Update: $70,000 OPT Fee Is Now a Formal DHS Proposal, Not Yet in Effect
DHS published the OPT fee proposal on October 8, 2026: $70,000 for a first OPT recommendation and $30,000…
Articles by & updated by Priya Nair
KBS Sidhu Urges External Affairs Minister to Oppose US H-1B Grace Period Scrap by November 10, 2026
KBS Sidhu is asking India to oppose or amend a DHS proposal that would end the discretionary grace…
Students Rethink American Dream as Duration of Status and H-1B Environment Tighten
Vietnamese students and families are weighing Singapore and Hong Kong as alternatives to the United States amid rising…
Vance Backs Ending H-1B Program as $100,000 H-1B Fee Court Fight Stalls Future
JD Vance called the H-1B program broken and said he would support eliminating it, but his remarks do…
Trump Administration Narrows H-1B Entry Restriction, Limiting National-Interest Exception Use
The H-1B entry restriction runs through September 21, 2027, with a DHS national-interest exception. Courts have blocked the…
Rep. Van Duyne Files H–1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act to Target H-1B Program Violations and Immigration Document Fraud
The H–1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act, introduced by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, proposes higher fines for certain H-1B…
Domestic Visa Renewal Modernization Act Gains Backing for In-US H-1B Renewals
H.R. 10715 would establish permanent in-country visa-stamp renewal for eligible holders of seven visa classes, expanding a 2024…
H-1B Layoff Reviews, Interagency Policy, Third-Party Placement: Why Staffing and IT Outsourcing Firms Face Toughest Scrutiny
A new executive order makes recent and planned layoffs a factor in H-1B reviews, including at client worksites.…
H-1B Layoff, Petition Withdrawal, Visa and Border Stages: How the Order Reaches Consulates
Federal agencies are directed to consider H-1B sponsors’ layoff histories during petition, visa and admission reviews, without automatic…