Adviser's Manual 360

On March 5, 2026 Politico and other news outlets reported that President Trump said on "X" that he would move current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to a special envoy role relating to Western Hemisphere cooperation, and that he would name Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to be the next Homeland Security secretary effective March 31, 2026. Mullin would, though, have to accept the nomination and be confirmed by the Senate before assuming the new role.

Last week Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) released recent correspondence he had with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on the need for practical training reform. In her response to Sen. Schmitt's letter that asked DHS to "conduct a thorough review of the OPT program to begin the process of either reforming or ending OPT," Sec. Noem refers to the Spring 2025 regulatory agenda item regarding practical training posted on September 4, 2025, saying that it will go through the standard APA notice and comment process. NAFSA updates its Practical Training Reform page as updates are received.

Starting April 1, 2026, USCIS will accept only the 02/27/26 edition of Form I-129, the form used for petition-based categories such as H-1B and O-1. Revisions to the form require all H-1B and H-1B1 petitioners to provide information on the educational and experience requirements for the position and information regarding any supervisory duties, and for cap-subject petitioners to indicate the OES Wage Level for the position (level I, II, III, or IV), instructing the petitioner to "follow the form instructions to select the appropriate wage level box."

The Department of State announced that "Routine visa processing is not currently available" in Lebanon (Beirut) and Israel (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv).

A February 19, 2026 SEVP resource, Beware of DHS Imposters: Protecting Foreign Students from Scams, advises about scammers impersonating DHS officials and pressuring international students for money or personal information. DSOs are encouraged to remind students that government agencies do not demand payment by phone, to share scam-prevention guidance, and to direct affected students to report suspicious contacts and seek school assistance.

On February 20, 2026 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its review of a Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) proposed rule titled "Improving Wage Protections for H-1B and PERM Employment in the United States." The details of the proposal are not available but it is expected that DOL plans to revise the methodology used to determine prevailing wages in the H-1 B, H-1B1, E-3 and PERM programs to address what the administration asserts to be the current system's undercutting of the wages of U.S. workers.

On February 19, 2026 the American Council on Education (ACE) has produced its 2026 Issue Brief entitled Immigration-Related Campus Concerns, Including Discretionary Status, DACA Recipients, Other Undocumented Students, Visa Applicants, Travel Bans, and Federal Enforcement Actions. The 20-page ACE Issue Brief contains concise high-level entries on what's going on regarding DACA, issues relevant to international students, faculty, and staff, and potential enforcement actions on campus.

NAFSA prepared a table showing recent country-specific Department of State or Department of Homeland Security policies that continue to impact visa or immigration benefits for nationals of the listed countries.

The International Student Resource Center (ISRC) is partnering with Interstride to offer an outreach webinar for international students interested in learning more about the revised H-1B work visa processes being implemented this spring: "F-1 Student to H-1B Worker: Process and Planning in Turbulent Times," on February 12, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET.. A panel will include experienced immigration attorneys and international education professionals who will walk through the pathway from F-1 to H-1B status and discuss how recent immigration policy and regulatory changes are reshaping that process. Students and other interested individuals can register now.

On January 30, 2026, USCIS announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and run through noon Eastern on March 19, 2026. Institutions of higher education continue to be exempt from the cap as employer-petitioners.