Policy Updates

Used for immigration and visa policy changes as well as Executive Order updates. 

District Court Vacates and Declares USCIS Adjudication Hold Unlawful

June 5, 2026

On Friday, June 5th 2026, a federal judge in Rhode Island, Judge McConnell, issued a decision officially ruling unlawful four recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies.

Most importantly, this includes the USCIS adjudication hold. This hold had paused the processing of immigration applications—such as green cards, work permits (including OPT and STEM OPT), and asylum—for...

Federal Judge Strikes Down $100,000 H1B Fee

June 9, 2026

On June 8, 2026 a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked President Donald Trump’s controversial $100,000 fee on employers sponsoring H-1B workers, ruling that the surcharge exceeded executive authority and amounted to an unlawful tax.

Judge Leo T. Sorokin held that the...

USCIS Adjustment of Status Memo

May 24, 2026

On May 22, USCIS announced a new policy on Adjustment of Status reaffirming that Adjustment of Status is considered a discretionary benefit rather than an entitlement. The memo does not appear to ban adjustment of status applications nor does it create new eligibility requirements. However, pending as well as new cases will likely now face additional scrutiny and approval will be subject to...

Pause in Immigrant Visa Processing

January 16, 2026

On January 14, 2026 the U.S. Department of State posted an announcement relating to a pause in the processing of immigrant visas that will take effect on January 21, 2026.

Who is impacted?

This pause only applies to individuals who are seeking to obtain an immigrant visa allowing them to enter the U.S. and become a...

Brief Summary of actions around Executive Orders, Policies, and Legislation as of January 20, 2025 that could potentially impact non-immigrants who are on F-1, J-1, H-1B or other non-immigrant visas

January 28, 2025

This page shares information and resources related to recent executive orders, policies, and legislation, as well as their potential impact to our international students, scholars and employees. While we try to ensure our information is timely and accurate, new updates can come unexpectedly. We recommend referring to verified government sources for official information, or to NAFSA's webpage on Executive and Regulatory Actions for detailed information and analysis of current executive and...

Brief Summary of actions around Executive Orders, Policies, and Legislation as of March 17, 2025 that could potentially impact non-immigrants who are on F-1, J-1, H-1B or other non-immigrant visas

March 17, 2025

This page shares information and resources related to recent executive orders, policies, and legislation, as well as their potential impact to our international students, scholars and employees. While we try to ensure our information is timely and accurate, new updates can come unexpectedly. We recommend referring to verified government sources for official information, or to NAFSA's webpage on Executive and Regulatory Actions for detailed information and analysis of current executive and...

6/4/2025 Presidential Proclamation: Visa Issuance Ban Impacting 19 Countries

June 5, 2025

On June 4, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation titled "Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." This executive order introduces new travel restrictions and visa limitations, effective at 12:01 EST on...

Presidential Proclamation - Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

September 19, 2025

Updated 10/20/2025: USCIS has updated its web page on H-1B Specialty Occupations to include updated information on the Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers. Some notable confirmations include:

The proclamation "does not prevent any holder of a current H-1B visa, or any alien beneficiary following petition approval, from traveling in and out of the United States." In other words, international employees with a current...

Proposed Rule to Eliminate Duration of Status

September 2, 2025

Updated 10/1/2025

On August 28, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposal to change how F-1/F-2 and J-1/J-2 international students and scholars and their families are admitted to the U.S. and the process for extending their stay. This change would eliminate the long-standing "duration of status" (D/S) policy for F, J, and I nonimmigrants, which includes international...

Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries

December 3, 2025

On December 2, 2025 USCIS issued a new Policy Memorandum: Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries.

Effective immediately, the memorandum directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to:

Place a hold on all Forms I-589 (Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal), regardless of the alien’s country of...