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Briefing

Executive Branch Updates: H-1B Visa Developments

October 1, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT

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About this Event

On September 19, 2025, President Trump signed a Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” which instituted a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B visa applications and directed several executive branch agencies to initiate rulemaking to reform aspects of the program. A few days later on September 24, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlining its intent “to implement a weighted selection process that would generally favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher skilled and higher paid aliens.”  

Many questions remain on the specific impacts of these developments on colleges and universities, which have historically recruited many foreign faculty and researchers entering the country on H-1B visas, and which have remained exempt from certain aspects of the program’s requirements. 

Please stream this 30-minute audio-only briefing during which immigration law experts, Leigh Cole and Kara Lynum, will provide an overview of the legal and practical considerations accompanying these developments, and the potential impacts on higher education institutions.   

Note: This program is part of NACUA’s “Executive Branch Updates” series, which follows the Transition Updates: The First 100 Days series.  

Speakers

Leigh Cole

Shareholder and Director

Dinse P.C.

Leigh Cole is an Attorney, Shareholder and Director at Dinse P.C., a law firm in Burlington, Vermont. As Chair of the firm’s Education practice group, she assists colleges and universities with a variety of legal matters, with a focus on immigration and international matters. She also serves as Immigration Counsel to Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, an employment boutique law firm. She currently serves as Board Chair for ISEP: Study Abroad and on the editorial board of the Journal of College and University Law. She earned a J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Albany Law Review.  She holds a B.A. in government from Cornell University. Leigh was a member of the NACUA Board of Directors (Class of FY 2017-2020) and its Finance Committee. She also has served on the NACUA Committee on Membership and Member Services. 

Kara Lynum

Founder

KML Strategies

Kara Lynum founded KML Strategies, providing immigration law counsel to law firms and institutions. She served as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, serving as chief legal advisor and overseeing 4,000+ attorneys across all DHS components. Previously, she was Deputy General Counsel at DHS and immigration counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, advising Senators on immigration policy and legislation. She also practiced immigration law in private practice. Kara brings this unique combination of executive, regulatory, legislative, and private practice experience to help clients understand how immigration policy changes will affect their organizations and stakeholders in practice.

FAQs

Briefing Recording

This briefing recording is complimentary to NACUA members and is available for NACUA members to access on demand through Online Learning Center.

Please contact us at nacua@nacua.org if you have any issues accessing the briefing.

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