends to evaluate whether training is “integral” to a curriculum, and they are directed at SEVP‑certified schools and DSOs, not employers, although employers may increasingly be asked to provide robust documentation of the training’s quality and curricular connection.
There have been lawsuits filed on these broadcast memos, but no action has been taken on them as a result. Therefore, for now, these memos are the guidance for CPT. As a result, many schools have stopped issuing CPT until further guidance is provided.
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DHS Proposes New OPT Fees Upwards of $100,000
In addition to heightened scrutiny of CPT, DHS has proposed imposing a new fee for each F-1 student to participate in OPT. The fees would be $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for any subsequent OPT. Comments are due on November 9, 2026.
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TPS Extended for Ukraine and Sudan, But Uncertainty Remains
The Department of Homeland Security has quietly extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Ukraine and Sudan, allowing them to remain and work lawfully in the United States beyond the previously scheduled October 19–20, 2026 expiration dates. Officials confirmed that final decisions “will be made at the appropriate time,” and that Ukrainians and Sudanese currently holding TPS “retain protection” in the meantime.
TPS for Ukraine was first designated in 2022 following Russia’s full‑scale invasion and now covers more than 100,000 Ukrainians as of March 2025. Sudan’s TPS designation has existed in various forms since the late 1990s; roughly 1,800 Sudanese nationals were enrolled as of March 2025.
With the lack of clarity on renewal timelines, this extension leaves families, employers, and communities unable to plan for the future.
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More Updates in Immigration News
- USCIS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to End Deference to Prior Visa Approvals: USCIS has proposed ending the policy of generally giving deference to a prior approval (often I-129 extensions) involving the same facts when adjudicating a request to extend a petition for a person’s employment or stay. Comments are due on November 13, 2026.
- Social media checks of I visa applicants: On October 1, 2026, the DOS began checking the social media accounts of foreign journalists applying for I visas, requiring applicants to make their profiles public. See here for more information.
- Elimination of entry stamps for primary processing: Travelers should download their I-94 as evidence of their admission. CBP will continue to issue entry stamps during secondary inspection processing. See here for more information.
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