Court strikes down 75-country immigrant visa ban, but green cards still aren’t moving
We covered this ruling when it first came down, but it’s back in this digest because the follow-through changed the picture: on August 28, the State Department confirmed in court filings that it’s complying — meaning the 75-country bar is now officially off the books, not just struck down on paper.
A federal judge in New York vacated the State Department’s suspension of immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries, ruling on August 21 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority and violated the INA’s ban on nationality-based discrimination. The decision voids visa refusals issued solely under the policy and orders consular officers to resume individualized review.
That relief is largely theoretical for now: a separate worldwide pause on immigrant visa interviews, tied to new public-charge training, remains in effect with no end date announced. So while the 75-country bar is technically gone, applicants from those countries are stuck behind the same appointment freeze affecting everyone else, and consulates still face a backlog built up over seven months of frozen processing.
Rule ending “Duration of Status” for students heads to court days before taking effect
A coalition led by NAFSA and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration is asking a federal court to block a DHS rule that would end Duration of Status for F-1 and J-1 holders, replacing it with fixed admission periods capped at four years. The suit, filed August 18, argues DHS skipped required cost-benefit analysis and failed to justify the rule against its own stated goals. A preliminary-injunction hearing was held September 3, twelve days before the rule’s scheduled effective date.
Unless the court intervenes, the rule takes effect September 15, meaning students and exchange visitors currently admitted for the length of their program will transition to a fixed “admit until” date and may need to file for an extension of stay well before finishing their studies.
No grace period as USCIS swaps out two of its most-filed forms
USCIS will require new editions of Form I-539 (extend/change nonimmigrant status) and Form I-765 (work authorization) starting September 15; the same day the Duration of Status rule is set to take effect. There’s no overlap window in either direction: current editions are rejected if filed on or after September 15, and the new 09/15/26 editions are rejected if filed even a day early.
The change affects a wide swath of filers, including F-1 students requesting OPT or STEM OPT extensions and J-1 exchange visitors seeking status changes. USCIS has posted preview versions of both forms, but getting the timing wrong in either direction sends the filing back.
Takeaway
Courts keep striking down blanket restrictions, but agencies keep answering with new bottlenecks, the next two weeks are the last window before three of them hit at once.
If moving to the U.S. is part of your plan, don’t wait for the changeover to find out you missed your greatest opportunity. Shamayev Business Law offers a Free case evaluation. In just 2 business days we will provide you with an honest review of your chances.
This publication is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It summarizes public reports as of September 4, 2026, and may not reflect later developments. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this post or contacting the firm through this website.
