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The new director of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) may represent a change of direction toward a more restrictive stance on immigration. According to a Forbes article published on August 4, 2025, the arrival of the new director, attorney Joseph Edlow, is being interpreted as the end of the so-called “friendly bureaucracy” and the beginning of a stricter approach, bringing the agency closer to acting with a “migration police” bias.
End of OPT and STEM OPT?
During his Senate confirmation hearing on May 21, 2025, Edlow made a controversial point clear: he wants to end OPT, the program that allows international students (F-1 visa holders) to work for up to 12 months after graduation, and also STEM OPT, which extends this window by an additional 24 months for those studying in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). To give you an idea of the impact: in the 2023-2024 academic year, 242,782 students (163,452 in OPT + 79,330 in STEM OPT) benefited from these programs.
Visas and naturalization: everything under scrutiny
Edlow has also been articulating changes to naturalization tests and stricter supervision of H-1B visas, those that allocate specialized labor to companies in the U.S. Although not all details have been disclosed, the expectation is that things will tighten up.
Who is Edlow, anyway? A bit of personal history
Joseph Edlow holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Government, and History from Brandeis University (2003) and has a juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University (2006). Nominated by Donald Trump in March 2025, he went through confirmation hearings in May, was confirmed by the Senate in July, and assumed the position on July 18, 2025. He had previously served as acting director of USCIS during Trump’s first administration, between February 2020 and January 2021.
Why does this matter in daily life?
If you’re thinking about studying in the U.S. and taking advantage of working for a while after graduation, get ready: the end of OPT/STEM OPT would make this much more difficult. These programs are precisely the gateway to gaining professional experience after graduation, and cutting them closes one of the most used opportunities by international students. Furthermore, visas like the H-1B and the naturalization process are expected to face more barriers and filters. In other words: more requirements, more documents, longer waiting times, and of course, a higher risk of receiving a “no” in the end.
Once seen as an agency that processed applications and facilitated the lives of those seeking legitimate benefits, USCIS may take on a stance much more similar to that of an “internal migration police,” focused on restricting and controlling rather than supporting. According to Forbes, the strategy of the new USCIS leadership includes further restricting the right to asylum, instructing officers to approve fewer visa and benefit applications (or at least tighten criteria), and making life more difficult for international students, whether by limiting post-graduation work permissions or cutting other benefits.
The stance adopted by the new director is a cause for concern, especially for those who depend on these processes to study, work, or reside in the United States. Given this scenario, it is essential to closely follow the next steps and count on the support of experienced professionals in order to prepare for possible changes that may directly impact the plans of thousands of immigrants.