USCIS Rules Are Changing in 2026 — If You Still Use a Check, Will Your Application Be Rejected?

USCIS Rules Are Changing in 2026 — If You Still Use a Check, Will Your Application Be Rejected?

If you’ve been hearing “USCIS is changing everything in 2026,” you’re not imagining it.
In immigrant communities around New York (and honestly, everywhere), the same questions keep coming up:
Can I still mail a check? Are fees going up? Are they really reviewing social media now? What’s happening to H-1B?

The problem is that headlines blur important details. Some changes already started in late 2025, others begin on January 1, 2026, and a few are happening outside USCIS entirely (especially at the visa stage through the Department of State).

This post breaks it all down in plain English — with a quick self-check so you can catch the avoidable mistakes that cause rejections, delays, and unnecessary stress.

1️⃣ Payment Rule — Checks and Money Orders Are Out (Effective Oct 28, 2025)

Let’s start with the most practical change — because this is where people get rejected for technical reasons.
USCIS began requiring electronic payments on October 28, 2025.
In other words: this didn’t “start in 2026.” It’s already in motion.

If you mail a packet with a personal check or money order, you risk having the entire filing rejected and returned. Not delayed. Returned.

• Mail filings: Put Form G-1450 (credit/debit card) or Form G-1650 (ACH bank transfer) on top of your application packet.
• Online filings: Pay directly through your USCIS online account.
• Double-check: A correct form with an incorrect payment method can still be rejected.

2️⃣ Fees — Jan 1, 2026 Inflation Adjustments (H.R. 1): Not Every Form, Not Every Case

Next: fees. Starting January 1, 2026, certain immigration-related fees will increase under an inflation adjustment framework tied to H.R. 1.
The key takeaway is simple: this is not a universal “all fees go up” event.
It mainly targets specific categories (commonly tied to asylum, parole, TPS, and certain EAD situations).

3️⃣ 30-Second Self-Check — “Will My Packet Get Rejected?”

4️⃣ Social Media Review — Visa Applicants vs USCIS Filings (These Are Not the Same)

Social media is where misinformation spreads fastest, so here’s the clean distinction:

• USCIS (benefits inside the U.S.): USCIS is not asking for passwords.
• Department of State (visa issuance abroad): Separate from USCIS, the State Department has expanded online presence screening for certain visa applicants.

For example, reporting in December 2025 and multiple legal updates note that effective December 15, 2025, H-1B and H-4 visa applicants at U.S. consulates may be required to adjust social media privacy settings to “public” for the duration of the visa application process, to facilitate review.
This is a visa-stage issue (consular processing), not a “USCIS form filing” requirement.

5️⃣ H-1B in 2026 — Wage-Weighted Selection (Entries 1–4)

Beginning February 27, 2026, DHS will implement a wage-weighted selection process for cap-subject H-1B registrations.
Instead of every registration having the same odds, entries are weighted based on the offered position’s OEWS wage level:

6️⃣ Final Thoughts

Most immigration setbacks aren’t caused by “not knowing the law.”
They’re caused by missing a new procedural rule, paying the wrong way, or including the wrong fee.

If you’re filing in late 2025 or in 2026, treat these as your top priorities:
payment method, fee verification, and timeline/postmark strategy.
Those three prevent a huge share of avoidable rejections.

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