July 17, 2026 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a federal rule change July 17 that ends the longstanding “duration of status” (D/S) rule for international students and scholars. The rule is effective …
Immigration Updates
USCIS Resumes Adjudication of Benefit Requests
On June 5th, the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island ruled that the USCIS’ pause on adjudicating immigration benefits for individuals from travel restricted countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10998 to be unlawful. If you …
USCIS Issues New Photo Guidance
On December 12, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Alert announcing new guidance governing the submission and reuse of photographs for immigration benefit requests. For all non-immigrant requests (Example: a Form I-765/OPT …
Dec 16, 2025 Travel Restrictions Announcement
On December 16, 2025, the White House issued a new Presidential Proclamation expanding U.S. travel restrictions. This policy builds upon the previous June 2025 Proclamation. The travel restrictions impact nationals of the countries below who …
USCIS Pauses Adjudication of Benefit Requests for Citizens of 75 Countries
Updated: February 10, 2026 On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued new policy guidance to place a hold on final adjudication of immigration benefits for individuals with a nationality or country of birth that is covered by the December 16, 2025 Presidential …
Guidance on immigration and international travel during federal government shutdown
As the federal government shutdown continues, the UW–Madison community should be aware of the potential impact on immigration processes and international travel. Changes to some immigration services are likely, including: Fee-based immigration processing – including …
Update to Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant Designated Locations
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that only certain geographic locations are acceptable for nonimmigrant visa applicants, including F and J students and scholars, effective September 6, 2025. Nonimmigrant visa applicants should schedule their …
Proposed Changes to “Duration of Status” (Stay) in the U.S. for F and J Visa Holders
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule change to eliminate the current I-94 Duration of Status (D/S) to instead apply an exact date of lawful stay in the U.S. for F …
U.S. Travel Entry Restrictions for 19 Countries
Updated June 9, 2025 On June 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced the suspension of visa issuance to foreign nationals, in alignment with the Presidential Proclamation restricting entry to the U.S. for foreign …
Update for Chinese Students Regarding May 28 Visa Policy Announcement
We want you to know we are aware of the U.S. Secretary of State’s announcement on May 28 that the administration is developing a policy that may lead to the revocation of visas for some …