Category: Visas

USCIS has announced that it will no longer accept checks as a payment method for any filing fee as of October 29, 2025, and will transition entirely to electronic payment methods instead. Those methods include the Form G-1450 Authorization for Credit Card Transactions.

ISO has experienced higher USCIS rejection rates with petitions filed using G-1450 for fee payment. We recommend that units adhere to the following best practices in using Form G-1450 to avoid rejection:

1. Don’t provide the Form(s) G-1450 until ISO requests it.
2. Make sure the card in question is activated and remains valid.
3. Make sure the total fees paid will not exceed daily limits on the card. For example, an H-1B filed with premium processing requires at least $3265 in fees.
4. Complete a separate Form G-1450 for each filing fee. USCIS will reject G-1450s that combine different fee amounts.
5. Fill out the PDF of the form using a PDF editor (like Acrobat), then print it and sign in ink. USCIS will reject G-1450s that they suspect were not signed in ink.
6. Check the card number and expiration date to make sure they’re accurate before signing.
7. Provide to ISO by:

1. 1. Mailing the signed original to Box 351245 or dropping it off at 400 Gerberding Hall (preferred), or
   2. Scanning and uploading to the Manage Files page for the relevant visa request

ISO will update its Visa Fees page to reflect this change within the next few weeks, and follow up with units on any active cases where we have already received filing fee checks.

Please contact us with any questions you have about these changes.

As of October 1st, the U.S. federal government has entered a shutdown pending Congressional approval of a budget for the new federal fiscal year.

ISO and government agency processes that will be affected:

• U.S. Department of Labor processing
  ISO cannot draft or submit ETA-9035 Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) for H-1B/E-3 sponsorship, or ETA-9141 Prevailing Wage Determinations or ETA-9089 Applications for Permanent Employment Certification for permanent residence sponsorship. DOL will not certify or issue any of these applications that have already been submitted.

Any H-1B visa request that has not had an LCA submitted yet will not be able to move forward until the shutdown is resolved.  See How to Sponsor an H-1B at Steps 8 and 9 for more information.

Most ISO and government agency processes should not be affected:

• Initial ISO review and processing
  Units can still submit H and J visa requests, and ISO can still review and approve them.

• Processing in SEVIS
  ISO can still issue DS-2019s for J-1 exchange visitors.

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processing
  ISO can still file I-129 petitions for H-1B/E-3 sponsorship and I-140 immigrant petitions in cases where U.S Department of Labor action is already complete.
  (But note that new petitions will still be held pending further clarification of the new H-1B visa fee.)

• U.S. Department of State visa processing
  Scholars can still apply for visa stamps at U.S. consulates.

• U.S. Customs & Border Protection admissions
  Scholars can still be admitted or readmitted to the U.S., subject to guidance on our scholar travel pages.

ISO will reach out to units with affected, in-flight H visa requests within the next week. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have.

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.