USCIS changes visa and green card deadlines starting October 23
Big update if you're dealing with US immigration: Starting October 23, 2026, USCIS is changing how it handles visa and green card application deadlines.
If your deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, qualifying paper submissions with deadlines calculated in a specified number of days may still receive the next-business-day extension, while deadlines tied to substantive eligibility requirements do not automatically move.
Age-based extensions are also gone, and H-1B workers should not assume that filing on the next business day will preserve status if an I-94 expires, as the outcome can depend on the circumstances.
Age 21 and H-1B deadlines unchanged
If you're turning 21 (especially for Special Immigrant Juvenile cases) or your H-1B I-94 is expiring on a weekend, your deadline is still that exact day: no more next-business-day leeway.
USCIS really wants everyone to double-check their timelines and submit paperwork right on time to avoid any trouble staying in the US.