Author: Ursula Owen

This communication was sent to all UW-sponsored, active J-1 scholars on April 1, 2025.

---

Dear J-1 scholars,

We are aware of reports from other institutions that some F-1 and J-1 student visas have been canceled by the U.S. government and F-1 and J-1 immigration records are being terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). At the time of this communication, no SEVIS records have been terminated by the U.S. government for J-1 exchange visitors sponsored through ISO.

We understand that this information as well as recent news stories can be alarming for members of the international community. ISO wants to assure you that ISO and University leadership are continuing to monitor the situation closely. ISO is checking SEVIS regularly and will contact any J-1 scholar directly if there is a change to their SEVIS record by the U.S. government.

University officials are not receiving any notifications from the government when they terminate the SEVIS record, but we have heard from other schools that students/exchange visitors receive an email from the embassy or consulate where their visa was issued. If you receive an email from the embassy, consulate, or any other official U.S. government office stating your J visa has been cancelled and you should depart the U.S., please contact ISO as soon as possible so we can review your SEVIS record and provide you with additional information.

How can I check my SEVIS record? What else can I do to make sure my status is okay? 

Scholars cannot access the SEVIS immigration system directly. The best thing you can do to ensure your status remains active is to remain compliant with the requirements for your visa. ISO recommends the following for J-1 exchange visitors:

• Carry originals or color photocopies of your current immigration documents (passport with visa stamp, DS-2019, and I-94 record) at all times, even when in the U.S. This is required to show you were legally admitted to the U.S.

• Monitor your UW email, join our International Scholars mailing list, and read the International Scholars newsletter for regular updates. ISO will send emails to this mailing list when we have updates, and we will directly contact any scholar if we learn that their SEVIS record has been changed by the government.
• Maintain your full-time exchange activity at UW.
• Review Know Your Rights information in case of encounters with immigration enforcement agencies.

• Report U.S. address changes to ISO within 10 days of moving. ISO will then report the address change in SEVIS. Failure to report an address change within 10 days is a violation of your immigration status.
• If you plan to extend your UW appointment, contact your department administrator at least two months before the end date on your DS-2019 to begin the extension process.

• If you need to travel internationally, carefully review our J-1 Travel page to prepare for requirements and potential delays or challenges you could encounter upon re-entry. You are also encouraged to register your international travel with Global Affairs.

The University leadership, faculty, staff and entire UW community are here to support our international scholar community. We are working with colleagues across the country to better understand the events taking place and will continue to post updates with any new information we receive. Please contact us with any questions you have.

Sincerest regards,

URSULA ELSPETH OWEN (she/her/hers)

International Scholars Operations Manager

Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF)

We are pleased to provide an update on the pilot program developed by the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) and UW Human Resources (UWHR) to allow units to sponsor staff for H-1B, E-3 and TN visas. OAP and UWHR have worked closely over the last 12 months to make this program a success and we are pleased to inform you that sponsorship of these visa types will now become part of regular operations to support the ongoing recruitment and retention of talented staff.

Effective immediately International Scholars Operations (ISO) and UWHR websites have been updated to reflect the end of the pilot program. Our goal in providing ongoing staff visa support is to better allow the University to compete for the global talent necessary to drive our teaching, research and patient care missions. Units interested in visa sponsorship for staff should continue to reach out to their recruitment partner for consultation on new or open recruitments.

 

UPDATE to USCIS Fee Change Announcement (03/21/2024)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified its new filing fee structure to confirm that UW and other state higher education institutions are subject to the lower fees for non-profits. This means that filing fees for UW H-1B petitions will not change as of April 1, 2024. Fees for other visa types and for the I-140 Immigrant Petition will change as noted on ISO’s Visa Fees page; units should continue to follow guidance on that page as to fee amounts and check issuance.

Previous announcement noted below:

USCIS Fee Change Announcement (03/14/2024)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced new filing fees to go into effect on April 1, 2024. The new fee structure will require different filing fees for Form I-129 based on the visa status sought and on the non-profit status of the employer. There is no change to the H-1B Fraud Prevention Fee of $500 or the Premium Processing Fee of $2805, but the way that the premium processing period is calculated will change from 15 calendar days to 15 business days.

ISO advisors will work hard to file as many H-1B petitions with USCIS before the fee change goes into effect on April 1. For cases that cannot be filed with USCIS before April 1, the new fee amounts will apply.

There is some ambiguity as to which fee amounts will apply to UW and other state higher education institutions. Pending resolution of that ambiguity, which we expect within the next few months, ISO recommends the following set of separate filing fee checks for H-1B petitions:

• $460 I-129 filing fee for H-1B*
• $320 I-129 filing fee for H-1B*
• $600 Asylum Program fee (new)
• $500 H-1B Fraud Prevention Fee (required for new H-1Bs and changes of employer)
• $2805 Premium Processing Fee (where necessary or recommended by ISO to expedite USCIS processing)

*Other fees may apply for other visa types. See our Visa Fees page for information on how to request USCIS filing fee checks.

USCIS may ultimately determine that UW is subject to lower fee amounts, and return the $320 and $600 filing fee checks to UW; in that case, ISO would return the filing fee checks to the units that issued them, and update guidance to campus accordingly. For the time being, since USCIS will reject petitions if the fee checks attached to them do not match the relevant fee amounts exactly, filing with the checks listed above will minimize the chances of USCIS rejecting the petition.

If you have questions about which fee checks are required for a specific visa request, please contact ISO. For visa requests already in process, ISO will contact units to request revised fee checks where necessary.