Month: July 2025

The US embassy has directed all international students aspiring to study in the United States to adjust privacy settings on their social media profiles to ‘public’ not just while applying for a visa but during their entire course of study, effective immediately.( This applicable to all individuals applying for an F, M or J non-immigrant visa).

1. Student Visa Appointment Freeze & Resumption

• May 27 – June 17, 2025: U.S. embassies globally paused scheduling new F, M, and J visa interviews

• From June 18, 2025: Interviews resumed with stricter vetting, especially around applicants’ online histories

2. Mandatory Social Media Disclosure & Screening

• All applicants must provide social media handles used in the past five years.
• Accounts must be made public during the application process.
• Officers will review posts for hostility to U.S. institutions, extremist views, anti-Semitism, or support for terrorism. Hidden or private profiles may result in rejection or delays.

3. Country-Specific Travel & Visa Bans

• From June 9, 2025, the U.S. banned issuance of new F, M, J visas to citizens of 12 countries (e.g., Iran, Somalia, Yemen) and pauses processing for an additional 7 countries (e.g., Cuba, Venezuela).

4. Expanded Vetting & Revocations (Catch & Revoke)

• A Government wide initiative uses AI tools to monitor social media and other public data.
• Thousands of student visas have been revoked under this program, including for minor infractions or political activism (e.g. protest participation).
• Executive Orders (e.g. 14161, 14188) authorize deportation for visa holders found to express anti‑U.S. or anti-Semitic views—even on campus

5. OPT/Work Regulations & H‑1B Cap Impacts

• OPT eligibility expanded to all degree levels (associate to doctoral), including STEM vs non‑STEM differentiation
• 60-day grace period introduced post‑OPT for transitions in status or programs
• H‑1B cap for FY 2026 is already reached, limiting transitions from F‑1 OPT to work visas; DHS is proposing a shift to wage-based selection for future H‑1B recipients
• Extended Cap‑Gap protection now lets students remain employed until April 1 of the following fiscal year if H‑1B is pending

6. Interview Waiver & Dropbox Rule Changes

• Visa renewal via Dropbox now only eligible if previous visa expired within 12 months (down from 48 months) and is same visa class
• All status changes (e.g., F‑1 to H‑1B or B‑2 to something else) require an in-person interview—no exceptions.

7. Procedural & Documentation Updates

• DS‑160 barcode must match appointment confirmation exactly—mismatches require rescheduling and extra fees
• Applicants must now upload all supporting documents (financials, transcripts, invitation letters) digitally via CEAC at least 72 hours before the interview Universities are now required to strictly monitor student attendance and academic performance. Falling below required course loads or grades could result in visa status loss

( Content of this article is derived from multiple sources on web).

On Monday 14 July 2025, the Government announced the International Education Going for Growth Plan.

As part of this plan, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is changing some immigration rules to help the country grow in a sustainable way, attract more international students, keep education standards high, and manage immigration risks.

In November 2025, INZ will be:

• increasing the number of hours eligible students can work while holding a student visa, from 20 to 25 hours a week
• extending eligibility for in-study work rights to all tertiary students on approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes, including 1-semester courses
• clarifying that if you change your education provider or lower your level of study, you will need to apply for a new student visa, not just a variation of conditions.

Learn more about the International Education Going for Growth Plan on the Ministry of Education website:

International education — Ministry of Education

Increased in-study work hours

From 3 November 2025, eligible tertiary and secondary school students will be allowed to work up to 25 hours a week during the semester – an increase from the current 20-hour limit. This will apply to all new student visas granted from that date, even if the application was submitted earlier.

If you already have a student visa with a 20-hour work limit and want to work up to 25 hours, you will need to apply for a variation of conditions or a new student visa. The relevant immigration fees will apply.

Many student visas already allow full-time work during summer and other scheduled breaks. If your visa includes this, you might not need to apply for the extra 5 hours right away. You can choose to apply for the variation of conditions after summer, if your visa is still valid.

School students in years 12 and 13 require parental and school permission for 20 hours in-study work rights during the year. This permission will still be a requirement with the increase to 25 hours a week.

There are currently 40,987 student visa holders with in-study work rights. Of these, 29,790 visas are set to expire on or before 31 March 2026, while 11,197 will expire after that date.

Not all visa holders are expected to apply for the additional 5 hours of work rights. Some may choose to wait until their next visa application to include the change, rather than pay to vary their current visa conditions. Others may be nearing the end of their studies and therefore unlikely to apply for the extra work hours.

More changes coming

Subject to Cabinet agreement, INZ is exploring further changes, including a new short-term work visa for some vocational graduates and streamlined visa processes.

More information will be shared as it becomes available.