August 27, 2026: Immigration News for International Students in the US
- Carrie Circosta
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
It can take a hot minute to get used to the grading system here in the U.S.
And to make it even more fun to figure out...some universities don't use a grading system for first-semester students.
The latest university to join this special group is the University of Michigan.
Starting in Fall 2027, first-semester students will get graded on a "pass / no credit" system. The university says this is to help "curb the mental health crisis."
The University will track grades for scholarship and athletic requirements...but the usual A, B, C, D, F grades will not show on transcripts.
I guess...then...what's the point?
But hey...I guess it works? California Institute of Technology and Swarthmore College already do something like this...and MIT has been doing it since 1968.
So a little breathing room for first-year students...I'll take it...especially considering this week's news for international students:
📰 Top Headlines:
DHS proposed a $103,265 fee for H-1B visas and there's a possible fee for OPT on the horizon
ICE sent universities not one but two memos about CPT
Eight organizations sued DHS over the end of duration of status
🎓 Featured Scholarship: The Last Mile Education Fund offers emergency funding for STEM students close to graduation who hit an unexpected financial wall...and yes, F-1 students qualify.
🔍 Interesting Find: Harvard is paying $53 million to settle lawsuits over what its morgue manager was doing with donated bodies.
🌍 Immigration Corner Deep Dive: Eight organizations sued DHS about ending D/S. So...what does the lawsuit actually say? Breaking it down so it all makes sense.
Dedicating my GIF-pick this week to Dolly Parton 😢,
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐info@istudentvoice.com
Best Links for International Students
Immigration News for International Students in the US
📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK: Immigration news for international students in the US
💸 A $103,265 fee is proposed for H-1B visas...and a fee for OPT may be next
It's baaacckk...and unfortunately, bigger than before. DHS published a proposed rule that would add a $103,265 fee to every cap-subject H-1B petition, paid by the employer at the time of filing. To be clear, this is a brand new proposal — separate from the $100,000 H-1B fee you may remember from last fall, which a federal judge struck down in June and which is still winding its way through the courts. Nothing is in effect yet: the public comment period runs through September 24, and DHS has to read those comments and publish a final rule before anyone owes anything. Unlike the earlier version, this fee would apply to students already in the U.S. changing status. Jobs at universities and nonprofit research organizations are cap-exempt, so no fee. And if that's not enough to make you dizzy, DHS has sent a proposed OPT fee to the White House for review...though that rule hasn't been published yet. Speculation says $100,000 could be the price tag...but nothing has been confirmed by the agency. (Federal Register | The Washington Post | Bloomberg Law)
📋 Two memos in 12 days: ICE tells universities to tighten up on CPT
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the system that tracks your record and lets your school enroll international students...sent a message to designated school officials (DSOs) at every SEVP-certified school on August 12, saying it had seen a rise in CPT authorizations that weren't an "integral part of the curriculum", and that DSOs should only approve CPT if its absence would make earning the degree impossible. When that didn't seem to land, they sent a second message on August 24, more direct: if the course is an elective, the "required" test isn't met. Nothing in the regulation actually changed...but DSOs, who sign your I-20 under penalty of perjury, have now been told twice in writing that their school's certification is on the line. For most campuses, it's been business as usual — Dartmouth says there are "no planned changes" while it seeks clarification, and most schools have said nothing at all. But at UC Berkeley...it suspended all course-credit CPT applications the very next day and hasn't restarted. If you're planning CPT this term, talk to your international office now, not in October. (SEVP | The Dartmouth | The Daily Californian | Daily Cal editorial)
⚖️ Eight organizations sued DHS over the end of duration of status...and the timing is tight
On August 18, three higher education groups, four unions, and one journalism union filed suit in federal court in Boston over the rule replacing D/S with a fixed admission period. They filed two things: a lawsuit, which could take years, and an emergency request asking the judge to pause the rule right now. That request gets a hearing on September 9...six days before the rule takes effect on September 15. Keeping it short here because I dive more into what you need to know later in this newsletter. (Presidents' Alliance)
🎓 Featured Scholarship: Last Mile Education Fund
Well...more like emergency funding than a scholarship. This funding is for STEM students in the final stretch of a degree, and something goes wrong...like a tuition balance blocking your registration...a broken laptop...the list goes on. Students enrolled at an accredited U.S. college, university, or community college, majoring in a STEM field are eligible, including F-1 international students. The best part? There's no deadline. Applications are open year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis, with no GPA minimum. See what the funding covers and bookmark this page in case you need it! (Last Mile Education Fund)
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
😳 Harvard is paying $53 million over what happened in its medical school morgue
Chalk this up under "stories that made you stop scrolling." OK...Cedric Lodge managed the morgue at Harvard Medical School. Federal prosecutors say that between 2018 and 2022, he took organs, brains, faces, and other body parts from donated cadavers — after they'd been used for teaching and research, but before they were supposed to be disposed of — to his home in New Hampshire, and sold them to buyers in several states. He was sentenced to eight years in prison last December, and six people who bought remains from him have since pleaded guilty. On August 17, Harvard agreed to a $53 million settlement with families who sued the school for negligence; an initial class action estimated that 350 to 400 donated bodies may have been affected. Harvard had tried to get the cases dismissed, arguing it acted in good faith, and a judge agreed — until the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed that decision last October and let the suits move forward. Now Harvard is paying out the money....and funding student scholarships in honor of those people who donated their bodies. My question is...what were people doing with these body parts?! (The Harvard Crimson)
News in 1 Sentence
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the visas of up to 200,000 people who hold business or tourism visas and have applied for or are currently seeking asylum, in what would be the largest single mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The man accused of killing Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, two 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh at the University of South Florida, is scheduled to stand trial in November 2027, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.
The Pentagon has given 30 universities until August 31 to audit and cut research ties with 130 institutions in China, Russia and Iran, or risk losing federal research funding.
The University of California isn't seeing the international enrollment drop hitting schools elsewhere, admitting 8% more international students this year, while Cal State's international enrollment fell roughly 14% and the University of North Texas watched its international graduate population get cut nearly in half.
The State Department has paused immigrant visa applications worldwide so consular officers can complete training on screening out applicants deemed likely to need public benefits, with no date given for when the rescheduled appointments will resume.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
When International Enrollment Falls, Do American Students Actually Win?
The Duration of Status Lawsuit:
What International Students Should Know
A federal judge in Boston hears arguments September 9 — six days before the rule takes effect.
OK - the short version if you just need to know what's going on and are walking to class
On August 18, eight organizations sued the Department of Homeland Security in federal court in Boston over the rule ending duration of status.
Let me refresh your memory: "Duration of status," or D/S for short, means you were allowed to stay in the U.S. until you finished your degree.
DHS is ending D/S and replacing it with a fixed admission period — four years, or your program end date, whichever comes first.
Need longer? You have to apply for an extension and hope it's approved.
The rule covers F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors and scholars, and I visa journalists, who get capped at 240 days.
Back to the lawsuit. First, the plaintiffs are:
Three higher education groups (NAFSA, the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts)
Four unions (the American Federation of Teachers, Brown University's graduate worker union, the UAW, and UAW Local 2322)
One journalism union (the NewsGuild-CWA)
They are all represented by the law firm McDermott Will & Schulte. They filed two documents.
One starts a lawsuit, which could take years to resolve. The other asks the judge to pause the rule immediately. That request is called a motion for a preliminary injunction.
A hearing is set for September 9....and the rule to end D/S takes effect September 15.
Yes...it's cutting it pretty close. But it's important to understand this point:
These organizations are not arguing DHS can't end duration of status. They're arguing DHS didn't follow the rules for how a federal agency has to justify a change this big.
So as of now, nothing has changed. D/S is still scheduled to end September 15.
But if the judge decides to approve the injunction while the lawsuit plays out, it could stop the new rule from going into effect.
OK — if you need to go to class...this is what you need to know.
But if you're like me and had a LOT more questions...
Please...won't you join me... in diving deeper to learn more about:
What proof do these groups have that DHS didn't follow the rules?
Lawsuit vs. injunction — what's the difference?
Why did this group file in Boston and not Washington, D.C.?
Lawsuit and injunction filed...so what happens next?
SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!
Disclaimer: International Student Voice is not an immigration attorney or immigration advisor. The purpose of this newsletter is strictly educational. Always consult with qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your situation.
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