OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING, DELIVERING CUTTING EDGE SOLUTIONS!

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday, January 30, 2026, that the initial electronic registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B Cap opens at noon Eastern Time on March 4, 2026, and closes at noon Eastern Time on March 19, 2026.

For all the details, please review the USCIS News Alert, “FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 4“!

Source of Information:

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
You can now check USCIS processing times online at the USCIS web site. All you need to enter is your form number, and the office processing your case. USCIS has made processing times easier to understand and provide a more realistic date range.

Check Case Processing Times

The processing time range is how long it is taking for USCIS to process your type of case from the date they received it. USCIS processes cases in the order they receive them, and they normally update this information monthly. The estimated time range displayed is based on data captured over the last two months. Frequently Asked Questions About Processing Times

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

  1. What is the rule of law? Everyone must follow the law. Leaders must obey the law. Government must obey the law. No one is above the law.

 These responses are found on the USCIS website under the Naturalization materials. When an eligible applicant applies for Naturalization, they will be tested on U.S. history and government (civics) at their Interview, and they must study for the civics test. The USCIS provides 128 civics questions along with the answers to assist individuals in preparing for the civics test.

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) provides an updated ‘processing times’ in table form, with information on FY2026 first quarterly completions; October 2025 to December 2025. These figures indicate the time that it takes from the date the case is received at AAO coming from the Service Center or District Office to completion.

AAO Processing Times were released with processing dates as of 1/16/26. If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Note: Starting with the January 2017 Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times Report, the AAO has changed how it presents processing time data. The AAO will now provide, by form type, the total number of case completions for the fiscal year quarter and the percentage completed within 180 days, cases completed divided by their projected case goal.

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
On Friday, January 9th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they would publish a final rule, “Adjustment to Premium Processing Fees” in the Federal Register. This new rule will increase USCIS fees for premium processing to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.

For more details, please review the USCIS News Alert, “USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees“.

Background:

Avvo - Rate your Lawyer. Get Free Legal Advice.
We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, January 30, 2026. Act now and submit your questions!

Contact Information