Presidential Proclamation Restricting Entry of H-1B Workers & Updated Agency Guidance on Its Implementation
A Message from Joel Towers, President and University Professor; and Richard Kessler, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
On Friday evening, President Trump issued a Proclamation titled “Restrictions on Entry of Certain NonImmigrant Workers” that restricts entry into the United States for non-citizens with H-1B visas unless their petitions are accompanied by a payment of $100,000. We were deeply concerned about the effect of this action on our community and met on Saturday with senior leaders across the university to review the situation and determine a course of action for our campus.
With guidance from the university’s General Counsel, our Office of Human Resources immediately reached out to the 21 community members impacted by the proclamation and advised them to return to the U.S. prior to the effective date of 12:01 a.m. Sunday, September 21, 2025, or, if they were currently here, to remain in the country. As part of this process, we learned that four community members are currently outside the U.S. and offered them support in returning to our campus.
Since then, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have clarified that the order only applies to H-1B petitions that have not yet been filed, and does not apply to petitions filed prior to the effective date, those with currently approved petitions, or anyone with a valid H-1B visa. USCIS also issued an H-1B FAQ with more details about how the proclamation may impact visa holders. With that new information, we again reached out to the 21 individuals on our campus to share the updated guidance and urged caution regarding international travel until there is further certainty about the proclamation’s scope and implementation.
This continues to be a deeply unsettling time, and we are relieved that members of our community can return to the U.S. and to our university. We hope you will visit the university’s Supporting Our Community webpage to learn more about the resources on our campus that are available to support students, faculty, and staff.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep you informed as we learn more.