Immigration Update – July 31, 2025

Headlines:

‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Introduces New $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’; USCIS Releases List of Fees – The new fee will be charged to individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa at the time of visa issuance. Also, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced its new fees.

DOS Announces Investigation of Harvard’s Participation in Exchange Visitor Program – The Department of State is investigating Harvard University’s “continued eligibility as a sponsor” for the Exchange Visitor Program.

DOS Updates Visa Reciprocity Schedules, Reduces Validity Period for Nonimmigrant Visas – The Department of State has updated the visa reciprocity schedules for more than 50 countries, significantly reducing the validity period for nonimmigrant visas.

OFLC Announces Changes in Email Addresses for National Processing Centers – The new email addresses will be rolled out online and in letter and email templates over the coming months.

Details

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‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Introduces New $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’; USCIS Releases List of Fees

The recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1) introduces a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” for nonimmigrants, among other fees. The Visa Integrity Fee is intended to boost funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to support increased immigration enforcement activities. The new fee will be charged to individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa at the time of visa issuance. The legislation includes provisions that allow the DHS Secretary to raise the fee as needed and increase the fee based on inflation. There is not a set date on which the fee will be enacted.

Those required to pay the fee will include:

• Employment-based workers and their dependents: H-1B, H-4, L-1, L-2, TN, TD, O-1, O-3, P
• Students and their dependents: F-1, F-2
• Exchange visitors and their dependents: J-1, J-2
• Visitors: B-1, B-2

Entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program would not be subject to the visa integrity fee. There are no exceptions to the fee, which cannot be reduced. However, the legislation allows for reimbursement in certain circumstances after the period of admission has expired.

Also, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a notice on July 22, 2025, announcing the agency’s new fees, to whom those fees apply, when the new fees take effect, instructions on their payment, when and if the fees may be waived, and consequences of the failure to pay..

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DOS Announces Investigation of Harvard’s Participation in Exchange Visitor Program

On July 23, 2025, the Department of State (DOS) announced an investigation into Harvard University’s “continued eligibility as a sponsor” for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.

The announcement referenced national security concerns generally but provided no specifics on why Harvard was being investigated. According to reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave Harvard one week to provide many university records related to the visa program. Mr. Rubio also said DOS will interview university staff and visa holders. Harvard said the investigation was “another retaliatory step” in violation of the university’s First Amendment rights. Harvard said it would “protect its international community and support them as they apply for U.S. visas and travel to campus this fall.”

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DOS Updates Visa Reciprocity Schedules, Reduces Validity Period for Nonimmigrant Visas

The Department of State (DOS) has updated the visa reciprocity schedules for more than 50 countries, significantly reducing the validity period for nonimmigrant visas. Foreign nationals from affected countries will now be issued visas only for a period of three months and for a single entry. The affected visa categories include B (tourist), F (student), H (specialty occupation temporary worker), J (exchange visitor), M (student), and O (extraordinary ability). Previously, nonimmigrant visa validity periods may have been 12 months or longer and for multiple entries.

Foreign nationals with multiple citizenships are subject to the corresponding reciprocity schedule of the country that issued the passport used for the visa application. Visas issued before the change in reciprocity should not be affected and should retain their original validity.

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OFLC Announces Changes in Email Addresses for National Processing Centers

The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification is changing the mailing address for all its programs to: Office of Foreign Labor Certification, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-5311, Washington, DC 20210. As a follow-up to this process, on July 25, 2025, OFLC announced a change to the naming conventions for all email addresses currently used for help desks.

The new email addresses will be rolled out online and in letter and email templates over the coming months, OFLC said. To ensure minimum disruption, the old addresses will remain valid and usable during this transition. OFLC encourages users to reference the OFLC official page and the Foreign Labor Application Gateway processing site to monitor the changes.

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