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.
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.
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.
On 5/22/2026 USCIS announced a new Policy Memorandum related to the final step of the green card application process.
On May 18, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced targeted travel restrictions “to protect the health of the United States from the serious risk posed by the introduction of Ebola disease into the United States by covered aliens based on the emergent outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain confirmed present in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.” The travel restrictions apply for a period of 30
The International Center has received reports from students that USCIS has begun implementing a new photo policy.
On January 14, 2026, the State Department announced that, effective January 21, 2026, the issuance of immigrant visas will be indefinitely paused for applicants from 75 countries while the agency reassesses procedures for determining whether applicants are likely to become financially dependent on the U.S. government.
On January 9, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security announced an increase to USCIS Premium Processing fees, effective March 1, 2026. This adjustment follows the biennial Premium Processing fee review under the USCIS Stabilization Act and reflects inflationary changes.
The updated Premium Processing fees are as follows: