On November 13, 2024 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its review of an item titled "Public Notice of Revised Exchange Visitor Skills List." The Department of State had submitted this to OMB on September 24, 2024. Currently, no information is available regarding potential changes to the Skills List that may be included in a future Federal Register notice. NAFSA has been tracking this issue on its Regulatory Agenda page.

Join NAFSA on November 14 at 12:00 p.m. (EST) for a special IE30 event with NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw to discuss the outcome of the U.S. elections and the potential impact on the international education community. IE30s are live virtual events NAFSA hosts on LinkedIn Live. This event is open to all. Register today to add it to your calendar.

The Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) reminded the public that "on December 1, 2024, the legacy Permanent Online System will no longer be accessible to account holders and the general public will be redirected to the FLAG System. Stakeholders who require documents from their Permanent Online System accounts are strongly encouraged to access and download those documents well in advance of December 1, 2024. Permanent Online System account holders who need to upload documents or request a specific case action on an application submitted in the Permanent Online System (e.g., request reconsideration, withdraw applications, etc.) should complete action in the system by November 30, 2024, at 7 PM EST."

The U.S. Department of State maintains a page on "U.S. Visa Guidance for Individuals Affected by Events in Lebanon" which covers both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing. The introductory paragraph states: "The United States continues to work to assist U.S. citizens in Lebanon. In order to facilitate family reunification, we have resumed full immigrant visa processing at Embassy Beirut for Lebanese family members of U.S. citizens. Routine nonimmigrant visa processing is not available in Beirut at this time, but individuals may apply for a nonimmigrant visa at any U.S. embassy or consulate."

In a Federal Register notice published on October 18, 2024, DHS makes Special Student Relief (SSR) available to certain Lebanese F-1 students who were in the United States as of July 26, 2024, "who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current humanitarian crisis in Lebanon." The SSR benefits, if granted, will be available through January 25, 2026.

On October 16, 2024 NAFSA wrote a letter to USCIS Director Ur Jaddou urging USCIS to "clarify that a student fully enrolled in an SEVP-certified school during a study abroad program may remain in Active SEVIS status and reenter the United States on that SEVIS record even if the study abroad program lasts more than 5 months." This is a follow-up letter to NAFSA's September 13, 2024 comments to USCIS on the agency's August 27, 2024 USCIS Policy Manual revisions.

Remember that SEVP Broadcast Message 2409-06 confirmed that "Beginning Monday, Sept. 30, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will only accept emailed documentation for the Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor.”

The Secretary of Homeland Security has directed all flights to the United States departing after 11:59 p.m Eastern Daylight Time on October 15, 2024 and that are carrying "a person who has departed from, or was otherwise present within, Rwanda within 21 days of the date of the person’s entry or attempted entry into the United States” to land at one of three U.S. airports "where the U.S. government is focusing public health resources to implement enhanced public health measures.” The restrictions apply to flights carrying anyone who “has recently traveled from Rwanda," regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The policy is meant to contain spread of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD).

On September 30, 2024, the U.S. Mission to India announced that it "opened an additional 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travelers, including tourists, skilled workers, and students. The recently released new slots will help hundreds of thousands of Indian applicants take timely interviews, facilitating the travel which is the backbone of the people-to-people ties that underpin the U.S.-India relationship."

In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, NAFSA reminds advisers to visit NAFSA's Resources for Emergencies and Natural Disasters in the U.S. page for links to some useful "evergreen" resources.