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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: 

  1. Additional USCIS guidance or establishment of payment methods 
  2. Judicial decisions/actions in pending litigation around the new fee 
  3. 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.

Avoiding RPT Roadblocks: Tips to Keep Your Review Process on Track

The technical setup of Interfolio Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) cases may seem routine, but small missteps in the foundational template can create major slowdowns once reviews are underway. Administrators play a critical role in ensuring that cases move forward without delays—and that begins with precise template setup on the APF website.

One of the most common—and avoidable—pitfalls is mismanaging placeholder committees. Each foundational template includes placeholders that must be replaced (not just supplemented) with the appropriate school- and department-level committees. It’s essential to use the “Replace” option rather than adding a new committee. Otherwise, the new committee won’t inherit the necessary instructions and requirements—and since committees cannot view each other’s instructions, this creates gaps that can stall a case mid-review.

Resist the urge to tinker. The foundational template reflects all elements required by the Provost’s Office. Renaming steps, deleting instructions, or removing requirements—even with good intentions—can cause significant delays. Once the foundational template has been cloned, the only edits needed are to add any local-level requirements and properly replace placeholder committees.

Naming your templates correctly also matters. Follow this required naming convention:
SCC_Dept_DEP/UNDEP Template
Examples:

  • Departmentalized units: CAS_ENG_DEP Template
  • Undepartmentalized units: LAW_UNDEP Template

Let the system do the work. After the candidate is notified that their case is ready, and once they submit their materials, the system will automatically move the case to Step 1. Manually moving the case to Step 1 before this point will lock the candidate out of their section, requiring administrative intervention to unlock it.

External reviewer requests can be sent at any time, but the best practice is to wait until the candidate’s materials have been submitted—this allows you to include relevant documents in the request.

Also important: if a candidate updates their External Reviewer Nominees form or any required form, they must resubmit their Candidate Documents section. This step ensures administrators and committees are reviewing the most current version.

And finally, all communications and document sharing with the candidate should happen within the Interfolio system. Uploading documents directly to the case ensures everything is centralized, secure, and accessible to the right people.

Attention to detail in the early stages of case setup helps ensure a smooth, timely review process for everyone involved.