Immigration Insights
Dive deeper into U.S. immigration trends and policy changes shaping student experiences.
DOL Proposed Rule on Prevailing Wages for Foreign Workers
This Immigration Insights report analyzes the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to increase prevailing wage requirements for foreign workers across key visa programs, including H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM-based green card pathways. The proposal would raise wage thresholds under the OEWS system—driving salary increases of roughly 20–33% depending on the wage level—and reshaping how employers sponsor international talent.
The report outlines who would be impacted, including new applicants, extensions, and job changes, and explores broader implications for employers and international students. It also provides legal and policy context, key timelines, and practical guidance for stakeholders navigating a potential shift in employment-based immigration policy.
Filing Guide: Form I-539 for Visa Status Extension or Change of Visa Status with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)
This Immigration Insights guide provides a practical, step-by-step overview of filing Form I-539 to extend or change nonimmigrant status within the United States. It explains key filing pathways—including online vs. paper submission, premium processing options, and associated fees—while outlining required documentation such as proof of status, financial support, and SEVIS records.
The guide also details critical timing considerations for changes of status and extensions, along with important post-filing restrictions related to travel, employment, and maintaining lawful status. With updated policy context—including anticipated changes to the Duration of Status (D/S) rule and evolving adjudication risks—the report equips international students and dependents with essential guidance to navigate the I-539 process strategically and avoid common pitfalls.
Understanding the H-1B Visa Lottery, and Options if Not Selected
This Immigration Insights report explains how the H-1B visa lottery system operates under the annual cap, including the newly implemented wage-based selection process that prioritizes higher-paid positions and reshapes selection probabilities for international graduates. It outlines key mechanics of the lottery, cap-exempt pathways, and how changes may disproportionately affect entry-level candidates.
Beyond the lottery, the report provides a comprehensive overview of alternative strategies for individuals not selected, including OPT and STEM OPT extensions, cap-gap provisions, and other visa pathways such as O-1, J-1, L-1, and nationality-based options. It also explores longer-term planning considerations—including employer sponsorship and self-sponsored green card routes—offering international students a structured framework to navigate uncertainty and maintain career continuity in the U.S.
Provisions and Possible Impacts of the DHS Final Rule Establishing a New Weighted H-1B Lottery System
This Immigration Insights report analyzes DHS’s final rule establishing a new weighted H-1B lottery system, set to take effect in February 2026, replacing the traditional random selection process. The analysis explains how registrations will now be weighted based on Department of Labor wage levels—giving higher-paid, higher-skilled positions significantly better odds of selection—and outlines new data requirements employers must submit during registration.
It explores how the rule may benefit advanced technology sectors and cap-exempt academic and research institutions, while creating new challenges for international students, startups, small businesses, and industries that rely on entry-level talent. With projections showing sharply reduced selection rates for lower wage levels and the possibility of legal challenges ahead, the report provides critical context and strategic considerations for students and employers navigating the evolving H-1B landscape.
Changing to F-1 Status from Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
This Immigration Insights report explains the complex legal and practical considerations for individuals seeking to change from Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to F-1 student status as TPS designations face increased terminations and non-renewals. It outlines when TPS holders may study without changing status, why securing F-1 status can provide long-term protection, and the critical requirements USCIS evaluates in a change-of-status application—such as lawful admission, maintenance of status, temporary intent, and discretionary review.
The analysis also highlights common risks, including gaps in status, prior entry without inspection, processing delays, travel-ban impacts, and employment limitations when holding TPS and F-1 simultaneously. Designed for students, advisors, and practitioners, the report offers clear explanations and planning considerations to help TPS holders assess eligibility, avoid costly mistakes, and navigate an increasingly uncertain immigration landscape.
U.S. Expansion of Travel Restricted Countries
This report analyzes the December 2025 expansion of U.S. travel restrictions and what it means for international students, scholars, and institutions. It breaks down the new proclamation taking effect January 1, 2026, including which countries are now subject to full or partial travel bans, how visa categories such as F, J, M, B-1, and B-2 are affected, and which prior exceptions have been eliminated. The report also highlights key considerations for students currently in the U.S. who may be planning international travel, estimates the scope of the student population impacted—including the significant addition of Nigeria, and outlines potential legal challenges to the policy.
Designed to help readers understand both immediate risks and longer-term implications, this analysis provides essential context for navigating travel and status decisions in a rapidly changing immigration environment.
Review of Pending Dept. of Homeland Security Rule: Loss of D/S
This report examines a proposed Department of Homeland Security rule that would significantly reshape how F-1 and J-1 students—and their dependents—maintain lawful status in the United States. The analysis breaks down the potential elimination of “Duration of Status,” new fixed end dates on stays, reduced grace periods, stricter limits on program changes and transfers, and expanded requirements for USCIS filings, fees, and biometrics. It also explores how these changes could affect OPT, STEM OPT, PhD timelines, graduate medical education, and postdoctoral researchers, alongside the financial and administrative burdens for students and institutions alike. With the rule potentially taking effect as early as 2026, this report provides critical context, planning considerations, and impact assessments to help students and campus stakeholders understand what may be coming—and how to prepare.