Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks New Rule by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) That Would Impose a Strict Four-Year Limit on International Students Studying at U.S. Colleges and Universities

On September 14, 2026, Federal Judge Dennis Saylor issued a temporary injunction blocking the DHS from enforcing a new four-year limit on the length of time international college students studying in the U.S. can remain in the U.S. while following all student rules and pursuing their degree. Judge Saylor noted that since 1978 (for about 48 years) international students have been permitted to stay in the U.S. as long as they make normal progress toward their education goals.

Read from The Washington Sun, Judge Blocks Trump Rule Limiting Student Visas to Four Years

Effective September 18, 2026, New Public Charge Rules May Apply to More than 950,000 People Applying for "Green Cards". Applicants Who Have Received Means-Tested Public Benefits Including Housing, Food Stamps, Financial Aid for College and Other Similar Benefits May Have Their "Green Card" Applications Rejected

The new rule appears much broader than the prior interpretation of "public charge" which was generally limited to direct cash benefits. The prior policy generally did not apply to non-cash items such as food stamps and Medicaid.

Read from the New York Times, How Trump's New Green Card Policy Could Affect Immigrant Families

Read from Politico, New York City Leads Lawsuit Against Trump's 'Public Charge' Immigration Rule

White House Issues New Executive Order in Attempt to Limit Birthright Citizenship Despite June 30, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court Decision Rejecting Prior Executive Order

The White House's new August 6, 2026 executive order attempting to restrict birthright citizenship has been challenged in U.S. federal court by the ACLU and others as non-compliant with the June 30, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Read from Reuters, ACLU, Others Urge Judge to Block Trump's Latest Birthright Citizenship Orders

Read from The White House, Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Proposes New "Educational Standards" for Citizenship Test. In Related News, U.S. Justice Department Announces an Increased Effort to Denaturalize Multiple Existing U.S. Citizens

On August 4, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposed changes to the U.S. citizenship test. An official Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is expected in December 2026.

In related news, on August 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced expanded efforts to denaturalize multiple U.S. citizens, the largest coordinated denaturalization effort in its history.

Read from Newsweek, Trump Administration Eyes New Naturalization Testing Rules

George Maxwell, Attorney

gmaxwell@borene.com

Tip of the Month

USCIS Announces Increased Fees for Multiple Applications Effective October 16, 2026, Including Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization

On September 30, 2026, USCIS published a Federal Register Notice increasing filing fees for several applications, including the very frequently used Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Any I-765 application postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 without the current new fee of $570 will be rejected.

Read from USCIS, USCIS Announces FY 2027 inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees

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USCIS Case

Processing Times

For the latest official processing times from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for visa petitions and immigration applications

Visa Bulletin

For the latest information from the U.S. Department of State on Immigrant Visa “Green Card” quota backlog (priority) dates

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