Compliance Management

On December 12, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it no longer recognizes the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency.

On April 18, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order with a "Buy American and Hire American" theme.

DOS implemented Form DS-5535, Supplemental Questions for Visa Applicants, to standardize the collection of additional information from immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants "who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related

Legacy INS memo states, "Where an adjudicator is aware that the beneficiary’s status has expired, or will have expired by the H-1B effective date, change of status will be denied even if the petition is approved on its merits." The memo also states that "Likewise, changes of status will be approved

July 12, 2017 Department of State sent to consular offices worldwide, to implement the processes called for by sections 2(a), (b), (d), and (e) of Executive Order 13780. Section 2(e) of Executive Order 13780 establishes a possible "indefinite" entry bar that could apply to any country that is

Pre-submitted questions from NAFSA and answered by SEVP in connection with a session entitled "SEVIS Current Issues," presented at the NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo in Los Angeles, CA, on May 30, 2017.

The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia announced on August 21, 2017, that "Due to the Russian government-imposed cap on U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, all nonimmigrant visa operations across Russia will be suspended on August 23. Nonimmigrant visa operations resumed in Moscow on a reduced scale

Countries currently sanctioned under INA 243(d).

On August 8, 2017, DOS revised its FAM guidance on assessing residence abroad for F-1 students, by removing helpful prior language that had encouraged consular officers to consider the "inherent difference" between a young F-1 visa applicant and a short-term B visa applicant. The new FAM entry now

On January 23, 2019 and April 1, 2019, DOS tweaked the 90-day rule language in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) in a positive direction, by removing a reference that was thought to unfairly flag students.