From Newsweek · · 1m 30s
Green Card Approvals Drop for Cuban, Family, and Employment Cases
USCIS data shows green card approval rates fell sharply for Cuban applicants, family-based cases, and employment-based cases in Q3 2026.
In brief
USCIS data shows green card approval rates fell sharply for Cuban applicants, family-based cases, and employment-based cases in Q3 2026. Green card approval rates dropped 28.9 percentage points for Cuban applicants, 4.2 points for family-based cases, and 0.9 points for employment-based cases in Q3 2026. Originally…
Green Card Approval Rates Fall
USCIS data for April through June shows approval rates fell for family-based, employment-based, and Cuban cases compared with the previous quarter.
Cuban Approval Rate Drops Sharply
Of 586 Cuban adjustment cases in Q3, 139 were approved, producing a 23.7 percent approval rate from 52.6 percent in the previous quarter.
Family-Based Approval Rate Falls
USCIS recorded 54,678 family-based approvals and 12,240 denials in Q3, down from 71,514 approvals and 11,689 denials in the previous quarter.
Employment-Based Approvals Steady
Employment-based adjudications saw 42,076 approvals and 3,160 denials in Q3, compared with 41,979 approvals and 2,717 denials in the previous quarter.
Asylum and Refugee Rates Rise
Asylum-based approval rates rose slightly to 88.9 percent from 88.1 percent, while refugee-based cases increased to 69.6 percent from 66.1 percent.
USCIS Policy Changes
USCIS introduced policy changes to adjust status as a matter of discretion, allowing officers to consider case-by-case factors for green card applications.
Legal Challenge to Policy
A federal lawsuit filed on October 5 challenges USCIS's May adjustment-of-status policy, claiming it violates immigration law.
Here's the gist
Green card approval rates dropped 28.9 percentage points for Cuban applicants, 4.2 points for family-based cases, and 0.9 points for employment-based cases in Q3 2026.
