The new U.S. visa rules taking effect in 2025 and 2026 change who can enter the country, how the H-1B lottery picks winners, and how much petitions cost. Country-based entry restrictions now apply to nationals of 19 countries. The H-1B lottery is shifting to favor higher-paid positions starting with the FY 2027 cap season. Premium processing fees rose again on March 1, 2026. Student visa processes have been modernized, and a handful of pilot programs are testing digital documents and domestic renewals. Here is what each of these changes means in practice.
Entry Restrictions by Country
Proclamation 10949, issued June 4, 2025, fully restricts entry for nationals of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Seven more countries face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.1The White House. Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States
Full restriction generally means most visa categories are unavailable to nationals of the listed country. Partial restriction limits specific visa types. These rules build on Executive Order 14161, signed January 20, 2025, which reinstated earlier national-security-based entry policies, and a December 2025 presidential action expanded the scope further.1The White House. Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States
If you are a national of one of these countries, check with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate before making travel plans. Waivers exist but are discretionary, and approval rates vary by post and visa category.
H-1B Lottery Now Favors Higher Wages
The H-1B program has a statutory cap of 65,000 visas per year, plus 20,000 more reserved for workers holding a U.S. master’s degree or higher.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H-1B Cap Season Demand consistently exceeds supply, and two rule changes have reshaped how the lottery selects petitions.
Beneficiary-Centric Selection
A 2024 rule replaced the older registration-centric lottery. Each worker now gets one entry regardless of how many employers register on their behalf, tied to a unique passport or travel document number.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H-1B Electronic Registration Process Registrations with fake or placeholder passport numbers are invalidated. If a single employer submits more than one registration for the same person, all of that employer’s registrations for that person are thrown out.
Wage-Level Weighting Starts With FY 2027
A final rule effective February 27, 2026, layers wage-based weighting on top of the beneficiary-centric system. Positions paying at the top of the Department of Labor’s four-tier OEWS wage scale for the occupation and geographic area receive more entries into the selection pool than those at entry-level wages.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H-1B Electronic Registration Process
Employers must report the OEWS wage level on each registration, at the highest level the offered salary equals or exceeds. If a worker has multiple registrations from different employers at different wage levels, USCIS assigns the worker to the lowest of those wage levels. The registration fee remains $215 per beneficiary.
The practical effect: entry-level positions have meaningfully lower odds of selection, and employers offering salaries at the top of the range for a given occupation gain a substantial advantage.
Filing Fees Have Climbed
USCIS overhauled its fee schedule in 2024, and premium processing fees rose again in 2026. The combined cost of sponsoring a single worker adds up quickly.
Base Petition Fees
The Form I-129 base fee depends on category. H-1B petitions cost $780, L-1 intracompany transferee petitions cost $1,385, and O-1 petitions for individuals with extraordinary ability cost $1,055.
Asylum Program Fee
Every Form I-129 and Form I-140 filing now carries an Asylum Program Fee. Employers with more than 25 full-time equivalent employees pay $600 per filing. Employers with 25 or fewer pay $300. Nonprofits are exempt.
Premium Processing
Effective March 1, 2026, Form I-907 premium processing for H-1B, L-1, O-1, and most other employment-based petitions costs $2,965, up from $2,805. Premium processing for H-2B, R-1, OPT, and STEM OPT applications costs $1,780.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees
USCIS rejects filings with incorrect fee amounts, so verify the current schedule before submitting. Between base fees, the Asylum Program Fee, premium processing, and attorney costs (typically $2,500 to $5,000 for an H-1B), sponsoring one worker can easily exceed $7,000.
Student Visa Changes
A few updates matter if you are coming to the U.S. to study.
Digital Form I-20
Designated school officials can electronically sign and transmit Form I-20 to students and dependents using electronic signature software, scanned signatures, email, or a secure portal.5Study in the States. Read New Policy Guidance for the Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission of the Form I-20 Bring a printed copy of the digitally signed I-20 to your visa interview and to the U.S. border.
Earlier Visa Issuance, Same Entry Window
F-1 and M-1 student visas can now be issued up to 365 days before your program start date.6Study in the States. Students and the Form I-20 The entry rule has not changed: you still cannot enter the United States more than 30 days before your program begins.7Study in the States. Maintaining Status
Keeping SEVIS Active
Once enrolled, changes to your program end date, funding source, or enrollment level must be updated by a school official. Dropping below a full course load without advance approval from your designated school official is one of the most common reasons SEVIS records get terminated.8U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. F and M Student Record Termination Reasons in SEVIS A terminated record puts you out of status immediately.
STEM OPT Rules Remain Strict
A qualifying STEM degree can extend your Optional Practical Training by 24 months, for up to 36 total months of post-graduation work authorization. You must be in a valid period of post-completion OPT, hold a STEM degree from an accredited SEVP-certified U.S. institution, and work for an E-Verify employer. The position must be paid, directly related to your degree, and covered by a Form I-983 training plan.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)
File the extension application up to 90 days before your current OPT expires, and no later than the expiration date. Your employer must report your termination to the designated school official within five business days and submit a modified I-983 whenever your job responsibilities change materially. Unpaid roles, independent contractor arrangements, and purely remote positions without proper oversight are prohibited.
The 60-Day Grace Period If You Lose Your Job
Losing your job on an H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1, or TN visa does not immediately put you out of status. Federal regulations provide up to 60 consecutive days of grace, or until your authorized validity period ends, whichever comes first.10eCFR. 8 CFR 214.1
The clock starts the day after your last paid day of work. You get this grace period once per authorized petition validity period. You cannot work during those 60 days without separate authorization, but you can use the time to line up a new employer willing to file a transfer, apply for a change of status, or prepare to depart.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment The grace period applies whether you quit or were fired. USCIS has discretion to shorten or deny it, but most workers receive the full 60 days in practice.
Overstay Bars You Should Know
Falling out of status carries consequences beyond removal. The Immigration and Nationality Act imposes automatic bars on returning to the United States.
- More than 180 days but less than one year of unlawful presence in a single stay, followed by a voluntary departure before removal proceedings, triggers a three-year bar on reentry.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility
- One year or more of unlawful presence followed by any departure triggers a ten-year bar, whether you left voluntarily or were removed.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility
- More than one year of total unlawful presence across one or more stays, followed by reentry or attempted reentry without being admitted or paroled, triggers a permanent bar with only a narrow waiver possibility.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility
The three-year bar only applies if you left before removal proceedings started. Staying through removal proceedings avoids the three-year bar but may trigger the ten-year bar instead.13U.S. Department of State. 9 FAM 302.11 Ineligibility Based on Previous Removal Unlawful presence begins accruing the day after your authorized stay expires or the day USCIS or an immigration judge determines you violated your status. Track your I-94 expiration date closely.
Pilot Programs to Watch
Domestic H-1B Visa Renewal
In late 2023 the State Department launched a pilot allowing certain H-1B holders to renew their visa stamps without leaving the U.S. The initial pilot was narrow: eligible only for H-1B holders whose prior visa was issued by Mission Canada between January 1, 2020 and April 1, 2023, or by Mission India between February 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021, with no “clearance received” annotation, no reciprocity fee, and a valid passport with at least one blank page.14Federal Register. Pilot Program To Resume Renewal of H-1B Nonimmigrant Visas in the United States for Certain Qualified Noncitizens
That pilot concluded in early 2024. The State Department indicated it planned to relaunch and expand the program, but as of early 2026 a broader version has not been formally announced. Check the State Department’s website before making plans that depend on this option.
Digital Visa Authorization
The State Department is testing Digital Visa Authorization (DVA), a system that replaces the physical visa stamp with a digital record. The proof of concept is limited to K-1 fiancé visas issued by the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, and only for travelers flying directly to the United States from that location.15U.S. Department of State. Digital Visa Authorization (DVA) Proof of Concept
When a DVA is issued, the traveler’s information is transmitted automatically to Customs and Border Protection. Airlines in CBP’s Document Validation Program can verify at check-in whether a passenger holds valid credentials without inspecting a physical stamp. The State Department has said it plans to extend DVA to other visa categories and consular posts if the Dublin test succeeds.15U.S. Department of State. Digital Visa Authorization (DVA) Proof of Concept Standard background checks, interviews, and processing times still apply; the change is in document format, not screening.