F-1 Students Exempt From $100K H-1B Fee
USCIS has clarified that the new $100,000 H-1B visa application fee does not apply to F-1 students changing status to H-1B.
Greetings nurses! Here are this week’s key updates from Florence—including important immigration news, new insights on diversity in nursing, loan appeal guidance, and details on our upcoming webinar happening later today.
Immigration News
The biggest immigration news this week was from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), clarifying that the $100K H-1B fee would not apply to a “change of status" cases where people change from one category to another without leaving the country, such as moving from F-1 student to H-1B.
Breaking Stereotypes
Although the share of male nurses has more than quadrupled since the early 1970s, men remain a small minority of the profession. Currently, only 12% of nurses are male (compared to 20% in Europe). However, with over 200,000 active nursing job openings in the U.S., more men are expected to enter the workforce. More recently, retired NFL players like D’Brickashaw Ferguson are turning to the nursing profession after their athletic careers to help address the shortage.
Loan Financing
For students who were previously denied a student loan with MPOWER, we are requesting that you email mpower.me@mpowerfinancing.com to appeal your decision. Please mention that you are submitting new or additional funding documentation (e.g., a job offer). If your appeal is approved, your application will be reopened for 30 days so you can upload the new materials for the underwriters.
Florence Webinar
This week's Florence Webinar is Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 6:00 PM UTC. The session will last about 30 minutes and will cover the loan appeal process and the start date for the new programs.
