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U.S. Visa Rule Changes: A Dated Log With Primary Sources
Every entry below is taken from the Federal Register, the U.S. Code, or a Department of State announcement — not from news coverage of them. Each gives the publication date, the effective date, who it affects, and the source document. Where a change alters something on this site, the affected guide is linked.
Entries run newest first. Proposed rules are marked as such; they are not in force.
2026
25 August 2026 — Proposed: $103,265 fee on H-1B cap petitions
Proposed rule, not in force. DHS proposes a $103,265 fee, payable at filing, on all H-1B cap-subject petitions including the advanced-degree exemption, in addition to all other fees. Affects employers filing H-1B cap petitions, and so the workers those petitions are for. Source: 91 FR 54817, doc. 2026-17324. Our analysis: what the proposal actually says. Comments due 24 September 2026. Stacks on the $100,000 Proclamation 10973 payment (below).
11 August 2026 — Executive Order 14419, Ending Birth Tourism
Signed 6 August. Directs State and DHS to deny visas to, revoke visas of, and permanently bar anyone entering on a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth, and to act against facilitators. Humanitarian and national-interest exemptions at the Secretaries' discretion. Affects B-2 applicants; no change to the DS-160 form. Source: 91 FR 51993. Our analysis: what EO 14419 means for B-2 applicants.
10 August 2026 — 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for H-1B and L-1
Effective 9 September 2026. DHS corrects its reading of the fee, which adds $4,000 (H-1B) or $4,500 (L-1) to petitions by employers with 50 or more U.S. employees of whom more than half hold H-1B or L-1 status. Employer-paid; affects H-1B and L-1 workers only indirectly. Source: 91 FR 51360.
3 August 2026 — Visa bond programme made permanent
Effective 3 August 2026. Ends the 12-month pilot and makes the programme permanent. Consular officers may require B-1/B-2 applicants from designated countries to post a bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 as a condition of issuance. The country list is on travel.state.gov and changes on a rolling basis. Ceiling raised from the pilot's $15,000. Source: 91 FR 48757. Our analysis: the U.S. visa bond.
30 July 2026 — Proposed: J-1 programme termination, extension and reinstatement procedures
Proposed rule, not in force; comments close 60 days from 30 July 2026. The Department of State proposes to revise the Exchange Visitor Program regulations (22 CFR part 62) on how sponsors terminate a participant's programme, extend a programme on the DS-2019, and reinstate a participant to valid status. Procedural; affects J-1 exchange visitors and their sponsors. Listed for completeness pending a final rule. Source: 91 FR 48021, doc. 2026-15450.
20 July 2026 — 2022 public charge rule rescinded
Effective 18 September 2026. DHS rescinds its 2022 public charge regulations, which it now describes as inconsistent with congressional intent and unduly restrictive. Public charge is an admissibility ground under INA §212(a)(4); this rescission concerns how DHS applies it. Consular application under 9 FAM is a separate matter. Source: 91 FR 45324.
17 July 2026 — Duration of status ends for F, J and I
Effective 15 September 2026, subject to Congressional Review Act timing. F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors and I media representatives are admitted for a fixed period of up to four years plus a 30-day grace period, instead of "duration of status". Longer programmes need an I-539 extension. Existing D/S admissions run four years from the effective date. Source: 91 FR 44976. Our analysis: duration of status is ending.
9 June 2026 — $750 expedited B-1/B-2 interview fee
Effective 1 July through 31 December 2026, as a pilot. Adds a $750 consular fee for an expedited B-1/B-2 interview appointment within ten business days, subject to availability, at limited posts listed on travel.state.gov. B-1/B-2 only; on top of the $185 application fee. Source: 91 FR 34768. Our analysis: the $750 expedite fee.
29 April 2026 — USCIS implements H.R.1 fees
Effective 29 May 2026. DHS codifies immigration fees required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Notably, this rule does not implement the $250 Visa Integrity Fee created by §100007 of that Act; as of this rule it remains uncollected by DHS. See how much a U.S. visa costs for the fee's status. Source: 91 FR 22952.
2025
1 October 2025 — Interview waiver eligibility narrowed
Effective 1 October 2025. The Department of State ended the pandemic-era interview waiver: the renewal window drops from 48 to 12 months, age-based exemptions for under-14s and over-79s are removed, and most work and study renewals require an interview. Remaining eligibility is chiefly diplomatic categories and a narrow B-1/B-2 renewal. Source: Department of State interview waiver update, 18 September 2025. Our analysis: who still qualifies.
24 September 2025 — Proclamation 10973: $100,000 H-1B payment
Effective 19 September 2025; expires 12 months later absent extension. Restricts entry of certain H-1B workers outside the United States unless a $100,000 payment is made in connection with the petition. Employer-paid; affects new H-1B workers abroad. The proposed $103,265 fee above would stack on top of it. Source: Proclamation 10973, 90 FR 46027.
16 September 2025 — $1 Diversity Visa registration fee
Effective 16 September 2025. The Department of State adds a $1 fee to register for the Diversity Visa lottery, collected at registration. Immigrant-track; listed for completeness. Source: doc. 2025-17851.
5 August 2025 — Visa bond pilot launched
Effective 20 August 2025, for 12 months. Temporary final rule launching the visa bond pilot for B-1/B-2 applicants from designated countries, bonds of up to $15,000. Superseded by the permanent programme above. Source: doc. 2025-14826; correction at doc. 2025-15211.
22 July 2025 — DHS defers the Visa Integrity Fee
DHS's fee notice implementing H.R.1 lists the $250 Visa Integrity Fee among fees it is not implementing, stating it "requires cross-agency coordination before implementing" and will be set out in a later publication. Source: Federal Register notice 2025-13738.
4 July 2025 — Visa Integrity Fee enacted
Public Law 119-21, §100007. Creates a Visa Integrity Fee payable by any person issued a nonimmigrant visa, at issuance: minimum $250 for FY2025, CPI-adjusted thereafter. Implementation deferred by DHS (see above) and collection has since been reported as uneven between posts. Source: Public Law 119-21, §100007. Our analysis: the Visa Integrity Fee.
How this log is maintained
Entries come from the Federal Register's public API, filtered to rules, proposed rules and presidential documents touching nonimmigrant visas, and from the U.S. Code and Department of State announcements where the change was not made by regulation. Each entry links its source document so it can be checked. Corrections are welcome; a change is not listed until its source text has been read.