January 22, 2026 from AFT https://linktr.ee/aauplinks
January 11, 2026 from AFT Resources for Educators and School Support Staff Immigration | American Federation of Teachers
October 9, 2025 recommended by AAUP Attend a Know Your Rights training sponsored by the ACLU, and access other live and recorded trainings on topics including safety, media/messaging, and host prep at https://www.nokings.org/trainings?link_id=3&can_id=0276264d4cd56eaa43c1113f8d9fe6cb&email_referrer=email_2926490&email_subject=get-ready-for-no-kings-day-october-18
September 23, 2025 On Friday, September 19, 2025, the White House published a new presidential proclamation that imposes a $100,000 fee on employers filing H-1B petitions and restricts the entry of H-1B visa holders unless the underlying petition is accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000. We write to share information for members who are H-1B visa holders or are contemplating applications for an H-1B visa. This information has been produced in consultation with immigration attorneys at the law firm Van Der Hout Immigration and Nationality Law, LLP. Please note that subsequent events may change the legal landscape. Litigation has commenced and more litigation may follow.
The effective date for the visa changes was Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET. The order does not provide details regarding implementation or how fees are to be paid. While the proclamation on its face appeared to target H-1B workers outside the US and those currently applying for H-1B visas, subsequent guidance from US Citizenship and Immigration Services indicated that the proclamation does not apply to petitions submitted prior to September 21, 2025, or to current H-1B visa holders. Similar guidance appeared to be issued by US Customs and Border Protection. That being said, international travel by those with H-1B status may nonetheless pose a risk until the pattern of implementation and enforcement of the terms of the proclamation becomes clearer.
We realize that many of our members working on an H-1B visa were already worried about travel across borders after the chaos occasioned by visa revocations last spring. We understand that the presidential proclamation will only serve to enhance anxieties about international travel. For those H-1B visa holders who feel concerned and are currently in the US, it may be prudent to hold off on travel until there is greater clarity on how CBP is handling re-entry for H-1B visa holders in practice.
The proclamation also provides that:
- Within thirty days of the next H-1B lottery (March 2026), the secretary of state, the attorney general, the secretary of labor, and the secretary of homeland security shall jointly submit a recommendation to the president as to whether renewing or extending the restriction on reentry is in the best interest of the US.
- The secretary of state shall issue guidance to prevent the “misuse” of visas by beneficiaries of approved H-1B petitions who have start dates prior to October 1, 2026.
- The secretary of labor shall initiate rulemaking to revise the prevailing wage levels and to prioritize the admission of high-skilled and highly paid nonimmigrants. No proposed rule has been published to date.
The general information provided above is not intended as legal advice and is subject to change. Please consult with immigration counsel for specific legal advice about your case.
For those planning to apply for an H-1B visa, the new conditions announced in the presidential proclamation are devastating, particularly for those applying to academic positions, given the incredible financial burden now placed on prospective employers and/or visa applicants. This burden may be all but insurmountable for many colleagues and their institutions. We intend to support our members through all available avenues as international students and scholars navigate the ever-changing and chaotic immigration landscape.
The AAUP and MESA stand with all our members—regardless of their immigration status—during this confusing and scary time. We are monitoring developments. We will provide updates as they become available.
In solidarity,
Veena Dubal, General Counsel, American Association of University Professors
Aslï Bali, President, Middle East Studies Association of North America
September 17, 2025 In a moment when it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the consequences of our online speech and choices, the AAUP and Faculty First Responders are issuing guidance to AAUP members and other academic workers. It includes resources on what to do if you are experiencing targeted harassment, tips on digital security and engaging with social media, and resources available from the AAUP and the AFT. https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/Advisory-Academic-Workers-M.pdf
https://neighborslink.org/resources-to-protect-yourself-and-your-community/ – virtual public Know Your Rights and Community Education events.
- April 15, 2025 at 6:30 PM: Community Education: What the immigrant community should know about constitutional rights, executive orders, registration requirements, changes to immigration law and assistance that is available in our community (in Spanish) Register here
- April 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM: Community Education: What the immigrant community should know about constitutional rights, executive orders, registration requirements, changes to immigration law and assistance that is available in our community (in English) Register Here
- April 17, 2025 at 6:30 PM: Community Education: What allies should know about constitutional rights, executive orders, registration requirements, changes to immigration law and how to get involved with our work (in English). Register Here
https://www.nyic.org/resources-training/events/ upcoming events with New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights ACLU Immigrants’ Rights
March 11, 2025 FROM AAUP What You Need to Know About Noncitizen Rights We are alarmed by the ICE detention of former Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil for what appears to be First Amendment-protected speech. And we forcefully condemn Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on X that the federal government will be revoking the visas and green cards of immigrants based on their constitutionally protected speech and association.
This open threat combined with Mr. Khalil’s detention has stoked a great deal of understandable fear among our noncitizen members. Green card revocation is rare absent a criminal conviction, and we believe these actions and threats to be unprecedented and illegal. Indeed, late Monday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Mr. Khalil’s deportation.
Over the past six weeks, we have been working with you and your AAUP chapter leaders to proactively prepare for these events. Here are the resources you can find on our Political Attacks on Higher Education web page:
As these events continue to unfold, we recommend that noncitizen faculty, students, and staff who believe that they may be similarly targeted by the federal government take the following precautionary measures:
- Contact an immigration attorney who has experience with deportation defense. For recommendations, you may consider contacting your local chapter or affiliate of theNational Lawyers Guild, American Civil Liberties Union, or Council on American-Islamic Relations.
- Review your rights. You are under no legal obligation to open the door to immigration authorities absent a JUDICIAL WARRANT (that is, a warrant signed by a judge). Please familiarize yourself with the difference between a judicial warrant and an administrative warrant.
Finally, we call on higher education stakeholders with US citizenship to close ranks around, and demand that college and university administrators and governing boards affirmatively protect, our noncitizen colleagues and students.
We will be in touch with more information in the coming days and weeks.
In solidarity,
Veena Dubal
General Counsel, AAUP
March 6, 2025 FROM AAUP Travel Ban Alert Recent news reports suggest that the Trump Administration may implement a new travel ban (primarily targeted at Muslim-majority countries, but possibly also including Venezuela and Haiti) as early as next week.
If you are currently living or traveling in a country that might find itself on this list, we believe it is prudent for you to make plans to return to the United States as soon as possible. US citizens have the right to re-entry, but the vetting process may be extreme and chaotic. If you reside in the US but are a national of Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Palestine/Gaza, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, or Yemen, we believe you should consider not leaving the US. If travel abroad is necessary, please be in touch with an immigration attorney prior to leaving the US.
While we do not know if such a travel ban will be implemented, when it may be implemented, or what countries will be included on the list, the administration’s preference for sudden decision making compels us to send this message.
March 4, 2025 FROM AAUP In ongoing actions to respond to the restrictions being attempted through executive orders, the AAUP is asking AAUP members to report:
1) Examples of grant funding that has been paused or terminated since the executive orders were issued on January 20, 2025
2) Examples of changes to programs, teaching, research, titles, etc. linked to either the dear colleague letter or to the executive orders.
Email to anisenson@aaup.org
Additionally, there are two surveys underway to gather responses from AAUP members, in order to ascertain whether there are bases for legal action by the AAUP on behalf of its membership.
Survey on impacts of DOGE cuts: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfq1NPvMZCfw89K7Bd9nkUFUFgB-Mei1yR7jYFgz76PIUGzA/viewform?usp=header
Survey on impacts of deportation executive order: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHVEElq5fVSXPqvWZ827plJZaQtcleCYu2Sc67Mf9papxLmA/viewform?usp=header
Information submitted by AAUP members on both forms will be treated as confidential.
Finally, please see this memorandum DEI Programs Are Lawful Under Federal Civil Rights Laws and Supreme Court Precedent, which can be shared and used as a resource in responding to changes being proposed at all all levels.
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