News - Page 2 of 34 - Academic Personnel & Faculty

Faculty Success at the Forefront: Our Vision for 2025–26

Welcome to Academic Year 2025-26

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

As we embark on the 2025-26 academic year, I am honored to address our exceptional faculty community at this pivotal moment in the University of Washington’s distinguished history. We stand at the intersection of remarkable opportunity and meaningful challenge, united in our commitment to advancing the mission of this great institution.
I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Robert J. Jones as our 34th president, who brings with him a wealth of leadership experience and a shared vision for academic excellence. His arrival represents not just new leadership, but a renewed commitment to the values that define the UW: innovation, inclusion, and impact. As we welcome President Jones, we also honor the transformational legacy of President Ana Mari Cauce, whose decade of leadership has strengthened our foundation for the work ahead.

We cannot ignore the realities of today’s higher education landscape. The current funding environment presents challenges that require us to be both strategic and creative in how we support our academic mission. Yet, I am confident that our faculty’s resilience, innovation, and collaborative spirit will guide us through these complexities while maintaining our commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service.

In my role as Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Faculty, I am particularly excited to share how our strategic vision will support you in navigating these opportunities and challenges. Our Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty has developed a focused strategic plan built on three foundational goals that directly serve your success:

Foster and Provide Professional Development for Academic Personnel and Faculty – We are committed to creating comprehensive pathways for your growth throughout every stage of your career. Whether you are establishing your research trajectory, refining your pedagogical approaches, or exploring leadership opportunities, we will provide the resources, mentorship, and programming necessary to help you thrive.

Serve as a Trusted Partner to the UW Community – Our office exists to be your advocate and ally. We will work transparently and collaboratively to understand your needs, address your concerns, and ensure that our policies and practices truly support your success. This partnership extends beyond individual support to fostering the kind of inclusive, collegial environment where all faculty can flourish.

Anticipate and Meet the Dynamic Needs of Academic Personnel and Faculty – Higher education is evolving rapidly, and we must stay ahead of these changes to serve you effectively. We are committed to being proactive rather than reactive, identifying emerging challenges and opportunities before they impact your work, and developing innovative solutions that position you for success.

These goals are not merely aspirational statements; they represent our operational blueprint for supporting your scholarly endeavors, enhancing your professional satisfaction, and strengthening our collective impact. I encourage you to review the complete strategic plan, which is now available on the Academic Personnel and Faculty website. In an era of constrained resources, we must be intentional about investing in what matters most: our people.

As we navigate this academic year together, I encourage you to engage actively with our professional development opportunities, to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries, and to approach challenges as opportunities for innovation and growth. Remember that your individual success contributes to our collective strength, and that the work you do in classrooms, laboratories, and communities extends far beyond our campus borders.

The University of Washington has always been a place where bold ideas take root and flourish. Under President Jones’s leadership and with your continued dedication, we will continue to push the boundaries of knowledge, prepare the next generation of leaders, and address the complex challenges facing our world.

I look forward to working alongside each of you in making this academic year one of meaningful progress and shared achievement. My office stands ready to support you, and I encourage you to reach out whenever we can be of assistance.

Here’s to a year of growth, discovery, and impact.

With warm regards and deep appreciation,

Fred Muyia Nafukho
Vice Provost for Academic Personnel & Faculty

New H-1B Visa Fee Updates

Pause on New H-1B Petitions Extended Through October 15th

Posted 10/09/2025

In the absence of clear guidance from the relevant agencies, UW is extending its pause on filing new H-1B petitions through October 15 as we await additional information related to the new $100,000 fee announced on September 19. UW is monitoring professional networks and federal agency communications to determine whether the new fee applies to higher education institutions, changes of status, or specific occupations/positions. We expect clarification soon via:

Additional USCIS guidance or establishment of payment methods
Judicial decisions/actions in pending litigation around the new fee
Reports that USCIS is requiring (or not requiring) the fee for new petitions already filed by other employers

ISO is working with UW leadership to identify what other options may be available if we do not have additional information by October 15. Please see below and our Federal Shutdown blog post for more information on these issues.

Pause on Filing New H-1B Petitions 

Posted 09/23/2025

According to current USCIS guidance, all new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025 are subject to the new $100,000 H-1B fee.  

Based on this guidance and in consultation with UW leadership, filing of new H-1B petitions for employment at the UW is being paused until at least October 8th as the University seeks additional clarity on this new fee in the context of higher education. 

This pause does not affect petitions for extensions, amendments, or transfers of existing H-1B status; nor does it affect pre-filing processing of new H-1Bs with ISO or the U.S. Department of Labor. See our How to Sponsor page for more information; processing of new H-1Bs can continue up to Step 10: Preparation for Filing with USCIS. The ISO team will reach out to units on all affected, in-flight H-1B visa requests within the next week. 

We will be in touch as more information becomes available. Please contact us with any questions at acadvisa@uw.edu. 

Updated Guidance on New H-1B Visa Fee

Posted 09/21/2025

On September 20th, USCIS and Customs and Border Protection issued guidance clarifying that the executive order issued on September 19th only affects H-1B petitions that have not been filed yet, and the beneficiaries thereof.

This means that any UW employee who has already had an H-1B petition for them filed and/or approved should not be subject to the new fee requirement. H-1B employees currently outside the U.S. should be able to reenter subject to the usual requirements and guidance listed on our Travel on H-1B Visa page.

This is a significant change from what was originally announced yesterday evening. We in ISO are sorry for any inconvenience caused, and extend our support to any employees whose travel plans were disrupted by the announcement yesterday. We will continue to reach out with updated guidance as we can.

As always, please send your questions to us at acadvisa@uw.edu.

New H-1B Visa Fee Announced

Posted 09/20/2025

On September 19, 2025, an Executive Order was issued that bans entry in H-1B status by anyone whose employer has not paid a $100,000 fee on their behalf. The executive order goes into effect at 12:01AM EST on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

This requirement only applies to persons entering the U.S. in H-1B status; scholars already in the U.S. in H-1B status should not be affected unless they engage in international travel. Changes of status to or extensions of H-1B status inside the U.S. should also be unaffected.

ISO recommends against international travel by H-1B holders at this time. While ISO has already sent a message to our International Scholars mailing list, there may be H-1B scholars in your unit who have not joined that list; please share this message as broadly as you can.

We cannot predict whether or how the fee will change at this time. ISO will continue to provide updates as this situation evolves. Please contact us with any questions.

ISO Pilot Program to Expand O-1/EB-1B/Conrad Waiver Sponsorship

The Provost and the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) have announced a pilot program to expand UW visa sponsorship of outstanding international faculty. Effective September 1, 2025, the International Scholars Operations (ISO) team will work with the UW Attorney General’s Office and outside immigration counsel to support requests for O-1 (Extraordinary Ability), EB-1B (Outstanding Researcher/Professor), and H-1B Conrad waiver sponsorship for new or ongoing faculty. While some of these cases will be prepared by outside counsel with minimal involvement by ISO, units may still choose to request sponsorship through ISO, as ISO workload allows.

This pilot program reflects long-standing requests from around campus for more support for these visa types. Units should note that they will still be responsible for related fees, and that outside counsel generally bill more for these case types than ISO does. More guidance on these visa types and processes (including how processing through ISO and outside counsel will differ) will be published on the ISO website shortly.

ISO anticipates that this program will significantly alleviate hiring and retention difficulties for outstanding international faculty, and we’re excited to better meet this need. Please send any questions or feedback you have about this pilot program to acadvisa@uw.edu.