Immigration News Roundup: USCIS Updates Attorney Rules and Key Deadlines Loom

Accurate as of July 13, 2026. Immigration rules change quickly, so confirm current details with an immigration attorney before you act.

Mid-July is more about deadlines and pending decisions than new policy. Here is where things stand and what to watch in the days ahead.

USCIS Updates Policy Manual Guidance on Attorneys and Representatives

On July 13, USCIS issued Policy Manual guidance covering attorneys and representatives, consolidating and modernizing material that had lived in the agency's legacy adjudicator's manual. The update addresses who may represent applicants, how representation is established and changed, other authorized representatives, and professional conduct.

For most applicants the practical takeaway is simple but important. Make sure anyone advising or representing you is actually authorized to do so. Notario fraud and unauthorized "consultants" remain a serious risk in immigration, so always confirm you are working with a licensed attorney or an accredited representative.

Deadlines This Week: TPS Work-Permit Dates

The updated Temporary Protected Status work-authorization dates announced last week arrive this week:

• July 17 for Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
• July 24 for Haiti.

If you are a TPS holder in one of these designations, or an employer of one, confirm your work authorization validity now and follow the current I-9 and E-Verify guidance, which may continue to change as litigation proceeds.

Still Pending: The $100,000 H-1B Fee

The legal fight over the $100,000 H-1B fee remains unresolved. After a federal court struck the fee down in June and then stayed its own ruling, the case is before the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not yet decided the government's stay request. Until it does, the fee remains in effect for qualifying petitions. Employers should keep planning around it rather than assuming relief.

On the Horizon

• August Visa Bulletin: the State Department's next monthly bulletin is expected around mid-July, so watch for any further movement in the oversubscribed India employment-based categories.
• Open comment periods: the proposed work-authorization rule (comments due August 4), the naturalization fee increase, and the EB-5 overhaul (comments due August 31) all remain open for public input.

What Should You Do This Week?

1. Verify that any representative is a licensed attorney or accredited representative before handing over your case or your money.
2. TPS holders: confirm your July 17 or July 24 work-authorization date and keep your employer's I-9 records current.
3. H-1B employers: the $100,000 fee still applies pending the appeals court's decision.
4. Anyone affected by the pending rules: consider submitting a comment before the August deadlines.