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On June 30, the Supreme Court struck down Executive Order 14160, reaffirming that children born in the United States generally acquire U.S. citizenship at birth regardless of their parents’ immigration status. This means children born in the U.S. to international students and scholars will continue to be U.S. citizens at… Read More

On July 24, a federal appeals court allowed a lower court decision blocking the $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions requiring consular processing abroad to remain in effect while the government’s appeal proceeds. The fee is not currently enforceable, although the litigation is ongoing and the policy could change. Read More

Effective August 1, the U.S. Department of State shifted routine visa processing from 26 U.S. embassies and consulates across Africa to designated regional visa hubs. Applicants from affected countries must now travel to another country for routine visa appointments, which may increase costs and processing times. Departments should be aware… Read More

On June 5th, a federal judge vacated several USCIS policies affecting foreign nationals from countries and areas subject to the current travel ban. This includes the USCIS pause on adjudicating benefits requests such as OPT, STEM OPT, change of status, etc. from citizens of countries impacted by a travel ban. … Read More

A federal district court in Massachusetts has invalidated the USCIS policy implementing the $100,000 H-1B fee established by a September 2025 presidential proclamation. The court found that the fee exceeded executive authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, resulting in a nationwide vacatur of the policy. As a result, USCIS… Read More

USCIS has issued a new policy memorandum on Adjustment of Status. The memo asserts that USCIS adjudication of adjustment of status applications is discretionary, and that the agency is not required to review all applications, reserving the… Read More

Effective March 1, 2026, all requests for USCIS’s Premium Processing Service must include the new fee. See here. The premium processing fee for Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker petitions requesting classifications such as E-3, H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN increased to $2,965. The premium processing fee for Form I-140 immigrant petitions… Read More

Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing issuance of immigrant visas for applicants who are nationals of certain countries. This pause applies only to immigrant visas for permanent residency processed through U.S. consulates and does not affect nonimmigrant visas, including B, F, J, or H categories. The… Read More

Diversity visa issuance and related adjustment approvals are temporarily paused while additional security reviews are conducted. The visa lottery provides a limited number of immigrant visas each year to those from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. No approvals will be issued during this pause. Find more information … Read More

The Department of State expanded the visa bond program for certain nationalities, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nigeria, for B-1/B-2 visas only. While F/J students and scholars are not impacted, the policy may affect family visits and short-term academic… Read More