Federal Friday
- White House: President Trump Champions Educational Freedom — Putting Students and Parents First
- USCIS: DHS Proposes Additional H-1B Fee
- Federal Register: Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions
- Federal Register: Proposed Rule Education Department General Administrative Regulations
- Federal Student Aid: (GENERAL-26-45) Reminder: Reporting Deadline for Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Updated Aug. 25, 2026)
- Census Bureau: Census Bureau Partners With Over 1,100 Institutions in Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
- Department of Justice: The Department of Justice Files Complaints Against Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington Challenging State Laws that Provide In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens
- Department of Justice: Justice Department Finds George Washington University Medical School Discriminates Based on Race in Admissions
Homeland Security Proposes an Additional H-1B Fee
Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security proposed the establishment of “a $103,265 fee for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. The proposed fee would be paid at the time of filing and would be imposed in addition to all other applicable fees or payments.”
Importantly, as noted by Inside Higher Ed, “Only H-1B petitions that are subject to an annual cap have to pay the additional fee. But universities, along with nonprofit research institutions and national labs, are exempt from that cap. (The administration’s previous $100,000 fee would have applied to universities.)”
If interested in reading more, you can review the notice of proposed rulemaking.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Updates
On August 12 and 24, 2026, the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) released a Broadcast Message (BCM) 2608-01 and BCM 2608-02, respectively to Designated School Officials (DSOs), providing additional interpretation of the regulation governing F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization, available at 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i).
Additional guidance from the Universities of Wisconsin will be released early next week. In the meantime, see the UW-Madison Federal Immigration Update: Curricular Practice Training (CPT) webpage.
Department of Education Rulemaking
Earlier this week, the Department of Education released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) related to Education Department General Administrative Regulations.
If interested in reading more on the NPRM, you can review the following Inside Higher Ed article, and of course, please continue to share feedback with your university’s liaison.
Political Activity Guidance Reminder
As a reminder, as uncertainty continues around the federal landscape, Universities of Wisconsin employees should be mindful of political activity and public advocacy guidelines.
Activities such as sharing a petition or contacting a legislator for political purposes using your university email address or state resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time or engaging in political activities during work time are prohibited.
In your capacity as private citizens, on non-work time, and without use of university resources (including the use of university email addresses) employees may circulate or sign a petition or letter of support advocating for public policy or a political candidate. However, if using your name and official title, it should be made clear that an individual’s endorsement indicates neither support nor endorsement by the university of a particular policy position or candidate, and that you are acting solely in your role as a private citizen.
For more information, you can read the Guidance on Political Activities Frequently Asked Questions document. Importantly, these FAQs should be treated as general guidelines and not legal advice.
Please direct specific questions regarding political campaign issues to the Office of General Counsel or your university’s Office of Legal Affairs.