Adviser's Manual 360

On March 14, 2025 DHS published a Federal Register notice giving the public 60 days to comment on its plan to submit for OMB review a series of changes to DHS Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance. Individuals and employers use this form to request assistance from the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) when they are experiencing problems with USCIS during the processing of immigration benefits. Comments are due by May 13, 2025.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) offers students "some tips to help you prepare" for travel during spring break.

A New York District Court issued an order to block the removal from the United States of a student who is a lawful permanent resident of Palestinian background, following the student's arrest by ICE agents acting under Executive Order 14188, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism."

Two recent actions have rendered visa interview wait time information no longer available on the travel.state.gov website.

Preliminary OMB and Federal Register postings indicate that the form to be used to re-register nonimmigrants who turn 14 years old in the United States will be designated as "Form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration).

New USCIS guidance requires young nonimmigrants who turn 14 while in the U.S. to "re-register" with USCIS within 30 days of their birthday, even if previously registered when entering the country. This may affect, for example, F-2, J-2, H-4 dependents and young F-1/J-1 students who entered before age 14. Most nonimmigrants who entered the U.S. at age 14+ (e.g., F-1, J-1, H-1B, etc.) are already automatically registered upon entry (as evidenced by their Form I-94) and DON'T need to re-register. The new registration process isn't available yet but USCIS will announce it when ready. This is also a good time to remind noncitizens to carry their registration document and timely report address changes. Visit NAFSA's page for more details.

Join us for a critical townhall discussion on the evolving landscape of international education policy 40 days into the new US administration. Our expert panel will examine the current status of Executive Orders affecting international education, explore NAFSA's strategic focus and approaches to these challenges, and share diverse perspectives from practitioners in the field. Our host, NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw will be joined by Simon Emmett of IDP Education as well as Rachel Banks, Caroline Donovan White, and Joann Ng Hartman from NAFSA. We'll conclude with an action-oriented conversation on future directions and collaborative solutions. This session provides essential insights for international education professionals seeking to understand and respond to the policy shifts impacting our work. Register today!

NAFSA joined more than 60 associations in a letter sent by the American Council on Education (ACE) to the Department of Education (DoED), asking the agency to rescind its February 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) and "work to promulgate guidance that reflects existing law."

On February 14, 2025 the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) posted a notice informing stakeholders that on March 20, 2025 it will begin deleting records older than five years from the record's final determination date as recorded in the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system. The notices advises stakeholders that "If you have case records in FLAG older than five years from the final determination date that you would like to retain, please ensure that they are downloaded no later than March 20, 2025."

A February 18, 2025 DOS update supersedes prior visa interview waiver eligibility policies. For example, the previous policy allowed visa interview waivers for applicants whose prior visa in the same category had expired within the past 48 months. The new policy reduces this to the statutory 12-month post-expiration period.