On August 18, 2026, a coalition of university groups and labor unions filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to block the rule ending duration of status that I wrote about last month. They filed a motion for a preliminary injunction along with the complaint. The lawsuit claims that DHS...
Federal Lawsuit filed to block new F-1 Rule
On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule ending duration of status for F-1 students, replacing it with a fixed admission period capped at four years. I wrote about what that means for Day 1 CPT here. Less than a month later, on August 12, 2026, SEVP issued Broadcast Message BCM 2608-01, “Reminder of...
Jul172026
If you’re an international student, exchange visitor, or foreign media professional in the United States, a major change to how you’re admitted is coming this fall. On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that eliminates “Duration of Status” (D/S) for F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and I...
Over the past couple of weeks, I have spoken with multiple students who have had their F-1 visas revoked and their SEVIS terminated. Most of these students had DWIs or other alcohol related arrests. Other attorneys reported speaking with students who had minor infractions such as parking or speeding tickets. In some cases, the charges...
Recent reports suggest a concerning trend: F-1 students are experiencing visa revocations and SEVIS terminations based on past criminal conduct, including arrests and convictions, leaving them out of status and at risk of removal proceedings. Who Is Being Targeted? While this appears to be a developing and unevenly applied policy, early indicators suggest that students...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now agreed to a settlement after the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Partners, filed a Federal Lawsuit claiming, that the prohibition on qualifying H-4 and L-2 applicants benefits from the 180-day extension, was unlawful. For details of our original article please click the following link: https://patel-law-group.local/aila-files-lawsuit-claiming-h-4-and-l-2-ead-should-qualify-for-180-day-automatic-extension/ The...
Oct142021
USCIS processing times continue to increase for the majority of applications and have only been made worst by the ongoing pandemic, resulting in the agency being heavily understaffed. This is especially true for H-4 and L-2 EAD applicants. Because of the long processing times and the fact that these categories of work authorization are not...
USCIS recently announced it will no longer require F-1 students to bridge the gap. Previously USCIS had required students who filed a change of status application to F-1, to also file a second application in order to extend their current status. Therefore, someone who entered in B-2 and wished to change to F-1 was required...