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Grofyy

Oct 19

Cognizant files zero H-1B registrations for FY2027; Infosys down 91%, TCS down 95%A Congressional Research Service report published Oct 14 shows H-1B lottery registrations by major Indian IT firms collapsed for the FY2027 cycle: Cognizant filed zero registrations (down 100% from 3,752 in FY2026), Infosys filed 759 (down 91% from 8,886), and TCS filed 284 (down 95% from 5,955). Across the largest IT staffing and outsourcing firms, combined registrations fell about 92%, from 24,946 to 2,055, per a Sept 23 Federal Register publication. The drop follows a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions and a new wage-weighted selection system favoring higher-paid workers. The numbers cover new lottery entries, not existing H-1B holders, but they signal sharply rising costs on the main route Indian tech professionals use to enter the US. Source: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/indian-it-giants-h-1b-visa-registrations-fall-amid-trumps-crackdown-infosys-cognizant-tcs-report-fewer-entries-11792385645179.html

LIVEMINT.COMhttps://www.livemint.com/companies/news/indian-it-giants-h-1b-visa-registrations-fall-amid-trumps-crackdown-infosys-cognizant-tcs-report-fewer-entries-11792385645179.html

Grofyy

Oct 19

DHS ends 'duration of status': F-1/J-1 visas now capped at 4 years with USCIS extensions The Department of Homeland Security's final rule ending 'duration of status' took effect Sept 15, replacing decades of open-ended F-1, J-1 and I visa admissions with fixed admission periods of up to 4 years. Students and exchange visitors must now apply directly to USCIS for extensions, and about 1.5 million current F and J holders were automatically moved to the new system. The rule also shortens post-graduation grace periods and adds mandatory USCIS reviews for OPT extensions. DHS says the change closes a loophole that let some students stay indefinitely without routine oversight; universities warn it threatens the PhD and STEM pipelines Indian students rely on, with legal challenges still pending. Source: https://lawstreet.co/international/four-years-and-out-how-americas-new-visa-rules-will-hit-indian-students-hardest

LAWSTREET.COhttps://lawstreet.co/international/four-years-and-out-how-americas-new-visa-rules-will-hit-indian-students-hardest

Grofyy

Oct 18

October Visa Bulletin: India EB-2 reopens to Nov 1, 2013 after 3 months 'Unavailable'The State Department's October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, restores EB-2 availability for India-born applicants — reopening from Unavailable to a November 1, 2013 Final Action Date after the category sat unavailable through July, August and September 2026. USCIS says employment-based applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart this month, widening filing eligibility. Meanwhile EB-2 retrogressed for the rest of the world (to Jan 1, 2025), and EB-5 India Unreserved restarts FY 2027 at Dec 1, 2023 after being unavailable at FY 2026 end. Source: https://tezlawfirm.com/oct-2026-visa-bulletin-uscis-fees-h-1b-fee-blocked/

TEZLAWFIRM.COMhttps://tezlawfirm.com/oct-2026-visa-bulletin-uscis-fees-h-1b-fee-blocked/

Grofyy

Oct 18

US suspends green-card (PERM) sponsorship for 8 tech firms including TCS, Infosys, Microsoft On Oct 8, 2026 the US Department of Labor announced it will stop accepting new PERM applications and processing pending labor certifications for eight companies — Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini — citing alleged misuse of foreign-worker programs. PERM is the mandatory first step for EB-2/EB-3 green-card sponsorship, so the freeze stalls employment-based green cards for workers at these firms. Existing H-1B status is unaffected. India's Ministry of External Affairs responded Oct 9, saying PERM is distinct from H-1B, that talent mobility benefits both economies, and calling the US Vice President's remarks 'unwarranted and deeply offensive.' Source: https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/h1b-visa-news-us-suspends-perm-green-card-sponsorship-microsoft-tcs-it-firms-1820012880-1

JAGRANJOSH.COMhttps://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/h1b-visa-news-us-suspends-perm-green-card-sponsorship-microsoft-tcs-it-firms-1820012880-1

Grofyy

Oct 18

DHS proposes $70,000 fee per F-1 student for first OPT recommendation DHS filed an Optional Practical Training Fees proposal on Oct 7, 2026 (Federal Register Oct 8): universities would pay $70,000 to DHS before recommending a student for a first OPT, and $30,000 for later OPT including STEM extensions. Schools may pass the cost to students or employers. About 143,740 Indian students were on OPT in 2024-25. The fee is tied to the SEVIS recommendation and is non-refundable once the work permit is issued. Proposal stage only, not final. Source: https://collegedunia.com/usa/news/us-proposes-usd-70000-fee-per-f1-student-for-first-opt-recommendation

COLLEGEDUNIA.COMhttps://collegedunia.com/usa/news/us-proposes-usd-70000-fee-per-f1-student-for-first-opt-recommendation

Grofyy

Oct 18

DHS moves to end H-1B extension deference, scraps automatic H-4 work-permit renewals DHS and USCIS posted two measures for Federal Register inspection on Oct 13, 2026: a proposed rule ending deference to prior H-1B approvals on extensions (every renewal would face fresh scrutiny and more evidence requests), and a final rule ending automatic H-4 EAD renewals. Indians, who hold the bulk of H-1B visas and H-4 EADs, are expected to be hit hardest. The deference change is a proposal only for now; the H-4 auto-renewal end is effective now. Source: https://www.nationpress.com/international/us-kills-h-1b-deference-ends-h-4-auto-renewals

NATIONPRESS.COMhttps://www.nationpress.com/international/us-kills-h-1b-deference-ends-h-4-auto-renewals

Anonymous Eagle

Oct 18

I graduated in December 2025 after five years in the U.S. Finding a job was hard but I finally got an RN position at a nearby hospital. Because nursing does not qualify for the STEM OPT extension, my work authorization expires this coming December. My employer was willing to sponsor me through Schedule A / PERM for a green card, but I didn't fully understand what all it took. I mistakenly assumed the filing process would bridge the gap before my OPT ran out. In these five years, I built an entire life in the USA and I worked very hard. So so hard. Now it feels like all that hard work is now going to be placed in packing boxes.

Mehamood Shaik

Oct 18

Sharing my experience in case it helps anyone preparing for their US visa interview. My profile Indian citizen, recent graduate Employer: Microsoft Purpose: Internal conference in Seattle Visa: B1/B2 The appointment process Microsoft arranged a group appointment for around 25 employees travelling to the US within a few days. We completed our fingerprints, photograph and visa interview on the same day, at the same location. We paid through US Visa Scheduling, but Microsoft coordinated the group appointment. There were multiple active interview booths. Around 21 of us got approved, but 4 were refused. The weird part All four people who got rejected were interviewed at the same booth, one after another, in the same queue. The queue apparently stopped after those four. The questions they received were along the lines of: Why are you going to the US? How long have you been at Microsoft? Have you travelled internationally before? All four were recent grads who had joined Microsoft around three months ago. They explained that they were going for a Microsoft event and had no previous international travel history. The questioning seemed quite brief, and all four were refused. My interview I explained that I was going to Seattle for an internal conference with around 1,800 participants worldwide, specifically for early-career employees and recent graduates. I was also asked about my role, tenure, salary, interview rounds, travel history and reasons to return to India. I answered honestly and directly. We received our passports roughly one day later. Honestly, having Microsoft coordinate the appointment and get biometrics and interviews done together was convenient. Big Tech perks, I guess?

Grofyy

Oct 19

JD Vance walks back 'indentured servants' jab at H-1B workers, says rhetoric was 'imperfect'Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged his wording was 'imperfect' after calling H-1B workers 'foreign indentured servants' earlier this month. At an October 17 CBS News town hall, answering an Indian-American voter, he insisted his criticism targeted employers and the visa system, not the workers. Vance invoked his own family ties, saying he loves his mother-in-law and father-in-law, who immigrated from South India, and is proud of his wife Usha, now Second Lady. India had condemned the 'indentured servants' language as deeply offensive, citing its painful colonial-era connotations. He stopped short of fully withdrawing the remark, arguing the H-1B system gives employers too much power over workers whose status is tied to a single job. Source: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/business/vance-defends-indentured-servants-remark-on-h-1b-workers-admits-rhetoric-has-been-imperfect-52793

PEOPLEMATTERS.INhttps://www.peoplematters.in/news/business/vance-defends-indentured-servants-remark-on-h-1b-workers-admits-rhetoric-has-been-imperfect-52793

Grofyy

Oct 19

US visitor visa wait hits one year in Hyderabad; student visas far faster across India US consulate appointment waits in India are sharply split by category, per State Department September 2026 data. B1/B2 visitor visa waits are hitting the one-year mark in Hyderabad and nearly 12 months in Mumbai, with Kolkata offering relative relief. Student and exchange visas (F, M, J) are much faster: under half a month in Chennai, 1.5 months in Hyderabad, two months in Delhi and Kolkata, and 2.5 months in Mumbai. The State Department notes new slots are released regularly, so applicants with booked dates can often move earlier. Source: https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/l67ms1ytkxbt/

TRAVELANDTOURWORLD.COMhttps://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/l67ms1ytkxbt/

Grofyy

Oct 19

F-1 visas issued to Indians fell by more than half in FY2025, new tracker shows State Department data shows F-1 visa issuance to applicants in India fell by more than half in fiscal year 2025 versus FY2024. A new monthly tracker finds steep drops at all five US posts in India: New Delhi down 44%, Mumbai down 66%, Chennai down 76%, Hyderabad down 81% and Kolkata down 73% - a combined 70% fall from 13,900 to 4,161 issuances from October to February. Meanwhile interview wait times for student and exchange (F, M, J) visas now range from under two weeks in Chennai to 2.5 months in Mumbai. Source: https://abroadbrief.com/us-student-visas-india-2025-chart-tracker/

ABROADBRIEF.COMhttps://abroadbrief.com/us-student-visas-india-2025-chart-tracker/

Grofyy

Oct 19

USCIS fee hike live from Oct 16: asylum, EAD, TPS, parole fees up — wrong fee means rejection USCIS's first annual inflation adjustment under H.R. 1 took effect Oct 16, 2026. New fees: annual pending-asylum fee $102 to $105; initial EAD for asylum applicants, parolees and TPS holders $560 to $570; TPS application (I-821) $510 to $520; immigration parole (I-131) $1,020 to $1,050. Filings postmarked on or after Oct 16 with the old fee will be REJECTED outright — no correction request and no official receipt date, which can cost an applicant their priority date or miss a cap deadline. H-1B, L-1 and most employment-based petitions are unchanged in this round; the increases hit the humanitarian and parole end of the portfolio. Check the current USCIS fee schedule and form edition before filing. Source: https://www.visasupdate.com/post/uscis-fee-increase-october-2026

VISASUPDATE.COMhttps://www.visasupdate.com/post/uscis-fee-increase-october-2026

Grofyy

Oct 19

Rep. Riley Moore calls H-1B a "scam," claims 500K+ visa holders (mostly India/China) replace US grads In an Oct 16 interview on the Scott Jennings Show, Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) called the H-1B program a "scam," arguing it is designed to import cheaper labor that undercuts American workers. He claimed roughly 650,000 US students graduate with STEM degrees each year while a similar number of H-1B visas are issued, effectively replacing those graduates. He said more than 500,000 H-1B holders — mostly from India and China — now outnumber the population of West Virginia. Moore also attacked the OPT program and chain migration, and argued both programs could be ended by executive action. Indian nationals are the largest share of H-1B beneficiaries (about 70%), so the rhetoric lands hardest on Indian tech workers. Research disputes the claim that H-1B workers are paid less than comparable Americans. Source: https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/news/us-lawmaker-riley-moore-calls-h-1b-visa-otp-scam-claims-indians-chinese-workers-are-replacing-650000-americans-10333078

THEDAILYJAGRAN.COMhttps://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/news/us-lawmaker-riley-moore-calls-h-1b-visa-otp-scam-claims-indians-chinese-workers-are-replacing-650000-americans-10333078

Grofyy

Oct 19

Indian student says agent canceled Oct 19 F-1 visa interview over extra Rs 20,000 demand An Indian student planning to study in the US has alleged that a private education agent canceled his October 19, 2026 F-1 visa interview appointment in Mumbai after he refused to pay an additional Rs 20,000. The student, whose I-20 showed an August 31, 2026 program start date, could not get an interview slot before classes began; the agent later claimed to have secured the October appointment but demanded the extra payment, which the student declined. The account, shared on Reddit and reported by several news outlets, is not independently verified. Officially, the US charges $185 for F/M/J visa processing plus the I-901 SEVIS fee — there is no government 'appointment fee' of Rs 20,000, so the case highlights why students should keep control of their own visa scheduling accounts. Source: https://www.nripage.com/articles/visa-immigration/2026/10/06/indian-student-says-f-1-visa-interview-canceled-over-agent-fee

NRIPAGE.COMhttps://www.nripage.com/articles/visa-immigration/2026/10/06/indian-student-says-f-1-visa-interview-canceled-over-agent-fee

Grofyy

Oct 19

Second federal court blocks $100K H-1B fee, covering Trump's September renewal A second federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's $100,000 payment requirement for new H-1B visa petitions. On September 30, 2026, US District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California, vacated the agency policies implementing the fee under both the original proclamation (10973) and its September 2026 extension (11069), ruling USCIS and the State Department skipped required notice-and-comment rulemaking. This follows a June 2026 Boston court order in a separate case brought by 20 states, which the First Circuit declined to pause in July. For now, H-1B petitions for workers outside the US proceed under the ordinary fee schedule with no $100,000 payment — but the appeal is still live, and a separate DHS proposal for a $103,265 cap-subject fee is unaffected. Source: https://usimmigration.today/news/a-second-court-vacates-the-100000-h-1b-fee-policies-and-this-ruling-also-covers-the-september-2026-renewal/

USIMMIGRATION.TODAYhttps://usimmigration.today/news/a-second-court-vacates-the-100000-h-1b-fee-policies-and-this-ruling-also-covers-the-september-2026-renewal/

Grofyy

Oct 18

Ingest API test post 2 (Chotu)Second item in the same batch, checking batch semantics. Source: https://www.uscis.gov/

USCIS.GOVhttps://www.uscis.gov/

Grofyy

Oct 18

Ingest API test post 1 (Chotu)Verifying the ingest pipeline works. Safe to delete. Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html

TRAVEL.STATE.GOVhttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html

Shou

Oct 13

Answered

What are good food option in bay area ?Hlo people am new to bay area plz help me with indian food options … 🙏🙏TOP ANSWER · Aravind · marked by the authorNo its velanki foods

Grofyy

Oct 19

DHS wants to change premium processing deadlines for H-1B, OPT and green card petitions The Department of Homeland Security has sent the White House a proposed rule titled 'Amending the Premium Processing Timeframe' (RIN 1615-AD25), logged with the Office of Management and Budget on October 13. The rule could change how long USCIS has to act on premium processing requests - the paid fast track employers use for H-1B and I-140 petitions and that students use for OPT work permits. The text is not public, so it is unclear whether the current 15, 30 and 45 business-day windows would get longer, shorter, or simply be counted differently. Nothing changes for filings made today. Premium fees range from $1,780 to $2,965 since March 2026. A related DHS proposal to end deference on worker extensions is projected to add about 6,000 requests for evidence a year, and each one stops the premium clock until the employer responds. Source: https://immigration-analytics.com/2026/10/14/dhs-sends-white-house-a-plan-to-change-premium-processing-deadlines-a-clock-uscis-has-already-reset-more-than-once/

IMMIGRATION-ANALYTICS.COMhttps://immigration-analytics.com/2026/10/14/dhs-sends-white-house-a-plan-to-change-premium-processing-deadlines-a-clock-uscis-has-already-reset-more-than-once/