NEWS

A month after the "Eliminating the Discretionary 60-day Grace Period" proposal cleared federal review, DHS published the actual notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026 — with real regulatory text, a live comment docket, and DHS's own estimate of who gets hurt. Here is what the published NPRM says that the earlier OIRA-review stage could not.

A second SEVP broadcast message, issued August 24, 2026, sharpens the CPT crackdown it started twelve days earlier by supplying the bright-line test the first message lacked: CPT must be required for every student in the program, not tied to a course a student could skip and still graduate. UC Berkeley and UC Davis have already paused "Course Credit CPT" applications while they review. Here is what changed, what did not, and what to check before enrolling in a CPT-heavy program.

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled August 21, 2026 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had no authority to freeze immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, vacating the policy and every visa denial based solely on it. Here is what Catholic Legal Immigration Network v. Rubio actually held, which countries were affected, and what changes now for pending employment-based green card cases.

A DHS notice of proposed rulemaking appearing on public inspection August 24, 2026 would add a standalone $103,265 charge to every H-1B cap-subject petition, including advanced-degree-exemption filings — on top of every fee employers already pay, and separate from the unresolved $100,000 fee from Proclamation 10973. Here is what the NPRM actually proposes, who is exempt, and what is still just a proposal.

A USCIS Policy Alert issued August 18, 2026 spells out how officers will apply the new public charge ground of inadmissibility once the 2022 rule is rescinded on September 18, 2026 — reviving a broader, more discretionary totality-of-circumstances test for green card applicants filing Form I-485 on or after that date.

A DHS interim final rule effective August 11, 2026 gives USCIS a formal process to require online-only filing of immigration forms — including, eventually, H-1B petitions and OPT applications. No form is mandatory e-filing yet, but the rule sets the 180-day and 60-day clocks that will decide when one becomes so, plus a new hardship waiver, Form I-936.

A precedential Board of Immigration Appeals decision issued August 13, 2026 abandons 14 years of settled practice: leaving the U.S. on advance parole while a green card application is pending can now count as a "departure" that triggers inadmissibility. Here is what Matter of Delcarmen-Lara changed, who is exposed, and what is still protected.

A DHS final rule published August 10, 2026 closes what the agency calls a too-narrow reading of the "9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee": covered H-1B and L-1 employers must now pay it on every extension petition, including extensions with no change of employer. Here is who is covered, what changed, and when it takes effect.

A USCIS policy alert effective August 5, 2026 lets adjudicators deny a benefit request outright — no Request for Evidence, no Notice of Intent to Deny — whenever the filing as submitted does not establish eligibility. Here is what Policy Alert PA-2026-05 actually changes, and what filers should do differently now.

A new SEVP broadcast message sent to every designated school official on August 12, 2026 warns that a rising share of CPT authorizations do not meet federal requirements — and puts schools on notice that improperly authorized CPT can trigger investigation and loss of SEVP certification. Here is exactly what the message says, and what it does not change.

A newly submitted USCIS proposed rule (RIN 1615-AD22) would scrap the discretionary 60-day grace period that currently protects H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, and other high-skilled nonimmigrant workers after their job ends. Here is exactly what is confirmed so far — and what is not.

USCIS confirmed on July 17, 2026 that it received enough registrations to fill both the 65,000 regular H-1B cap and the 20,000 U.S. advanced-degree exemption for FY 2027 — with no second selection round this year. Registrations fell sharply from the prior cycle, while the share of selected beneficiaries holding U.S. advanced degrees and higher wage levels climbed again.

A DHS regulatory-agenda item called the "Practical Training" rule has been aimed at Optional Practical Training, STEM OPT, and curricular practical training for over a year. The newest Unified Agenda entry now shows a proposed rule expected in February 2027, not 2026. Here is what DHS has confirmed, what is still just a placeholder, and what is not changing yet.

Proclamation 10973 imposed a $100,000 charge on new H-1B petitions in September 2025. Nearly a year of litigation later, a federal court has vacated it and an appeals court has refused to put it back — so as of this writing, the fee does not apply. Here is the full timeline, and why the posture could still shift again.

A final DHS rule effective September 15, 2026 replaces indefinite "duration of status" for F, J, and I nonimmigrants with fixed admission periods — and requires a new USCIS Extension of Stay filing, including for post-completion OPT and STEM OPT. Here is what changes, the transition rules, and how the H-1B cap-gap is affected.