On July 27, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an interim final rule, effective July 28, that allows U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer asylum applications to Immigration Judges (IJs) without first interviewing the...
Topic: Immigration Updates
DOS Proposes Changes to Exchange Visitor Program Rules
On July 30, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) published a proposed rule that clarifies the conditions under which a sponsor must terminate a J-1 exchange visitor’s program and authorizes DOS, in its discretion, to terminate an exchange visitor’s program in limited...
DHS Detentions Increase at Airports
Practitioners are warning that a growing number of foreign nationals have been detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at U.S. airports while traveling between states, even if they had pending applications and were in a period of authorized stay,...
Trump Administration Considers $100,000 Fee for International Students to Work in United States
According to reports, the Trump administration is considering charging a $100,000 fee for international students who want to work in the United States after graduation, likely via the Optional Training Program (OPT). As of last fall, there were an estimated 300,000...
USCIS Updates TPS Guidance for Haiti
On July 24, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted an update regarding the status of employment authorization documents (EADs) for temporary protected status (TPS)-holders from Haiti. TPS and associated EADs remain valid and extended per a...
DOS Announces ‘B’ Visa Expedited Appointment Pilot Program, Starting With Mission Mexico
On July 22, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) announced that it is testing a voluntary, optional nonimmigrant visa expedited appointment program for B visas at select U.S. embassies and consulates through December 31, 2026, starting with Mission Mexico (embassy and...
DHS Is Assessing Daily Fines for Failure to Leave the United States After Removal Order
The Trump administration has begun issuing letters assessing fines of $998 per day for an individual’s failure to leave the United States after receiving an order of removal, regardless of whether the person is pursuing an alternate form of immigration relief or has a...
Court Issues Administrative Stay of Certain USCIS Policies Related to TPS-Based EAD Expiration and Asylum Fees
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that on July 21, 2026, a U.S. district court issued an order in Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts v. USCIS granting, in part, plaintiffs’ emergency motion for an administrative stay of certain...
First Circuit Denies Stay in $100,000 H-1B Fee Case
On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied a motion to continue a stay in State of California v. Mullin. In that case, plaintiffs (a group of 20 states[1]) challenged a proclamation by President Trump requiring that $100,000 be paid with...
Steve Co-Authors Brookings Analysis on New Duration of Status Rule
Steve Yale-Leohr co-authored What Does the New Duration of Status Rule Mean for International Students and Workers? In the article, he examines the new DHS rule ending duration of status for international students and workers and its potential legal and practical...
