Featured | International Student & Scholar Services

USCIS Issues New Policy Memorandum Regarding Adjustment of Status

Jillian Hautman — Wed, 27 May 2026 19:19:35 +0000

USCIS has issued a . The memo asserts that USCIS adjudication of adjustment of status applications is discretionary, and that the agency is not required to review all applications, reserving the ability to direct applicants to apply via consular processing. The memo does not provide specific guidance on how the agency will make that decision and does not list any immediate impact on pending adjustment applications. At this time, Vanderbilt can continue to file adjustment applications, and the criteria for filing have not changed. Please see the from Vanderbilt’s immigration counsel, Ogletree Deakins for more information.

Employee Immigration Services will continue monitoring USCIS guidance and any operational changes closely and will communicate updates as additional information becomes available.

Increase to USCIS Premium Processing Fees

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:24:49 +0000

Effective March 1, 2026, all requests for USCIS’s Premium Processing Service must include the new fee. See.

The premium processing fee for Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker petitions requesting classifications such as E-3, H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN increased to $2,965.
The premium processing fee for Form I-140 immigrant petitions requesting classification in employment-based categories increased to $2,965.
The premium processing fee for certain Form I-539 and Form I-765 applications also increased to $2,075 and $1,780, respectively.

DOS Suspends Issuance of Immigrant Visas From 75 Countries

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:21:52 +0000

Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing issuance of immigrant visas for applicants who are nationals of certain countries. This pause applies only to immigrant visas for permanent residency processed through U.S. consulates and does not affect nonimmigrant visas, including B, F, J, or H categories. The Department of State will continue to schedule immigrant visa interviews, but no visas will be issued during this review period; dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a non-listed country are exempt.

More information: and .

Pause in Diversity Lottery Program

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:16:24 +0000

Diversity visa issuance and related adjustment approvals are temporarily paused while additional security reviews are conducted. The visa lottery provides a limited number of immigrant visas each year to those from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. No approvals will be issued during this pause. Find more information��.

Visa Bonds Expanded Impacting Families and Short-Term Academic Visits

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:15:53 +0000

The Department of State expanded the visa bond program for certain nationalities, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nigeria, for B-1/B-2 visas only. While F/J students and scholars are not impacted, the policy may affect family visits and short-term academic travel. The additional requirements, including financial bonds, increase cost and complexity.

USCIS Announces Creation of Centralized Vetting Center

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:15:10 +0000

On Dec. 5th, USCIS announced a new Vetting Center to centralize and enhance screening of immigration applications, including expanded background checks and interagency review. This may add scrutiny and longer processing times for immigration benefits. The change follows broader shifts in USCIS adjudication practices, including the elimination of the USCIS Ombudsman’s case-assistance role.

DHS Finalizes H-1B ‘Weighted Selection Rule’ Without Changes

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:14:08 +0000

DHS issued a final rule replacing the random H-1B cap lottery with a weighted, wage-based selection process, as proposed. Higher-wage registrations will receive greater selection weight, which may reduce selection chances for recent graduates and entry-level professionals at cap-subject employers. Find VU’s comment ��Ի� more info .

Additional USCIS Review For Applications Filed By Those From Countries Subject To Travel Ban

Jillian Hautman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:13:02 +0000

A new USCIS policy memo allows additional review and potential holds on certain pending immigration applications from countries subject to the travel ban. For affected students and scholars, this may result in longer processing times or additional vetting for changes of status and work authorization. ISSS is monitoring implementation and will share updates.

USCIS Reduces Validity Period from 5 Years to 18 Months for Several EAD Categories, Including AOS EADs

Julia Wilbers — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:40:44 +0000

USCIS announced that it will issue , reduced from five years, for applicants in several categories, including EADs issued to applicants with pending adjustment applications.

Combined with the announced in October, this shortened validity period may cause interruptions in work authorization due to protracted USCIS processing times.

Social Media Vetting Expanded to H-1B/H-4

Julia Wilbers — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:38:22 +0000

The State Department has to include H-1B and H-4 visa applicants. As of December 15, 2025, all applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all social media profiles to “public” for their visa appointments.

In the wake of this plan, we are receiving reports that a number of U.S. consulates are cancelling and rescheduling visa appointments that were originally scheduled for December 15 or later. Many applicants are seeing their visa appointments being rescheduled for later in 2026.

It is likely that an increasing number of consular posts will cancel and reschedule some portion of their H-1B and H-4 visa appointments that were originally scheduled for December 15 and later.

In addition to the rescheduling of existing appointments, wait times for new visa appointments – for H-1B, H-4, and other nonimmigrant visa types – are likely to increase due to decreased consular capacity.

The new vetting standards also mean that H-1B and H-4 applicants may face an increased likelihood of being flagged for lengthy background checks and longer waits for visa issuance.

What this means for you:

If you and your dependents have an upcoming H-1B/H-4 visa appointment and do not currently hold a valid visa stamp for re-entry to the U.S., we recommend that you carefully consider whether to continue with international travel at this time. If your H-1B appointment is canceled and rescheduled, you may be stuck outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time without the ability to work.

If you still plan to travel, check your visa appointment status frequently. There is a possibility that appointments could be canceled at the last minute, which may result in being stuck outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time without the ability to work.

We strongly recommend exercising caution and planning accordingly.

If you have questions or need guidance, please reach out to ois@vanderbilt.edu