A stalled petition has a monthly price. Most companies never work out what it is.
Employment-based petitions stall for months at USCIS and the Department of Labor. This is a working reference on what that delay costs an employer and when federal litigation becomes the cheaper option.
Where delay happens
- EB-1, EB-2, EB-3I-140 & Employment-Based Petitions9 articles
- Department of LaborPERM & Labor Certification6 articles
- H-1B, L-1, O-1, TNH-1B & Nonimmigrant Work Visas7 articles
- I-526E, I-829, regional centersEB-5 & Investor Immigration6 articles
- I-765, I-9, H-4, L-2EAD & Work Authorization Gaps6 articles
- Payroll, hiring, operationsThe Cost of Delay7 articles
- Mandamus, APA, TRACFederal Litigation Playbook9 articles
- 221(g), visa stampingConsular & Global Mobility6 articles
Recent
- Work authorizationThe EAD automatic-extension rule is final: what changed on 14 October 2026DHS finalised, without change, the 2025 rule ending automatic EAD extensions for renewals. What is new in the
- H-1BThe $100,000 H-1B payment in October 2026: vacated, extended, and vacated againProclamation 10973 was set aside in June, extended by Proclamation 11069 in September and challenged again. Wh
- I-140October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 Rest of World is no longer currentFY2027 opens with EB-2 and EB-3 retrogression for most countries, while USCIS allows the Dates for Filing char
- LitigationDorcas v. USCIS: what the vacatur of the hold policies means for pending employer casesA Rhode Island court vacated the 2025–2026 USCIS hold policies agency-wide in June 2026. What the order covers
- EB-5EB-5 fees from 30 November 2026: the new I-526E, I-829 and integrity fund scheduleA final rule published on 30 September 2026 sets the I-526E at $7,850 and the I-829 at $5,000 from 30 November
- PERMFLAG processing times, October 2026: reading the PERM and PWD queuesAs of early October 2026 DOL was reviewing PERM cases filed in December 2025, averaging 336 days. What the fig
- Global mobilityOnline presence review and H-1B visa stamping: building a 2026 travel ruleSince 15 December 2025 H-1B and H-4 visa applicants undergo an online presence review. What it changed for sta
- Cost of delayThe 2027 immigration budget: every government fee change an employer should forecastPremium processing rose in March 2026, EB-5 fees change in November, and an H-1B cap fee and OPT fees are prop