Am I still eligible to receive an H1B as an entry-level employee at Level 1?

Yes, however, your chance is much less (1 entry vs 4 on a Level 4 worker). According to the recommendations of many experts, the target wage should be Level 2 in order to be competitive.

Does the Immigrant Visa Pause impact the spouses of citizens of the U.S?

Nowadays, there are no general exceptions to spouses of U.S. citizens regardless of whether they belong to one of the 75 high-risk countries enumerated in the January 14, 2026, State Department memo.

What is the updated price of a Work Permit (EAD)?

The first filing fee under Form I- 765 is 560 dollars on most categories as of January 2026.

USA Immigration News and Updates 2026

America is experiencing a seismic change in terms of immigration. By the first part of 2026, the culture of being a visa and residency holder has assumed a strict, merit-driven, and security-centric structure and replaced the old business-as-usual culture. Being either an aspiring H1B professional, a student, or a family member who wants to get a green card, The USA Immigration News and Updates 2026 is no longer a choice, but a survival requirement.

Significant Policy Changes & Administrative Initiatives

The 2026 have been characterized by a series of impactful executive orders that are expected to transform the entry of people in the United States and the terms of entry.

Expanded Travel Ban 2026: The new proclamation, which was issued on January 1, 2026, extended the 19 countries to 39 countries that were targeted by the travel restrictions. It consists of complete prohibition of the immigrant and non-immigrant visas of countries such as Syria, Burkina Faso, and North Korea and the partial ones (B, F, M, and J visas).
Immigrant Visa Processing Pause: On January 21, 2026, the Department of State suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries termed as being high risk in terms of benefits usage. Although interviews are yet to be made, real visa stamps are currently held back in these nationalities.
Visa Integrity Fee: Visa fee got expensive to budget. Most non-immigrant visa applications (H1B, F-1, and B-1/B-2) have a new required surcharge of 250 dollars to finance increased fraud detection.
H1B Wage-Weighted Selection: Welcome to the grave of the random lottery. Salary is now the priority of selection with people in higher Department of Labor (DOL) Wage Levels.

Employment & Business Immigration New Meritocracy

In the case of skill workers, the FY 2027 Cap Season (starting in March 2026) will be the first one to use the wage-weighted selection system in full.

Escalating Costs

Employers are also forced to work in a more costly filing environment. Inflation Premium Processing fees will be raised to reflect an increase in inflation (most categories of employment will be charged $2,965 starting March 1, 2026). Also, the notorious H1B Supplemental Fee of 100,000 is already being implemented to some of the offshore-heavy companies even though it is still controversial and is facing legal challenges.

EAD Validity Reduction: The USCIS issue has decreased the maximum validity period of many Employment Authorization Documents to 18 months, which will need more frequent renewals.
PERM Audit Readiness: The DOL has conducted 30% more audits on the labor certification process, involving a focus on whether the U.S. workers actually received a first look at the positions that were available.

Humanitarian & Resident Status Updated

Humanitarian environment is experiencing an enormous shrinkage of protections, which were once the norm.

TPS Terminations 2026: The DHS has already announced that they will end the Temporary Protected Status of some countries. It is worth noting that the name of Somalia will cease to exist on 17 March 2026, then Haiti (3 February) and Ethiopia (13 February).
Diversity Visa Lottery Suspension: The 2027 Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery) program has been suspended indefinitely by executive order and will allocate those slots to employment-based categories.
Laken Riley Act Implementation: The new policies require undocumented persons to be detained when they are accused of crimes against property, i.e., shoplifting or burglary, which is a major change of the enforcement priorities in the area.

Backlog Management/ Visa Bulletin

Even with the restrictive climate, however, the January and February 2026 Visa Bulletins demonstrated unexpected shift in some employment categories.

Priorty Date Retrogression: Categories EB-2 and EB-3 still have a very high backlog, whereas India and China EB-1 realized modest gains.
Dates to Filing Filed Final Action: USCIS affirmed that starting the first quarter of 2026, applicants must use the Dates to Filing chart, which will permit a substantial number to be able to file with Adjustment of Status (I-485) even though their green card has not yet been fully approved.
Consular District Interview Rule: There is a new stringent policy where the applicants are only required to interview within their home country or country of residence. Third countries such as Mexico or Canada have a significant restriction on visa shopping through 2026.

Checklist (2026 Applicants) Whether or not

Check Wage Level: To have a realistic possibility of being in the H1B lottery, you need to be at Level 2 or greater by using the OEWS data.
Audit Social Media: Social Media Vetting is now upgraded. Make sure that your LinkedIn and open profiles reflect your resume and visa assertions.
Check Passport Integrity: Make sure that your passport is valid at least 12 months and precisely matches your USCIS registration otherwise you will be instantly rejected.
Electronic Only: In January 2026 the USCIS will stop accepting paper checks. Any fee had to be paid through Form G-1450 (Credit Card) or ACH debit.

FAQs

Am I still eligible to receive an H1B as an entry-level employee at Level 1?

Yes, however, your chance is much less (1 entry vs 4 on a Level 4 worker). According to the recommendations of many experts, the target wage should be Level 2 in order to be competitive.
Does the Immigrant Visa Pause impact the spouses of citizens of the U.S?

Nowadays, there are no general exceptions to spouses of U.S. citizens regardless of whether they belong to one of the 75 high-risk countries enumerated in the January 14, 2026, State Department memo.
What is the updated price of a Work Permit (EAD)?

The first filing fee under Form I- 765 is 560 dollars on most categories as of January 2026.

Final Thoughts

The years 2026 is of extreme vetting and a preference that is wage-weighted. The barriers of entry are also increased and the costs are increasing. The key to success is being active, having perfect documentation and keeping up to the week changes in the policies of Department of State.

Disclaimer

The presented news information is grounded on the reports and credible sources. Before making legal judgments, readers are advised to cross-verify the information given by the official news sources and the USCIS web site or a licensed immigration lawyer.