Penn International Student and Scholar Services released a Thursday advisory urging members of the University community to remain cautious following a federal court ruling regarding supplemental fees attached to H-1B visa petitions.
The advisory asked the Penn community to “exercise caution” after the Department of Homeland Security’s $100,000 supplemental fee for H-1B visas was struck down on Monday by the United States District Court for the State of Massachusetts. ISSS Executive Director Rodolfo Altamirano, who wrote the notice, added that Penn departments and those holding H-1B visas should “follow existing institutional guidance” because “further government action is anticipated.”
Altamirano wrote in the guidance that “ISSS is actively monitoring” the status of the case, including “government appeals” of the ruling and “[a]ny request for a stay that could temporarily reinstate the fee.”
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Altamirano emphasized that “the situation remains fluid” and that ISSS “will provide updates to the Penn community as warranted.”
“Generally speaking, when ISSS refers to ‘monitoring’ developments, it means that we are reviewing information from official government sources, tracking relevant court decisions and legal developments, consulting with immigration counsel, and staying engaged with professional and higher education associations that monitor immigration policy and regulatory changes affecting colleges and universities,” Altamirano wrote to the DP.
The advisory encouraged Penn departments and hiring units to “[c]onsult ISSS before making changes to planned H-1B filing or budgets.”
The $100,000 supplemental fee was established in a proclamation by the Trump administration last year. At the time, ISSS “strongly” encouraged employees on H-1B visas to “avoid traveling outside the country until the situation stabilizes.”
Trump graduated from the Wharton School in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.
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H-1B visas are intended for employees with specialized knowledge and education who are able to work temporarily in the U.S. The visas originally last for three years but can be renewed for a period of up to six years.
In September 2025, an analysis by the DP found that the fee’s creation could cost Penn millions of dollars per year.
At the time, Political Science professor and immigration expert Michael Jones-Correa told the DP that the proclamation was “not very well thought out.”
The fee’s implementation was one of several steps taken by the Trump administration last year to crack down on immigration. In June, the White House restricted entry to the U.S. for individuals entering from 12 countries — in December, that number expanded.
After the restrictions were announced, ISSS issued guidance urging affected individuals to avoid non-essential international travel.
At least three Penn-affiliated individuals had their F-1 visas revoked last September.
In conjunction with these policies, the federal government’s immigration enforcement began to escalate earlier this year, prompting ISSS to advise international students to carry copies of their immigration documents.
