Featured

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) recently issued guidance clarifying the requirements for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). In response, Vanderbilt has updated its CPT practices to align with this guidance and narrower interpretation of what constitutes “integral” training. ISSS will only be able to authorize CPT for… Read More

A federal court in Boston has postponed the effective date of, and preliminarily enjoined implementation of, the new rule that was scheduled to take effect on September 15 and eliminate Duration of Status (D/S) for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors. As a result, the existing D/S framework remains… Read More

USCIS recently reinforced its authority to deny immigration benefit requests without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) when required initial evidence is missing. This is particularly relevant under the new D/S rule, as students and scholars will rely more heavily on USCIS to adjudicate I-539 extension-of-stay applications, making complete… Read More

On August 20, DHS submitted a proposed rule titled Optional Practical Training Fees to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Details have not yet been released, although media reports suggest the proposal could include a significant new fee for F-1 students applying for OPT. No changes… Read More

The Department of State announced that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas, primarily related to law enforcement encounters, visa violations, fraud, and national security concerns. ISSS is not aware of any Vanderbilt students or scholars affected by this announcement, but we continue to monitor visa-related developments and advise… Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released updated policy manual guidance outlining how the agency will apply the new public charge standard once it takes effect on September 18, 2026. The guidance follows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) July 2026 final rule rescinding the Biden-administration’s 2022 public… Read More

On August 6, 2026, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders aimed at limiting birthright citizenship under certain circumstances and ending “birth tourism” by imposing new vetting requirements on nonimmigrant travelers seeking entry to the United States. The orders build on the administration’s prior efforts to limit birthright citizenship. Read… Read More

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed rule to eliminate the sixty-day grace period for certain nonimmigrants is currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Read more here. Read More

On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule to establish a $103,265 fee for all cap-subject H-1B petitions, including bachelor’s cap and advanced-degree quota cases. The fee would be due upon filing a cap-subject H-1B petition in calendar year 2027, in addition to… Read More

On June 30, the Supreme Court struck down Executive Order 14160, reaffirming that children born in the United States generally acquire U.S. citizenship at birth regardless of their parents’ immigration status. This means children born in the U.S. to international students and scholars will continue to be U.S. citizens at… Read More