News

Keep up-to-date on important news and announcements for International Faculty and Scholar Services (IFSS)
at UC Santa Cruz through our informative news section – a valuable resource for updates.


  • On December 16, 2025, the White House issued a new Presidential Proclamation Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals, building on earlier directives by continuing full entry bans on several countries, set to take effect January 1, 2026. It […]
  • On October 20, 2025, USCIS published guidance on the new $100,000 H-1B fee. The following H-1B visa petitions will not be subject to the fee: The guidance also states that the beneficiary of any of the four petition types listed […]
  • On September 19, 2025, a presidential proclamation was issued titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” The proclamation became effective Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time and is scheduled to remain in place for one year, […]
  • On June 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State released an Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants. This includes the review of social media for all F (student), M (student, vocational), and J (exchange visitor) nonimmigrant visa […]
  • On June 04, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation titled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” What does this mean? Full […]
  • Media outlets have reported that U.S. embassies and consulates have been instructed not to open any new F or J student and scholar visa appointments until the U.S. Department of State provides additional guidance on screening and vetting the social […]
  • Dear International Faculty and Scholars, We are reaching out to you during what we know is a time of significant uncertainty and understandable worry for many in our international community. We want to provide you with the most up-to-date information […]
  • The Division of Global Engagement proudly announces the hiring of Lacey Long-Vejar as the Associate Director of International Student and Scholar Services. With a strong background of over 15 years of leadership experience in international education and a dedication to […]
  • The Student and Visitor Exchange Program (SEVP) ended its COVID-19 guidance on May 11, 2023, following the end of the Public Health Emergency. The guidance allowed active F-1 students to take online and hybrid courses during the pandemic in excess of normal regulatory […]
  • U.S. lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel As of 12:01 a.m. ET on June 12, 2022, CDC will no longer require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or […]
Last modified: Jun 11, 2025