Government News

Updated Guidance for Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

On August 12, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued a broadcast message to Designated School Officials (DSOs) reminding them of their liability regarding Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations. SEVP then issued an additional broadcast message on August 24, 2026, with additional guidance regarding CPT authorizations.

State Department Temporarily Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews Worldwide

Immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad are being cancelled due to a temporary pause imposed by the State Department. The pause applies only to immigrant visa interviews. Non-immigrant visa applicants (F, J, H-1B for example) are not affected.
Green card applicants who are already in the U.S. in a non-immigrant status typically do not apply for an immigrant visa sticker as part of the application process. Instead, they complete the process by applying for an Adjustment of Status with USCIS.

DHS Proposes $103,265 Fee for Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions; Higher Education Institutions Exempt

On August 24, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions, scheduled for publication on August 25. The proposed rule would impose a $103,265 fee on all initial cap-subject H-1B petitions, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption. This fee would be due at filing and would be charged in addition to all other applicable fees.

Change in USCIS Adjudication Policy

On August 5th, 2026, USCIS announced a new policy intended to reduce frivolous immigration benefits requests. Under this new policy, USCIS adjudicators can now deny a petition or application without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) if all required evidence is not included or if a benefit requestor fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit.

Duration of Status (D/S) final rule: Overview and FAQs

An overview, an FAQ for F-1 Students, and an FAQ for J-1 students and scholars regarding the new DHS rule eliminating Duration of Status are now available on the International Center website.

U.S. Department of State Realigns Visa Operations In Africa

Effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will transfer routine visa services from Antananarivo, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek to regional visa hubs.

Duration of Status (D/S) final rule published on Friday, July 17, 2026

On Friday, July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final rule in the Federal Register to end “duration of status” (D/S) for F and J nonimmigrants.

Movement on the Duration of Status (D/S) Final Rule

The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has completed its review of the proposed rule on Duration of Status. The rule is now designated as “consistent with change”, meaning that some changes were made during the review. We do not know yet what those changes entail nor how they will impact international students and scholars.

$100,000 H-1B Fee Invalidated

June 8, 2026: A federal judge blocked the $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications imposed by the Trump administration, determining that the administration exceeded its authority, and that the fee usurped Congress’s power to set immigration policy and taxes.

District Court Sets Aside USCIS Adjudication Pause

On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that USCIS’s Benefits Hold Policy, the Global Asylum Hold Policy, the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, and the Country-Specific Factors Policy are unlawful, discriminatory, and beyond USCIS’s authority.

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