SEVP issued 2 guidance directives reinterpreting CPT requirements. The ACU OISVS is currently reviewing our policies and all non-required CPT is currently paused.  

From Internationalstudent.us:            14 September 2026

Good news friends! 

On September 14 at about 5:00pm,, a U.S. District Court Judge in Massachusetts (Judge Dennis Saylor) issued a nationwide order pausing the D/S rule from going into effect on September 15, 2026. Importantly, this is not a final ruling on the lawsuit itself. Rather, the court found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their case, and has paused the D/S rule from taking effect while the underlying lawsuit continues.

Full text of the Memo and Order on the Motion for Preliminary Injunction is available here. 

Some highlights from the judge’s decision include: 

• pg. 27: “Here, the agency action is arbitrary and capricious in at least four respects: DHS failed to conduct a reasoned calculation of the benefits and costs of the Final Rule; failed to conduct a meaningful consideration of other alternatives; failed to respond to significant comments expressing substantial concerns; and failed to show that there is a rational connection between the Final Rule and its purported objectives.”

• pg. 42: “In summary, DHS’s proffered objectives bear no reasonable connection to the Final Rule. Accordingly, the Final Rule is arbitrary and capricious within the meaning of the APA.”

• pg: 45: “Accordingly, plaintiffs have demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their claims; that immediate irreparable harm will ensue if the Final Rule is not enjoined; and that the balance of the equities and the public interest favor issuance of a preliminary injunction. The Court will therefore issue such an injunction staying the operation of the rule.”

DHS is currently enjoined from implementing the D/S rule, though they are appealing the injunction. The next hearing is scheduled for October 2nd.

Given the timing of the order, it may be wise for those preparing I-765 or I-539 applications to hold off on submitting these applications until USCIS updates its instructions, as USCIS currently indicates on its webpages for Form I-539 and Form I-765 that USCIS will publish revised editions of Forms I-765 and I-539 on September 15, 2026, to align with the D/S final rule, and that only the 09/15/2026 edition of these forms will be accepted on or after September 15, 2026. 

A good summary article form Inside Higher Ed (IHE) can be found here.

We will share more information as it becomes available.

Duration of Status Elimination

This much anticipated regulation "Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media" has been published largely as proposed. Unless stopped by the courts, it will take effect on September 15, 2026.  

Provisions most applicable to ACU students include:

-Receiving an "Admit Until Date" on your I-94 instead of D/S (duration of status), with a shortened grace period (for F students) to 30 days; 

*Note I: students planning to submit OPT applications in the next 6 months are advised NOT to leave the U.S. to 

        take  advantage of the transition provision allowing students with D/S I-94s to avoid filing the EOS application.

       *Note II: Under the new regs, unauthorized presence - which counts toward the bars for reentry - will begin the day

        after the I-94 AUD. See this USCIS page for more.

-Requiring students to submit an extension of stay application for lengthening the I-20 end date to finish a degree program, and also for change of levels, OPT, Academic Training, and several other situations;

-More rigorous evaluation in allowing extended stays, potentially denying students who are requesting an extension due to academic probation or other unacceptable issues for the government;

-Not allowing undergraduate students in the first year of their programs to change majors "programs" or transfer out; 

-Not allowing graduate students to change institutions or majors at any point.

There are numerous other ramifications and the guidance and associated processes have yet to be developed by SEVP. The OISVS will be following this closely. 

SEVP Quick explainer page is here, and the FAQ page is here.

Another good source for ACU international students to stay informed is at internationalstudent.us

Consular Officers to Begin Asking Asylum-Style Questions to Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants. An April 28, 2026 Washington Post article reported on a Department of State cable and communications from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that require consular officers to ask all nonimmigrant visa applicants two new questions: 1) “Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and 2) “Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality or permanent residence?” The Post article relates that the cable also states that “An applicant’s fear of returning to his or her country of nationality or permanent residence calls into question an applicant’s intended purpose of travel and immigrant intent at the time of visa application,” and that “Visa applicants must respond verbally with a ‘no’ to both questions for the consular officer to continue with visa issuance.” See New State Department rules would deny visas to those who fear returning home, Adam Taylor, The Washington Post, April 28, 2026. 

Travel Bans for certain countries announced

6/6/25: President Trump signed executive orders banning travel from 12 countries (Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) and a partial ban from 7 additional countries (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela). Read more here. Students with current immigration status in the U.S. or valid visas are not impacted by this travel ban.

Visa Interview Social Media Checks

6/27/25: According to a NAFSA article:  "All F, M, and J visa applicants must now set their social media accounts to "public" during the application process. If this is not done, it "could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity."  The article further explains: "The new system uses INA 221(g) refusals as a mechanism to conduct enhanced vetting, meaning applicants will see "Refused" status in their official records even when undergoing routine screening." The review intends to identify "potentially derogatory information" including things like "hostile attitudes" toward the United States and political activism."

Continuing students may also be subject to social media checks at the port of entry and as always, we recommend you exercise discretion about what you post on social media.

January 29, 2025 - Executive Order

President Trump issued this Executive Order on January 29, 2025: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism  In addition, this Fact Sheet was disseminated by the White House 

Visa Revocations

U.S. laws do give the U.S. Department of State authority to revoke previously approved F-1 or J-1 visas, such as when a student receives a "DUI" citation (Driving while under the influence of alcohol). Students are notified to the email they used when they applied for their visa. 

In the case where that email address is no longer in use, students can check this Department of State page to see the status of their visa: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV

If your visa has been revoked, please let the OISVS know. We will discuss the implications and probably refer you to an immigration attorney who specializes in visa revocations.