Midterm US elections and the ABC of your visa future

WITH all polls showing the persistent low approval rating of US President Donald Trump, would it mean: a) more visa allocation and b) faster visa processing leading to c) the much-awaited interview date will come faster if the Democrats take over both houses of the US Congress? US media (especially those labeled by Trump as “fake news”) report that Democrats are heading into the final stretch of the 2026 midterms with their largest lead yet in the race for Congress as Trump’s approval rating continues to drop to significant lows.

Fox News’ headline report on Oct. 26, however, echoes a contrarian sentiment: “Not even sky high gas prices or the Iran war will stop Trump supporters voting MAGA” quoting a Trump supporter that “I think it’s kind of a small price that we have to pay temporarily (referring to high prices as a direct result of the Iran war) and I think that’s how Trump’s, you know, putting it, and I can agree with that.” Will the souring on Trump and his economic policies take a sweet turn for visa issuance?

The 2020 total reflects the results of two executive orders by Mr. Trump barring the admission of legal immigrants who “endanger Americans’ health and job prospects.” Legal immigrants with their green cards are immediately authorized to work without specific employment authorization.

In 2016 and 2024, Trump defied the polls, pulled off an unexpected victory from “the large turnout of white, working-non-collegeeducated white male and female voters, giving him 67 percent of their support in key states.

In 2024, the worldwide total mirrors the 2016 numbers at the end of two Democratic administrations, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Come Nov. 3, Democrats are poised to regain control of the House of Representatives and a potential Senate win. Halloween eve must be sending shivers and goosebumps to Republicans, with the polls forecasting a Blue-hued bloodbath at voting centers.

According to data collected from 47 states and the District of Columbia by CNN, the Associated Press and Catalist, more than 50 million Americans have already voted with most of the last weekend before Election Day — a significant part of the 173.85 million registered voters in the US.

As of September 2026, there are 39.1 million registered Republicans in states with party-affiliated voter registration compared to 45.3 million registered Democrats, according to PEW Research and USAFacts.

Trumper tantrums could cause Republican voters’ dismay, distrust and voluntary — albeit temporary — disenfranchisement.

An emergent consensus is that the Republicans’ messaging of voter fraud may backfire should Republican voters stay home, shun the early mail-in voting disparaged by Trump as “ballot harvesting” (who himself cast his mail-in vote in Florida).

After tweeting in April to “Get rid of ballot harvesting, it is rampant with fraud,” Trump cast a vote-by-mail ballot in Florida mid-August, a spokesperson for the Palm Beach elections supervisor confirmed to NPR.

Trump is still the president until Jan. 20, 2029, at 12:00 p.m.

Eastern time. Plenty of time for instant, rapid-fire executive orders, a whack-a-mole tactic that has frustrated fact-checkers, especially truth-seekers who opt to file court cases instead of launching a January 6-like insurrectionist attack.

By the time a Trump challenge is filed in court, however, the 45th and 47th US president would have moved on to the next evidence-starved claim, a proven ritual in Trump’s playbook.

Forecasters give Democrats from 82 percent to 95.1 percent chance of controlling the House.

“The authoritative (and very cautious) Cook Political Report says as of October 30, ‘The most likely outcome at this point is that Democrats flip between 12 and 25 seats, resulting in Democrats holding 227 to 240 seats in 2027.’” Assuming all 435 seats in 2026 are filled in the US House of Representatives, a simple majority of 218 votes is required to pass most bills.

A Democrat majority could pass its priority bills with little resistance.

In the upper chamber, prediction market sites Kalshi and Polymarket predict the Democratic Party “has a double-digit lead for who will control the Senate following the midterms.” Top election forecaster Cook Political Report lists Georgia’s race as likely Democratic; Ohio, Texas, Kansas and Iowa’s as toss-ups; South Carolina’s as lean-Republican; and Nebraska and Mississippi’s as likely Republican.

Democratic Quixotes Could 235-240 Democratic horseriding Don Quixotes with lances tilt the Trump windmill? In Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel, the hero, Don Quixote, attacked a row of 30-40 windmills he considers evil, hulking giants.

Quixote was quickly knocked off his horse and beaten.

Even if the Democrats control both houses, the journey to the Trump windmill for a bill to become law, especially those that are immigrant-friendly, will take years.

USAGov and the US House of Representatives say the legislative journey, from introduction to presidential signing or veto, would be a hopeless battle no matter how noble, reasonable and supported by the American voters.

Even if an immigrant-friendly bill passes in record time, the president has the last say within 10 days to sign it into law or let it die.

Meanwhile, President Trump can continue issuing Executive Orders (EOs) to thwart existing visa laws.

Sensing a Republican defeat and threat of impeachment, Trump had been frantically crisscrossing the country in states that were traditionally Republican strongholds and delivered votes for Trump in 2024. Trump-aligned entities have paid close to half a billion dollars on advertising, voter contact, rallies, rally arenas and telerallies (WashPost and NPR).

“You’ve got to win the midterms,” he said to an audience of House Republicans during a House Republican retreat at the Kennedy Center on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C.

“Because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be, I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me.” Concerned that his call to arms seems to fall on deaf or deft ears (Republicans that are moving away from him, especially those that Trump labels “RINO” — Republicans In Name Only — and a few not running for reelection), President Trump dons his full, golden transactional regalia.

On Sept. 26, Trump promised $5,000 for each American adult if the Republicans win both houses of Congress.

The ad announcing the promise was ordered pulled out by US District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York, ruling the public funds cannot be used for ads that are “for political or propaganda purposes.” Undaunted, Trump upped the ante by announcing in a social media post that “Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud.” Another mole to whack as soon as the judge’s gavel drops.

In the non-quota US visas — from A to V — the nonimmigrant visitor (B-1/B2) variety should experience smooth sailing, followed by the F and J (academic and exchange visitors), then the H visas for temporary workers.

Those in the numerically limited family preference (FP) immigrant visa categories should prepare for a protracted alphabet war.