Major Immigration Updates

August 2020

USDHS/USICE Continues March Guidance for Fall 2020 Term
July 29, 2020

On July 24, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE), issued a Broadcast Message and FAQ confirming that their March […]

USDHS Rescinds July 6 Guidance; Review Of March 2020 Guidance Impact on Fall 2020
July 18, 2020

On July 14, 2020, following a legal challenge by MIT and Harvard, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) rescinded its July 6 directive and July 7 FAQ on F-1 students […]

U.S. Travel Restriction from Schengen Area, United Kingdom, and Ireland Lifted for Certain Visa Types
July 17, 2020

On July 16, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs officially announced that individuals traveling to the U.S. from the Schengen area, United Kingdom, and Ireland in certain […]

USDOS Provides Details on Phased Resumption of Routine Visa Services
July 15, 2020

On July 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs has posted on its website more detailed information, and an FAQ, on the phased resumption of routine […]

USICE Rescinds July 6 Guidance on International Students and Online Learning
July 14, 2020

On July 14, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE), a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) rescinded its guidance issued on July 6, 2020 on international students […]

MIT President Op-Ed: I’m the President of MIT. America Needs Foreign Students
July 14, 2020

Following the lawsuit filed by MIT and Harvard University, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) rescinded their July 6 guidance that would have dramatically impacted international students in the U.S. […]

Presidential Proclamation Eliminating U.S. Differential Treatment of Hong Kong
July 14, 2020

On July 14, 2020, the White House published “The President’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization”, which eliminates differential treatment of Hong Kong in relation to U.S. law as it […]

U.S. Department of State Twitter Indicates Embassies/Consulates Begin Phased Reopening July 15, 2020
July 13, 2020

While we do not see an official posting on the U.S. Department of State (USDOS) webpage, the official Twitter page for the USDOS Bureau of Consular Affairs posted this morning […]

USDHS Guidance for Fall 2020 – Current Updates – Awaiting Court Decision
July 13, 2020

We are all anxious about the recent USDHS guidance, and, as I indicated on Friday, we had hoped to be able to provide you with some answers to your questions […]

MIT Reviewing USDHS Guidance/FAQ for Fall 2020
July 11, 2020

As a follow up to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) Guidance on COVID-19 and procedures impacting international students for Fall 2020, issued on July 6, USDHS on July 7 issued […]