2025

• DHS Final H-1B Weighted Selection Final Rule Effective February 27, 2026. On December 29, 2025 the Department of Homeland Security-US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) published its final rule titled Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions. The final rule will be effective on February 27, 2026, 60 days after its Federal Register publication date. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Comments on DHS Proposal to Expand Biometrics Collection to Individuals "Associated With" Benefits Requests. On December 22, 2025 NAFSA submitted a comment letter urging USCIS to exclude from its expanded biometrics collection proposal "F-1 or M-1 school designated school officials, J-1 responsible officers and alternate responsible officers, staff who complete Form I-9, or staff involved in the preparation, filing, or signing of employment-based petitions such as Forms I-129 and I-140." See NAFSA's page.
• DOS Adds 7 More Countries to Visa Bond Pilot Program. On December 17, 2025 the Department of State (DOS) added Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list of countries subject to the Visa Bond Pilot Program, effective January 1, 2026. See NAFSA's page.
• Proclamation of December 16, 2025 Expands U.S. Travel Ban Effective January 1, 2026. A presidential proclamation issued on December 16, 2025 modifies and expands the U.S. travel ban, updating the lists of countries subject to full and partial entry restrictions, effective January 1, 2026. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Says It Will No Longer Accept Self-Submitted Photos, and Limits Reuse of Photos. On December 12, 2025 USCIS announced that it has updated is policy on photographs used in connection with immigration benefit requests, by no longer accepting self-submitted photos and limiting the circumstances in which even USCIS-taken photos may be reused in benefit requests. See NAFSA's page.
• 20 States Challenge $100K H-1B Proclamation. On December 12, 2025 a group of 20 states filed suit in Massachusetts challenging implementation of Trump's $100K H-1B fee proclamation. See NAFSA's page.
• CBP Proposal Would Require Social Media Disclosure for ESTA VWP Applications. On December 10, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed changing the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) approval process to require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years. See 90 FR 57208 (December 10, 2025), Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Public comments were due by February 9, 2026. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Announces Creation of Centralized Vetting Center. On December 5, 2025 USCIS "announced the establishment of a specialized unit to strengthen the ability of America’s immigration system to screen out terrorists, criminal aliens, and other foreign nationals who pose potential threats to public safety or who have committed fraud or other crimes. Once fully operationalized, the USCIS Vetting Center, headquartered in Atlanta, will centralize the enhanced vetting of aliens and allow the agency to respond more nimbly to changes in a shifting threat landscape." Read the USCIS announcement.
• Recent Changes Impacting Adjustment EADs. Two recent changes impact the interim work authorization employment authorization documents (EADs) that adjustment of status (adjustment) applicants are eligible for. First, effective October 30, 2025 a USCIS interim final rule ended the USCIS practice of automatically extending the validity of EADs for adjustment applicants who apply to renew their adjustment-based EAD. Second, starting December 5, 2025 adjustment of status EADs will be issued for a maximum period of 18 months, rather than for a maximum of five years. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Pauses Processing of Immigration Benefits for Nationals of Travel Ban Countries. A December 2, 2025 USCIS Policy Memorandum communicated that USCIS has placed "a hold... pending a comprehensive review... on pending benefit requests" submitted by applicants whose citizenship or country of birth are one of the 19 countries identified in Presidential Proclamation 10949 of June 4, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Birthright Citizenship Case. On December 5, 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in the Barabara v. Trump case, a class action lawsuit that challenges President Trump's Executive Order 14160 of January 20, 2025, which seeks to redefine U.S. birthright citizenship by excluding children born in the United States to mothers who are either unlawfully present or legally present but on temporary status (such as tourist or student visas), unless the father is either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. See NAFSA's page.
• Noem Says US will Widen Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries. On December 4, 2025 Reuters reported that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that the Trump administration was planning to expand the number of countries covered by the travel ban to "over 30" countries. The names of the potential additional countries are not reported. Currently 19 countries are covered, 12 subject to a total ban and 7 subject to a partial ban under Presidential Proclamation 10949 of June 4, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• DOS Expands Vetting to H-1B and H-4 Applicants. On December 3, 2025, DOS announced that it will expand enhanced social media vetting to H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrants effective December 15, 2025, instructing applicants to "adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public.'" See NAFSA's page.
• DOS Reminds J Program Sponsors of Exchange Visitor Monitoring and Documenting Requirements. NAFSA transcribed a November 20, 2025 Department of State (DOS) email sent to remind J Exchange Visitor Program sponsors of regulatory monitoring and documenting requirements. See NAFSA's page.
• U.S. State Department Will Manage Title VI and Fulbright-Hays Programs. The State Department announced on November 18, 2025 that its Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will take over from the Department of Education the management of international education programs, specifically the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. This is part of a broader plan to dismantle the Department of Education and transfer its responsibilities to other federal agencies.
• SEVP Reminds Schools of Authority To Conduct Site Visits. On November 14, 2025 SEVP sent a broadcast message to schools to remind them of SEVP’s authority to conduct out-of-cycle on-site visits with or without notice, and the consequences of failing to comply with an out-of-cycle review. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Proposed Rule Seeks to Expand Biometrics to Individuals "Associated With" Benefits Requests. On November 3, 2025 USCIS published a proposed rule that seeks to broadly require submission of biometrics by "any individual" filing or "associated with" an immigration benefit request. Public comments are due by January 2, 2026. See NAFSA's page.
• DHS Interim Final Rule Eliminates Certain Automatic EAD Extensions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule effective October 30, 2025, ending the 540-day automatic extension of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for renewal applicants in affected categories such as refugees, asylees, TPS beneficiaries, E- and L-dependent spouses, H-4 spouses, VAWA self-petitioners, and adjustment-of-status applicants. Preliminary analysis is that the rule should not impact extensions of work authorization "otherwise provided by law," such as the 240-day extension for H-1B, O-1, and TN workers and the separate F-1 cap-gap and 180-day STEM OPT extension provisions. Although the rule went into effect on October 30, DHS will accept public comments through December 1, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Comment Activity on F-1 and H-1B Proposed Rules. NAFSA submitted comments on the information-collection components of the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule to eliminate duration of status, addressing changes to SEVIS (Forms I-17 and I-20) and USCIS Forms I-539 and I-765. NAFSA also updated its page on USCIS’s proposed weighted selection of H-1B cap-subject registrants to include links to sign-on comment letters the association has joined.
• USCIS Guidance on When the $100K H-1B Proclamation Will and Will not Apply. On October 20, 2025, USCIS clarified when certain H-1B petitions will and will not be subject to the $100,000 fee under Presidential Proclamation 10973 of September 19, 2025 titled "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers." Notably, USCIS says that the proclamation will not apply to H-1B petitions that are "requesting an amendment, change of status, or extension of stay for an alien inside the United States where the alien is granted such amendment, change, or extension," and additionally clarifies that "an alien beneficiary of such petition will not be considered to be subject to the payment if he or she subsequently departs the United States and applies for a visa based on the approved petition and/or seeks to reenter the United States on a current H-1B visa." See NAFSA's page.
• DHS Implements HR-1 Immigration Parole Fee. A Federal Register notice announces the implementation of "the new immigration parole fee of $1,000 for any alien who is paroled into the United States who does not meet an exception," as required by HR-1. The action is effective on October 16, 2025. Advance parole obtained by applicants for adjustment of status is one of the ten exceptions to the parole fee requirement. See NAFSA's page.
• SEVP Reminds DSOs of Program Compliance and Reporting Requirements and Students to Avoid Activities that Jeopardize Their Immigration Status. On October 8, 2025 the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent SEVIS users Broadcast Message 2510-02, reminding DSOs  of their regulatory responsibilities and emphasizing the consequences on students who do not comply with regulations and the Immigration and Nationality Act. While the notice does not impose new rules, its tone aligns with broader administration messaging linking immigration compliance to national security and public safety and it outlines the statutory provisions the administration has been using to exclude and remove individuals from the United States. Institutions should ensure that DSOs remain current on regulatory requirements, maintain accurate SEVIS reporting practices, and educate students about their obligations to maintain status. See NAFSA's page for a transcription of the broadcast message.
• Impact of FY 2026 Appropriations Lapses on Immigration Agencies. The consequences of Federal budget shutdowns vary depending on whether specific operations are fee-funded or rely on appropriations. While some essential services, such as USCIS adjudications, State Department consular operations, and ICE functions typically continue, other services, like the Department of Labor’s labor certifications or USCIS programs dependent on appropriations, may halt until funding is restored. The FY 2026 cycle brings added uncertainty, as agencies have been directed to prepare potential Reduction in Force (RIF) plans alongside their contingency strategies. See NAFSA's page for background and links to resources.
• More Countries Added to List of Countries Covered by B-1/B-2 Visa Bond Pilot Program. On October 8, 2025 DOS added more nations to the list of countries covered by the B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program, which now includes Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Zambia. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Comments on DHS Proposal to Eliminate D/S. NAFSA submitted comments to DHS opposing the DHS proposal to eliminate “duration of status” (D/S) admissions for F and J nonimmigrants and to impose constraints on academic mobility. In its September 29, 2025 letter, NAFSA urged DHS to withdraw the rule, arguing it would replace a longstanding effective system with duplicative extension-of-stay requirements, increase burdens on students, scholars, schools, and exchange programs, and strain already backlogged USCIS processing, without achieving DHS's stated goals. Read NAFSA's comment letter, and see NAFSA's page analyzing the proposed rule.
• Sen. Grassley Sends Letter Opposing OPT to DHS Secretary Noem. Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-Iowa) has been historically vocal on his opposition to F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT). Most recently, on September 23, 2025 Senator Grassley sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, asking DHS for a "commitment to ending work authorizations for student visa holders," or, if not, "a detailed explanation of what legal authority DHS is relying on to issue these authorizations, and whether the Department has reevaluated that authority in light of the Supreme Court’s recent rulings on the major questions doctrine and administrative deference." Read NAFSA's page with links to Grassley's 2025, 2020, 2014, and 2012 letters on the topic.
• USCIS Proposed Rule on Weighted H-1B Cap Selection Process. On September 24, 2025 the Department of Homeland Security-US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) will publish a proposed rule titled Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions. The package proposes replacing the current random selection process for H-1B cap-subject registrations with "a weighted selection process that would generally favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher skilled and higher paid aliens, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H-1B workers at all wage levels." A public inspection version of the proposed rule was made available on September 23, 2025. There will be a 30-day comment period begining on September 24, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• Presidential Proclamation Restricts Entry of H-1B Workers Unless Employer Pays $100K Fee. A Presidential Proclamation signed on September 19, 2025 sets out to restrict the entry of H-1B specialty occupation workers unless employers pay a $100,000 fee per petition, with limited national-interest exemptions, starting at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025. Claiming widespread abuse of the H-1B program by IT outsourcing firms and other employers, the order argues that the program has displaced American workers, suppressed wages, harmed new U.S. graduates, and posed national security risks. It directs federal agencies to enforce the new payment requirement, prevent misuse of other visa categories, and begin rulemaking to raise prevailing wages and prioritize the admission of high-skilled, high-paid foreign workers. See NAFSA's page.
• Trump Gold Card Executive Order. On September 19, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled The Trump Gold Card which seeks to establish a "Gold Card" program allowing foreign nationals who make unrestricted gifts of $1 million (individuals) or $2 million (corporations) to the Commerce Department to qualify for expedited immigrant visas. The executive order implies that Gold Card recipients would take immigrant visa numbers either from the already-limited employment-based first preference (EB-1) or second preference (EB-2) pools. See NAFSA's page.
• DOL Launches New H-1B Compliance and Enforcement Initiative. On September 19, 2025, the Department of Labor announced Project Firewall, a new H-1B enforcement initiative. For the first time, the Secretary of Labor will directly certify certain investigations, signaling heightened oversight of employer compliance. The effort will use existing enforcement tools—including back-wage recovery, civil penalties, and possible debarment—and involve coordination with DOJ, EEOC, and USCIS. Universities and research institutions sponsoring H-1B faculty or staff should take note and review compliance practices. See NAFSA's page.
• Guidance on Institutional Comment Letters on Proposal to Eliminate Duration of Status. NAFSA, in coordination with several higher education associations, has prepared high-level guidance for higher education institutions on how to submit a comment letter regarding the proposal to end Duration of Status and what to include in that letter before the public comment deadline ends on September 29, 2025. Read the comment letter guidance.
• Executive Order Creates New State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention Designation. Executive Order 14348 of September 5, 2025, Strengthening Efforts To Protect U.S. Nationals From Wrongful Detention Abroad, empowers the Secretary of State to designate foreign countries as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention if they are determined to be involved in or supporting wrongful detentions of U.S. citizens and nationals. Penalties on a designated country could include economic sanctions, visa and travel restrictions, export controls, and suspension of foreign assistance. See NAFSA's page.
• Spring 2025 Regulatory Agenda Published. The Spring 2025 Regulatory Agenda published on September 4, 2025 includes significant initiatives affecting international students, exchange visitors, and employment-based immigration. For F-1 students, DHS says that it is again working on practical training rulemaking with a goal of soon publishing a proposed rule, and has already proposed eliminating duration of status. For J-1 exchange visitors, DHS has likewise proposed eliminating duration of status and plans to update regulations on extension, reinstatement, and correction of records to reflect SEVIS functionality. Employment-based initiatives on the agenda include reforming the H-1B classification, introducing a weighted selection system to favor higher wages in the H-1B cap lottery, and pursuing broader reforms in the employment-based first, second, and third preference categories. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Authorized to Field Its Own Special Agents. In a September 4, 2025 news release USCIS said it is now authorized to hire special agents as sworn law-enforcement officers inside USCIS who can investigate immigration-related crimes, make arrests, carry firearms, and execute search or arrest warrants. USCIS frames this as implementing a DHS delegation so the agency can take investigations "from start to finish," rather than always handing them to ICE/HSI, and to support fraud/national-security/public-safety missions tied to benefits adjudications. The rule that underpins this becomes effective on October 6, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• District Court Rules in Favor of Harvard on Research Funding Freeze. On September 3, 2025, the U.S. District Court in Boston ruled that the administration’s actions against Harvard University, including freezing and canceling more than $2 billion in research grants, violated the First Amendment, Title VI, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The case is President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services, 1:25-cv-11048, (D. Mass.). Read the memorandum and order. NAFSA had signed on to an amicus brief led by ACE filed in the case. A related case is American Association of University Professors - Harvard Faculty Chapter v. United States Department Of Justice, 1:25-cv-10910, (D. Mass.).
• DHS Proposes Significant Expansion of Data Collected on Forms I-17 and I-20. DHS is proposing revisions to Forms I-17 and I-20 that would require schools to report more detailed information on ownership, programs of study, costs, and designated school officials, and to collect new data on students’ guardians, graduation dates, funding sources, instructional modes, and employment or training activities. DHS will accept comments on the planned changes until November 3, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• The DHS/ICE proposed rule to end "duration of status" for F, J, and I nonimmigrants was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025. Comments are due by September 29, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS to Consider "Anti-Americanism," "Anti-Semitism," Other Factors in Immigration Benefit Requests. On August 19, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has expanded the types of benefit requests that receive social media vetting, adding reviews for "anti-American" and "antisemitic" activity to that vetting, stating that such activity will be "an overwhelmingly negative factor in any applicable case involving USCIS discretionary analysis." See NAFSA's page.
• OMB Completes Review of DHS Proposed Rule to Eliminate Duration of Status. On August 7, 2025 the Office of Management and Budget concluded its review of the DHS/ICE (Department of Homeland Security-US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) proposed rule to end "duration of status" (D/S) for F, J, and I nonimmigrants. DHS will now follow procedures to publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register, with a period for public comment. We don’t know how similar this will be to the September 25, 2020 Trump 1.0 proposed rule of the same title that was withdrawn by the Biden administration, but it is likely to share many similarities. Under the 2020 proposal, instead of being admitted for "duration of status" (D/S) as they currently are (since 1991 for F students and 1993 for J exchange visitors), individuals applying for admission in either F or J status (F-1 students, F-2 dependents, J-1 exchange visitors, and J-2 dependents) would be admitted only until the program end date noted on their Form I-20 or DS-2019 or for 4 years, whichever is shorter, plus a period of 30 days following their program end date, reducing the current regulation's 60-day grace period for F nonimmigrants to only 30 days. The proposed revisions to the J regulations at 8 CFR 214.2(j) closely aligned with the proposed changes for F nonimmigrants. Individuals who needed time beyond their period of admission would have to timely file a complete Form I-539 extension of stay application with USCIS before their prior admission expired. See NAFSA's page.
• Visa Bond Pilot Program. On August 5, 2025 the Department of State (DOS) published in the Federal Register a temporary final rule that establishes a one-year pilot program to test a $5K, $10K, or $15K visa bond system for select B‑1/B‑2 visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates or other conditions. Malawi and Zambia are the first two countries to be designated under the pilot, effective August 20, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• CBP Guidance to Airlines on Male and Female Sex Markers. In a July 8, 2025 Carrier Liaison Program Bulletin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) instructed airlines (international carriers) that they must submit "M" or "F" in the sex field of the pre-departure information they transmit to to CBP through the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), even if the traveler's passport contains a sex indicator other than M or F or does not otherwise indicate the sex of the traveler. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA/JB International Release Fall 2025 Economic Loss Projections. July 25, 2025. View NAFSA/JB International's economic loss projections for the fall semester based on SEVIS and State Department data. See: NAFSA Press Release: Visa Bans and Visa Appointment Wait Times Driving Away Students and their Local Spending and NAFSA and JB International Report: Fall 2025 International Student Enrollment Outlook and Economic Impact.
• DOS to Restrict Visa Interview Waivers to B Visas Only Starting September 2, 2025. The Department of State announced that starting September 2, 2025 it will narrow its interview waiver policy for visa renewals. Currently, applicants might renew any visa category (e.g., F-1, J-1, H-1B, O-1, etc.) without an interview if their previous visa in the same category expired less than 12 months ago. Under the new policy, only B visa holders and Mexican Border Crossing Card holders will remain eligible for this 12-month interview waiver. See NAFSA's page.
• SEVP Requires Schools to Update "Other" Gender Marker to Either "Male" or "Female." SEVP Broadcast Message 2507-03: SEVIS Notice - Update Sex Designation in SEVIS Records (July 24, 2025) instructed F and M schools with SEVIS records indicating "Other" in the Sex field that they must, pursuant to Executive Order 14168, "update the affected records to either Male or Female by Sept. 30, 2025." Read the SEVP notice.
• DOS Announces Investigation of Harvard University Participation in the Exchange Visitor Program. In a July 23, 2025 press statement, the Department of State announced that it "is opening an investigation into Harvard University’s continued eligibility as a sponsor for the Exchange Visitor Program." Read the DOS press statement.
• Dignity Act of 2025 Includes Key International Education Provisions. On July 15, 2025 a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives introduced an updated version of a comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform bill, the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393). Under the heading Unleashing American Prosperity and Competitiveness, the bill includes key provisions to attract and retain international students who meet the need for talented people to contribute to the American economy and advance innovation and competitiveness. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Proposal on Weighted Selection of H-1B Cap-Subject Registrants and Petitioners. On July 17, 2025 USCIS submitted for OMB review a proposed rule titled "Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions." The forthcoming proposed rule will likely be similar to a final rule published at the very end of the first Trump administration that would have replaced the current random selection process for H-1B cap-subject registrations with a system that gave preference to higher wage earners. See NAFSA's page for background.
• NAFSA Lists Countries Impacted by Recent Visa Reciprocity Reductions. July 15, 2025. In early July 2025 the Department of State revised the visa reciprocity schedules of numerous countries to reduce the validity of visas it issues going forward to 3 months and only a single entry. NAFSA checked the DOS visa reciprocity tables in the B, F, H, J, M, and O visa categories and lists these countries on a new NAFSA page.
• Budget Law Imposes New Immigration Fees. July 4, 2025. H.R.1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed into law on July 4, 2025, imposes several new immigration fees, including a "visa integrity fee," a new Form I-94 application fee, an EVUS fee, a new TPS fee, and other fees. On July 22, 2025 USCIS will publish a Federal Register notice to implement collection of certain (but not all) of the HR-1 budget law's new immigration fees, effective as of the July 22 publication in the Federal Register. The notice clarifies, though, that the new Visa Integrity and Form I-94 fees will not be collected under the July 22, 2025 notice but rather in separate future Federal Register notices. See NAFSA's page.
• DOS Adds Litigation on "Unlawful" DEI and Affirmative Action to J-1 Incident Reporting Rubric. On July 1, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) added two additional incident reporting requirements to its Incident Reporting Rubric for academic exchange visitor program (J-1) sponsors: 1) Lawsuits or Formal Complaints by an Exchange Visitor Against the Sponsor Alleging Unlawful Affirmative Action and 2) Lawsuits or Formal Complaints by an Exchange Visitor Against the Sponsor Alleging Unlawful DEI Policies. This follows a May 15 revision to the rubric that had added 1) Proscribed Antisemitic Actions, 2) Serious Violations of University Conduct Rules, and 3) Terrorist Activity, Endorsing or Espousing Terrorism as incident reporting requirements. See NAFSA's page.
• DHS Sends Proposed Rule to OMB on Elimination of Duration of Status. June 27, 2025. On the afternoon of June 27, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security-US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE) submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review a proposed rule to end "duration of status" (D/S). The "good" news is that it was submitted as a proposed rule, rather than interim final or final rule. We don’t know how similar this will be to the 2020 Trump 1.0 proposed rule of the same title that had been withdrawn under the Biden administration, but it is likely to share many similarities. See NAFSA's page that tracks the status of the new proposal and for background and some resources from the 2020 proposed rule.
• DOS Issues F, M, J Visa Applicant Social Media Vetting Cable, Authorizes Resumption of Visa Appointment Scheduling. June 18, 2025. The Department of State (DOS) announced that it finally issued the expected "new guidance" on social media vetting, and that consulates will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa appointments. Media outlets began reporting that they had obtained a copy of the cable sent to consular offices containing the anticipated directives on how consular officers should screen the social media and online presence of applicants applying for F, M, and J visas, and factors the consulates should consider as they resume scheduling student visa interviews. See NAFSA's page.
• Tell NAFSA About the Impact the Visa Appointment Suspension is Having on Your Institution. Complete a survey accessible through NAFSA IssueNet to help NAFSA gather information on how the suspension in new student/exchange visitor visa appointment availability is affecting international enrollment, planning, and operations. You will be asked to provide estimated numbers of visa documents issued, enrollment, etc. Submissions are anonymous. NAFSA will not share specific details gathered but will use the information collected to describe broadly what is occurring and identify patterns and trends. Please designate one individual from your institution to report cases to avoid duplicate reporting.
• Possible Expansion of Travel Ban. On June 14, 2025 news outlets began reporting that an internal Department of State memo indicates that 36 more countries will be given 60 days to meet the Trump administration's benchmarks and requirements or face either a partial or full entry ban. See NAFSA's page.
• TRO Blocks Implementation of Presidential Proclamation Proclamation on New F, M, J Students at Harvard University. June 6, 2025. On June 4, 2025 President Trump issued a proclamation "to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University." A White House Fact Sheet says that this "suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas." Implementation of the proclamation is currently blocked by a temporary restraining order issued on June 5, 2025.  See NAFSA's page.
• Presidential Proclamation Orders Travel Bans on 19 Countries. June 4, 2025. Presidential Proclamation of June 4, 2025: Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats establishes a "full" travel ban on 12 countries and a "partial" travel ban on 7 countries, effective 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Signs on to ACE Letter to DOS on Visa Appointment Pause. May 30, 2025. NAFSA signed on to a letter from a coalition of higher education associations (led by the American Council on Education, ACE) to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing deep concern about a recent cable that U.S. embassies and consular sections have been directed to pause new student visa interviews to prepare for additional social media screening and vetting. The letter points out that this pause could prevent international students already admitted for the summer and fall 2025 terms from arriving in time to begin their studies, and also raised alarm over reports that the administration planned to revoke student visas for some Chinese students currently studying in the U.S., cautioning that such actions could discourage talented students world-wide from deciding on the United States as their study destination of choice. Highlighting the $44 billion economic contribution of international students in the 2023–2024 academic year and noting the associations' history of cooperation with federal agencies on national security matters, including past efforts to address foreign influence and threats to research integrity, the letter urged the State Department to keep any pause as brief as possible, to communicate any new policies clearly to institutions and students, and to use all available tools to reduce wait times and backlogs, to avoid disruption in the 2025–2026 academic cycle.
• DOS Cable Calls for "Enhanced Vetting" of Harvard-Bound Travelers. May 30, 2025. A copy of a reported May 30, 2025 DOS cable that has been circulated by media and other groups instructs consular officers to "[C]onduct a complete screening of the on line presence of any nonimmigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose. Such applicants include, but are not limited to prospective students, students, faculty, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and other visitors." The cable tells consulates to use administrative processing (which involves an initial refusal of the visa application under INA 221(g)) to conduct the enhanced social media vetting. The cable also tells consulates to consider "whether the lack of any online presence, or having social media accounts restricted to "private" or with limited visibility, may be reflective of evasiveness and call into question the applicant's credibility." The cable then indicates that the heightened scrutiny reportedly applied to applicants traveling to Harvard "will also serve as a pilot for expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants, and as the Department continues to develop and expand any enhanced vetting requirements for student visas generally, it may announce similar measures for other groups of visa applicants as appropriate, and in accordance with U.S. law." See NAFSA's Government Scrutiny of Digital Footprint and Social Media page. Note that this cable has not been blocked by any of the court actions in the President and Fellows of Harvard College v. DHS et al. (see NAFSA's page Harvard Suit Challenges Revocation of SEVP Certification), but by the same token the existence or implementation of the cable have not been verified by DOS.
• Five Key Points Related to the Administration’s Recent Actions Against International Students. May 29, 2025. The Trump administration’s assault on international education continues, sowing chaos and confusion. Here are some key points for international educators to keep in mind amid the uncertainty and rapidly unfolding developments.
• ICE sends Notice of Intent to Withdraw to Harvard. May 29, 2025. DHS posted a copy of a Notice of Intent to Withdraw (NOIW) that it sent to Harvard, dated May 28, 2025 and signed by Todd Lyons, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under DHS regulations the issuance of a NOIW begins formal proceedings that could lead to a withdrawal on notice of Harvard's SEVIS certification. See NAFSA's page Harvard Suit Challenges Revocation of SEVP Certification for information on the litigation.
• SEVIS Release 6.82.2 Revises SEVIS "Disciplinary Action" Page. May 28, 2025. According to the SEVIS Release 6.82.2 Planning Guide (May 21, 2025), SEVIS Release 6.82.2, scheduled for implementation on May 30, 2025, will revise the "Disciplinary Action" page in F-1/M-1 SEVIS RTI in ways that may impact how DSOs report disciplinary action. See NAFSA's page. SEVIS Release 6.83 implemented these same changes to SEVIS batch on July 18, 2025. See the SEVIS Release 6.83 Planning Guide.
• Rubio Plan to "Aggressively Revoke" Visas of Chinese Students with "Connections to the Chinese Communist Party or Studying in Critical Fields." May 28, 2025. In a brief press statement titled New Visa Policies Put America First, Not China Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the "U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong." No other details were included in the statement.
• Pause of International Student Visa Interviews is Misguided and Self-Defeating. May 27, 2025. Statements by NAFSA executive Director and CEO Dr. Fanta Aw regarding the Trump administration's plan to require all F, M, and J nonimmigrants applying for visas to come to the United States to undergo enhanced social media vetting - a significant expansion of previous such efforts.
• DOS Pauses Adding New F, M, J Visa Appointment Capacity Pending Guidance on Expansion of Social Media Screening. May 27, 2025. Politico reported on May 27 that the Department of State (DOS) is ordering U.S. embassies and consulates to temporary pause adding "additional F, M, and J "visa appointment capacity" until it issues further guidance, expected "in the coming days," on an expansion of social media screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants. See NAFSA's page for details and additional context.
• TRO Blocks DHS Revocation of Harvard SEVP Certification. May 23, 2025. A federal district court granted Harvard University's motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that currently prevents the U.S. government from implementing or giving any force or effect to DHS's revocation of the university's SEVP certification. See NAFSA's page for details and links.
• Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Issued in SEVIS Termination Case. May 22, 2025. A California District Court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking DHS from arresting and incarcerating, transferring, imposing any adverse legal effect, and reversing reactivation of SEVIS records of individuals who are maintaining F-1 status, while litigation is proceeding. Read the nationwide preliminary injunction in S.Y. v. Noem, 4:25-cv-03244, (N.D. Cal.), filed April 11, 2025. Case Docket on CourtListener. See NAFSA's page for general information on litigation on the SEVIS termination issue.
• TSA changes regulations to refer to sex instead of gender. May 21, 2025. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) final rule effective May 21, 2025 "replaces the term 'gender' with 'sex' wherever it appears in TSA's regulations." The preamble to the rule includes tables identifying where and in what context the changes are being made, including in TSA REAL-ID regulations and provisions related to information that must be submitted for flight reservations. For more information on this and other gender-related administration actions, see NAFSA's page.
• SEVP Sends Notices to OPT Students Without Employer Information in SEVIS. May 16, 2025. NAFSA members reported that certain F-1 students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) received a letter from SEVP titled “Student and Exchange Visitor Program: Notice of Failure to Report Optional Practical Training Employer and Exceeding Permissible Period of Unemployment," advising the students that they’ve “been participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) for more than 90 days but have not reported any employer information,” and that “If your SEVIS record is not updated within 15 days of the date of this notice, SEVP will set your SEVIS record to “terminated” to reflect the lack of employer information and the potential that you may have violated your status either by failing to timely report OPT employment or by exceeding the permissible period of unemployment while on OPT.” Read more on NAFSA's page.
• DOS Adds New Reporting Requirements to EVP Incident Reporting Rubric. On May 15, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) sent an alert to J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) Sponsors to inform them that DOS has revised its Incident Reporting Rubric for academic program sponsors by adding the following new incident reporting requirements: Proscribed Antisemitic Actions, Serious Violations of University Conduct Rules, and Terrorist Activity, Endorsing or Espousing Terrorism. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Urges Renewal of Government-Higher Education Partnership. May 15, 2025. NAFSA joined a statement led by the American Council on Education and endorsed by 52 other organizations affirming the longstanding partnership between the federal government and higher education and urging the current administration reforge this partnership to advance shared national interests.
• Executive Order 14295 of May 9, 2025: Increasing Efficiency at the Office of the Federal Register. EO on whitehouse.gov | Federal Register cite: 90 FR 20367 (May 14, 2025). Directs the Office of the Federal Register to streamline its publication process in support of the Administration’s deregulatory agenda.
• IMMpact Litigation Files Class Action Suit. On May 2, 2025, IMMpact Litigation filed a class action case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. IMMpact Litigation is "a joint venture of the law firms Bless Litigation in Boston, Joseph & Hall in Denver, Kuck Baxter in Atlanta and Siskind Susser in Memphis." This action takes the form of a "second amended class action complaint" filed in the Jane Doe 1 et al v. Bondi et al, 1:25-cv-01998, (N.D. Ga.). More information, on NAFSA's page.
• IE30 Update: International Student SEVIS Terminations and Restoration. May 2, 2025, 3:00 pm ET. LinkedIn discussion covered SEVIS Terminations and Restoration, Key Considerations, Recent Visa Revocation Developments, and Impact on Summer Travel. With NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Dr. Fanta Aw, AILA Senior Director of Government Relations Shev Dalal-Dheini, and NAFSA Counsel and Director of Immigration Policy Heather Stewart.
• Government Files "Policy Regarding Termination of Records" in Court Cases. On May 2, 2025, the Department of Justice filed an exhibit titled "Broadcast Message: SEVIS Notice-Policy Regarding Termination of Records," in one or more of the court cases challenging SEVIS terminations. Access the exhibit and some NAFSA observations on NAFSA's page.
• Senators Demand Clarity on SEVIS Record Terminations and Visa Revocations. On April 28, 2025, 35 senators joined U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in a letter to Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Noem, and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Lyons seeking clarity on the number and nature of SEVIS record terminations and visa revocations—and to request the release of the new guidance that is driving these actions. The senators also urge the reversal of actions that unlawfully end student status and request detailed information on recent policy changes. If you live in a state represented by one of these senators, please take a moment to thank them for signing the letter. Read the letter.
• Update on SEVIS Terminations: Starting on or around April 24, 2025, NAFSA has been seeing reports from DSOs and attorneys of SEVIS records that had been terminated by DHS being restored to Active SEVIS status. Politico reports that the Department of Justice announced that all of the recent SEVIS terminations would be reversed. See Trump Administration reverses abrupt terminations of foreign students' U.S. visa registrations, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, Politico, April 25, 2025. Please keep checking your Terminated Status Students (past 18 months) list available in SEVIS to monitor this at your institution. Stay up to date on the SEVIS terminations issue on NAFSA's page.
• Gender Language and Functionality Removed from SEVIS. On May 16, 2025 SEVIS Release 6.82.1 revised SEVIS RTI: "All SEVIS data fields labeled Gender will be changed to Sex" and "The ‘Other’ option will no longer be available for the Sex data field when creating or updating an Initial F/M student, Exchange Visitor (EV), and dependent SEVIS record. If an EV’s Sex is ‘Other,’ it must be changed if changes are made on the Biographical Information page." See the SEVIS Release 6.82.1 Planning Guide. SEVIS Release 6.83 implemented these same changes to SEVIS batch on July 18, 2025. See the SEVIS Release 6.83 Planning Guide.
• New Executive Orders. On April 23, 2025 President Trump signed the following executive orders relevant to higher education:
  • Executive Order 14279 of April 23, 2025: Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14279 published at 90 FR 17529 (April 28, 2025). This Executive ORder directs the Department of Education to reform the higher education accreditation system by holding accrediting bodies accountable for focusing on academic quality and student outcomes rather than DEI initiatives, while prohibiting accreditation standards that could lead to unlawful discrimination as understood by the Trump-Vance administration. The order calls for increased competition among accreditors, streamlined processes for institutions to change accreditors, and mandates that institutions use program-level student outcome data for improvement, with potential consequences for accreditors of law and medical schools whose standards are deemed in violation of federal law.
  • Executive Order 14282 of April 23, 2025: Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14282 published at 90 FR 17541 (April 28, 2025). This Executive Order reinstates and tightens enforcement of higher education institutions' obligation to disclose foreign funding sources under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education will require more specific reporting details, increase public access to this information, and coordinate with the Attorney General to audit institutions, with potential consequences including ineligibility for federal grant funding.
  • Executive Order 14283 of April 23, 2025: White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14283 published at 90 FR 17543 (April 28, 2025). This Executive Order establishes a White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) housed in the Executive Office of the President and creates a President's Board of Advisors to enhance HBCU capabilities through private-sector partnerships, philanthropic support, and federal coordination. Higher education institutions classified as HBCUs can expect increased focus on institutional planning, infrastructure upgrades, professional development opportunities, and implementation of the HBCU PARTNERS Act, with an annual White House Summit to address related matters.
• Helpful Video on F-1 SEVIS Terminations and Visa Revocations. A video from law firm Green and Spiegel presents a conversation with Kerry Doyle (of counsel at Green and Spiegel, and the former Principal Legal Advisor to ICE) and Dan Berger (partner at Green and Spiegel leading the academic immigration team, and a visiting fellow at Cornell Law School). Suitable for a student audience as well (but not intended as legal advice). View What we know about terminations of international student visa and status (April 22, 2025, Posted on YouTube).
• DOS Plans Comprehensive Reorganization. In an April 22, 2025 press statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced "a comprehensive reorganization plan" for the Department of State (DOS) that Rubio says will be implemented "methodically over the next several months." See NAFSA's page.
• SEVIS Record Termination Litigation. Numerous lawsuits against recent SEVIS record terminations are being filed across the United States. See a sample of cases already filed for an idea of the scope and issues being litigated. April 20, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Initial Analysis of Visa Revocations and other Actions Targeting International Students and Scholars. April 10, 2025. Since mid-March, NAFSA has been collecting reports of international students and scholars having their visas revoked, their record terminated in SEVIS, and/or being arrested and detained. A NAFSA press release includes our top-level findings along with ways institutions can support their students and upcoming NAFSA events where the field can come together and find community. See NAFSA's press release.
• DHS to Begin Screening Aliens’ Social Media Activity for Antisemitism. April 09, 2025. A DHS news release says that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) "will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately." See NAFSA's page.
• DOE Plans for 15% Indirect Cost Limits Placed on Hold by Court. On April 11, 2025 the Department of Energy (DOE) said that it sent a policy memorandum to grant recipients at colleges and universities announcing that it will limit financial support of “indirect costs” of DOE research funding to 15%. See the DOE press release. On April 16, 2025, in a case filed by the AAU, a U.S. District Court in Massachusetts issued a Temporary Restraining Order blocking the policy while litigation continues. See the case docket on CourtListener.
• State Department Announces Plans to Revoke South Sudanese Visas. April 5, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Signs on to ACE Letter to DOS and DHS Regarding Recent Actions Against Students. April 4, 2025. NAFSA along with other higher education associations signed on to a letter sent by the American Council on Education (ACE) to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to seek more information on DOS and DHS policy and planned actions relating to recent visa revocations, SEVIS record terminations, and detention and removal of international students. Read the letter.
• ICE-Initiated SEVIS Record Terminations. April 2, 2025. NAFSA continues to receive numerous reports of SEVIS record terminations done by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). See NAFSA's page.
• NAFSA Responds to International Student and Scholar Arrests. In a March 31, 2025 press release, NAFSA addressed the recent reports on detention of international students and scholars, visa revocations, and the termination of SEVIS records, saying that the "government’s recent actions have created an atmosphere of fear and confusion that has students, scholars, and their families understandably concerned about their safety and future in the United States. These actions also undermine what makes U.S. higher education so special: well-resourced, cutting-edge research opportunities; academic freedom; and free speech."
• House Committee Sends Letters to Several Universities Requesting Detailed Information on Chinese Students. A House committee sent letters on March 19, 2025 to six U.S. University presidents asking for written responses to numerous questions regarding demographics, funding sources, research activities, security protocols, and post-graduation trajectories of Chinese national students, particularly in STEM fields, with an emphasis on affiliations with Chinese entities, federally funded research, and potential national security concerns. See NAFSA's page.
• Alliance Condemns Recent ICE Apprehensions and Detentions. In a March 31, 2024 press release, the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration "condemns the apprehension and detention of international students and calls on the administration to respect constitutional rights."
• DHS Extends Mass Influx of Aliens Finding. March 25, 2025. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem extended for another 180 days DHS's initial finding of a "mass influx of aliens" at the southern border. See NAFSA's page.
• DHS Ends Categorical Parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. On March 25, 2025 DHS published a notice in the Federal Register terminating categorical parole for up to 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. On April 14, 2025 a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of portions of the Federal Register notice. See NAFSA's page.
• DHS Reduces CIS Ombuds Office.  On March 21, 2025 news outlets reported that DHS had implemented a "reduction in force" affecting over 100 employees across three oversight offices, including the CIS Ombudsman's Office. See Trump Shuts Down 3 Watchdog Agencies Overseeing Immigration Crackdown, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Hamed Aleaziz, Adam Goldman and Eileen Sullivan, The New York Times, March 21, 2025.
• Executive Order of March 20, 2025: Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities directs the Secretary of Education to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education" and to ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds not support "'diversity, equity, and inclusion' or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology." See NAFSA's page.
• Proclamation of March 15, 2025: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua. On March 15, 2025, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan criminal organization that has also been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The proclamation is currently enjoined by a temporary restraining order issued the same day as the proclamation. See NAFSA's page.
• Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and others ordered to reduce scope. March 14, 2025. A presidential order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy "continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary." Section 2 of the order, titled Reducing the Scope of the Federal Bureaucracy, identifies seven governmental entities, including the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution, and directs that "the non-statutory components and functions [those] governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law."
• DOS Determines Immigration is an APA Foreign Affairs Function. March 13, 2025. A Federal Register notice set for publication on March 14, 2025, delivers a broad new determination from Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring that all federal efforts related to border control, immigration, and cross-border transactions by any agency fall under the foreign affairs function exemption of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Rule Implements New Registration Requirements. March 12, 2025. A USCIS interim final rule published on March 12, 2025 designates a new "Form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration)" to implement a new registration and fingerprinting process for individuals who have not been registered through standard visa and entry requirements, including individuals who entered without inspection or who were not issued a Form I-94 and re-registration of children who turn 14 while inside the United States. Visit NAFSA's page for more details.
• Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Arrested LPR Student. March 10, 2025. A New York District Court issued an order to block the removal from the United States of a student who is a lawful permanent resident of Palestinian background, following the student's arrest by ICE agents acting under Executive Order 14188, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism." See NAFSA's page.
• INA 212(f) travel ban expected soon. March 10, 2025. An INA 212(f) "travel ban" is expected soon, according to media and other sources. Media reports have identified some countries that may be subject to a ban during this first round, but there have been no official or public government communications on what countries might be included or the scope of any bans on particular countries. See NAFSA's page.
• Visa Interview Wait Time Info No Longer Available on DOS Web Pages. March 7, 2025. Two actions have rendered visa interview wait time information no longer available on the travel.state.gov website. See NAFSA's page.
• DHS and DOS are Revising Forms to Remove "Gender Marker X" options, pursuant to Executive Order 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government. AILA has sued USCIS because of the lack of notice and failure to provide a grace period on revised forms.See NAFSA's page.
• 15-Day Pause on DOS Grant Disbursements. NAFSA notes that members have reported receiving notifications on February 13, 2025 from the Department of State of a "15-Day Pause on Grant Disbursements in the Payment Management System" that took effect on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The pause applies to all current and future grant payments scheduled during this period. The communications acknowledge that this will impact recipients, ability to carry out program activities and financial planning, but offer no further guidance except that recipients can contact their Grants Officer with questions. See NAFSA's page. Read NAFSA's March 3, 2025 Statement: Suspension of International Education and Exchange Program Funding Threatens U.S. Economic and National Security, and Take Action to Urge Congress to Restore Vital International Education and Exchange Funding!
• DoEd Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) Directs Schools to End Racial Preferences. On February 14, 2025, the Department of Education (DoEd) issued a "Dear Colleague Letter" on the prohibition on "using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life." NAFSA and other associations responded in an February 24, 2025 letter. DoEd posted a set of FAQs on the DCL on March 1, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
• USCIS Changes Policy on Issuing NTAs After Adverse Adjudications. USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187, Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens (February 28, 2025). "USCIS will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement, which includes referring cases to ICE and issuance of NTAs... Typically, USCIS will issue an NTA after taking adverse action on a benefit request (i.e., denying an application)." An NTA (Form I-862) is a charging document that, among other things, begins deportation proceedings before an Immigration Judge.
• DOJ Anti-Semitism Task Force to Visit 10 Campuses. On February 28, 2025, DOJ announced that the "Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism" will be visiting 10 university campuses that have "experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023." See NAFSA's page.
• Executive Order of March 1, 2025: Designating English as the Official Language of The United States. EO on whitehouse.gov. This executive order designates English as the official language of the United States and revokes Biden's Executive Order 13166 of August 11, 2000 (Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency). The new executive order states, though, that "nothing in this order, however, requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency. Agency heads should make decisions as they deem necessary to fulfill their respective agencies’ mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people. Agency heads are not required to amend, remove, or otherwise stop production of documents, products, or other services prepared or offered in languages other than English."
• Executive Order of February 26, 2025: Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Cost Efficiency Initiative. Targets "discretionary spending through Federal contracts, grants, loans, and related instruments," including "non-essential" travel to conferences and other purposes. See NAFSA's page.
• New Immigration Registration Requirements. Guidance that USCIS posted on February 25, 2025 will require young nonimmigrants who turn 14 while in the U.S. to "re-register" with USCIS within 30 days of their birthday, even if previously registered when entering the country. This may affect, for example, F-2, J-2, H-4 dependents and young F-1/J-1 students who entered before age 14. Most nonimmigrants (e.g., F-1, J-1, H-1B, etc.) who entered the U.S. at age 14+ are already automatically registered (as evidenced by their Form I-94) and DON'T need to re-register. The new registration process isn't available yet but USCIS will announce it when ready. This is also a good time to remind noncitizens to carry their registration document and timely report address changes. Preliminary OMB and Federal Register postings indicate that the form will be designated as "Form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration). See NAFSA's page.
• Trump "Gold Card." According to Reuters and other news sources, on February 25, 2025 President Trump announced plans to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program with a so-called "gold card" program in which lawful permanent residence could be purchased for $5 million. Read more.
• DOS Revises Visa Interview Waiver Policy. A February 18, 2025 Interview Waiver Update rescinds prior DOS expansions of interview waiver authority, for example, reinstating the statutory 12-month post-expiration period for applicants who previously held a visa in the same category. This marks a shift from the previous policy, which allowed interview waivers for applicants whose prior visa had expired within the past 48 months. See NAFSA's page.
• Cap on NIH indirect funding. On February 7, 2025 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) imposed a 15% cap on the "indirect cost" rate for all NIH grants. On February 10, 2025 the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts temporarily blocked implementation of the 15% cap. The court set a hearing for February 21, 2025. In the meantime, NIH is blocked from implementing the 15% cap nationwide. See NAFSA's page.