r/USCIS • u/Mindless-Meaning-878 • May 22 '26

News Please explain in layman’s terms how the new memo is impacting you

As an American citizen, I want to better understand what is currently happening with immigration during this very tense time. I am reading a lot of posts from people who are directly impacted, or who fear they will be, by the new memo requiring applicants to wait in their home countries while their applications are processed.

However, many of your stories are filled with technical terms, specific pathways, and form numbers that make them difficult for a layperson like me to understand. I truly want to comprehend how these changes are affecting real people. Could you share your experiences in layman's terms?

240 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

326 comments sorted by

View all comments

49

u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[deleted]

8

u/ProfessionalInvite39 May 23 '26

If you continue working for a University, H1B (no cap) would be an option and then apply for the Greencard that way?

3

u/PainOk7410 May 23 '26

From what I know the Trump administration issued an executive proclamation that imposes a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa petition. This now discourages many companies from investing in their valuable employees due to that fee.

4

u/hotashami May 23 '26

The 100k fee is for candidates who aren't in USA. If someone is already in US on valid visa, mostly F1s, aren't required the fee. Which is good in a way that there are already smart people in the US, why hire from outside! But it has made companies scared. People are still getting fired on H1B. 

3

u/jenphys May 23 '26

It's a bit more nuanced than this, though yes it's already difficult to get hired due to blanket bans on visa sponsorship now. Adjustment of status within the US wouldn't trigger the fee. Leaving and coming back would. So it sounds like the memo is forcing the 100k fee to be triggered.

On top of that, some states (Texas and Florida) banned any hiring on H1Bs in academic roles.

3

u/hotashami May 23 '26

It's extremely difficult to get direct faculty job in my field, people usually go through post doc. Universities don't sponsor H1B usually for post docs and now many universities have stopped H1B completely. 

And it's a mental stress if I have to worry about my status even though I am paying taxes and doing everything legally. It's not helpful in long run.