News
New USDHS Rule Eliminates F and J Duration of Status (D/S)
The US Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) published new regulations today that will impact all F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor categories. Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media is expected to... More
Federal Court Ruling Vacates $100,000 H-1 Fee
President Trump established a new $100,000 fee for employers seeking H-1 approval from USCIS to employee foreign nationals outside of the U.S. in fall of 2025. See ISSO news for more details. On Monday, June 8, 2026 the Federal District Court for Massachusetts in a lawsuit brought by the State... More
Federal Court Ruling Mandates USCIS to Resume Processing Applications From Travel Ban Nationals
DHS announced in January 2026 that they were pausing all nonimmigrant processing at USCIS Service Centers (petitions for extensions, changes of status, employment authorizations etc.) for nationals from the 39+ travel ban countries until DHS could establish new vetting procedures. See ISSO news for more details. On June 5, 2026, More
US DOS Transitions to Visa-Processing Hubs in Africa
The U.S. State Department (DOS) is consolidating visa processing in Africa beginning in June 2026. They are shifting visa processing from 50 consular posts to 20 designated regional hubs as part of a broader immigration policy to increase scrutiny according to an internal memorandum obtained by the Associated Press. Routine visa... More
New DHS Policy Could Limit Adjustment to Permanent Resident Status
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy memorandum that seeks to clarify how officers should exercise discretion when reviewing I-485 adjustment of status (AOS) applications from non-immigrants physically present inside the US seeking to change to permanent residence status (green card). The adjustment of status (AOS) is... More
Visa Integrity Fee
Some international students and scholars applying for visas are reporting some consular posts have begun charging the new $250 Visa Integrity Fee in addition to other required fees ($185 non-refundable Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee and/or the $350 SEVIS fee for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors). The Visa Integrity... More
New Proposed Rule Seeks To Increase H-1 Wages
US Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) published a proposed rule today entitled Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States. DOL seeks to revise the methodology used to determine prevailing wages in the H-1 B, H-1B1, E-3... More
B-1 Visa Bond Pilot Program Expanded Again
The US Department of State (DOS) will add 12 more countries (Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia ) to the B-1/B-2 Visa Bond Pilot Program, bringing the total countries in the pilot to 50 effective April 2, 2026. Nationals of subject... More
ISSO Scholar Communiqué – March 2026
Special Edition on Summer Hiring and Immigration Processing Reminders More
Visa Processing Disruptions Due to US Military Operations Involving Iran
Recent geopolitical developments have prompted the U.S. Department of State to issue a Worldwide Security Caution following U.S. military operations involving Iran. As security conditions evolve across parts of the Middle East, several U.S. embassies and consulates have temporarily closed or limited operations. These developments may affect visa interview scheduling, More