Starting November 13, 2023, the USCIS Potomac Service Center (PSC) "can no longer receive paper responses to correspondence such as Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID), Notices of Intent to Revoke (NOIR), Intents to Deny (ITD), Requests for Evidence (RFE) or supporting documentation for filings currently pending at the PSC... All mailed correspondence intended for cases processed by the PSC must be mailed to the Texas Service Center (TSC), unless otherwise noted... To avoid any processing delays, applicants and their representatives should instead upload their responses to their USCIS online account (for receipt notices that start with IOE-) or mail them to the Texas Service Center."

In a Federal Register notice published on October 31, 2023 but retroactively effective on October 20, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) extended special student relief (SSR) benefits for J-1 college and university students until April 19, 2025.

On October 30, 2023 President Biden signed an Executive Order titled Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The executive order contains several immigration-related initiatives.

On October 17, 2023, DOS sent to OMB for review a Notice titled Pilot Program to Resume Renewal of H-1B Nonimmigrant Visas in the United States for Certain Qualified Noncitizens.

USCIS updated the stand-alone Form I-140 filing addresses on October 24, 2023. Now, a petitioner filing Form I-140 filed by itself should filed at one of two locations, depending on where the beneficiary will work.

USCIS has updated the USCIS Policy Manual with some helpful content on how it determines whether an applicant for change of status or adjustment of status has met the INA 212(e) foreign residence requirement.

On October 23, 2023, USCIS published a proposed rule titled Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F-1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers. Public comments are due on or before December 22, 2023.

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release announced that starting October 19, 2023 eligible Israeli citizens and nationals can begin applying for ESTA authorization to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Israel had been designated under the VWP effective September 26, 2023.

Make sure you're using the 8/01/2023 version of Form I-9 starting November 1, 2023. See USCIS's reminder.

A NAFSA page lists immigration and study abroad information resources relevant to individuals impacted by the Israel-Hamas Conflict.