Higher Ed Counsel & Strategic Solutions

On January 29, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued Executive Order No. 650, “Protecting Access to Essential Services and Keeping Massachusetts Communities Safe.” This Executive Order took effect immediately and will continue until amended, superseded, or revoked by a subsequent Executive Order.

The House v. NCAA settlement, effective July 1, 2025, marks a new era in college sports compensation that allows for payments to student-athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) from their colleges or universities. Despite these advancements, receiving NIL payments will create a unique challenge for international student-athletes, the vast majority of whom are studying in the U.S. on student visas that limit their ability to work. 

On April 17, 2025, Hunton Immigration and Higher Education attorneys provided a client alert summarizing recent visa revocations and student SEVIS record terminations (e.g., F-1 visa and F-1 student status).  This updates the previous client alert, and summarizes important and ongoing changes in federal policy and practices that impact the status of international students studying in the United States.