March 2026 Newcomer Policy Update
Want to keep up with newcomer policy updates in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our newcomer policy update so that you can stay informed about the latest news.
This month’s Newcomer Policy Update at a glance:
- Ohio introduces Alternative Pathways Bill
- ICE agents deployed to airports, including Cleveland
- Administration wins key case on detention without bond in appeals court
Ohio introduces Alternative Pathways Bill
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Ohio State Representative Andrea White, a Dayton area Republican, introduced House Bill 763, which will provide an alternative pathway to licensure for foreign-trained physicians.
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The bill would permit an experienced doctor who had completed residency overseas to earn a provisional licensure without repeating a residency.
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Ohio is the latest state to propose such a bill, which has already become law in over 20 states.
Lawmakers introduce bill to waive $100k fee for medical professionals
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Four members of congress, Democrats Yvette Clarke and Sanford Bishop and Republicans Maria Elvira Salazar and Mike Lawler, introduced a new bill to exempt physicians and medical professionals from the new $100k fee for H1-B visas.
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Citing a nationwide physician shortage, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association endorsed the proposed bill.
Bill would criminalize driving in Ohio without legal status
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Proposed legislation in Ohio would make it a misdemeanor for someone in the US without legal presence from driving in the state.
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The bill would extend only to highways, and would apply to those who had a valid drivers license in the US.
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Numbered House Bill 722, it was introduced by Republican Adam Bird.
Legislation to protect OPT introduced
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A bipartisan group of representatives including Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi and Sam Liccairdo, and Republican Jay Obernolte, have introduced the Keep Innovators in America Act.
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The bill would codify Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training into law; currently, OPT and CPT are not codified in federal law, and the executive branch could legally end or restrict the program without congressional authorization.
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A study by the Business Roundtable found that curbing the program would cost over 400,000 jobs, including over 200,000 held by US born workers.
ICE agents deployed to airports, including Cleveland
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The Federal government deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel at over a dozen major airports in mid-March, including Cleveland Hopkins International.
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Air travel nationwide has faced widespread delays due to a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Safety Administration.
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It is unclear exactly what the agents duties will be, but unlike TSA agents, ICE officials are paid during the partial shutdown.
Social media screening to expand
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The State Department announced an expansion of social media screening to include a wider array of visas.
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With the new rules, visa categories for religious workers, spouses of US citizens, trainees, and crime victims are now subject to the social media screening process.
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Officials said that the change would strengthen vetting of newcomers
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It is speculated that there may be an increase in processing time for applicants of these visas.
Passport requirement added to diversity lottery application
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Under new rules, a valid passport is now a requirement for applications for the diversity lottery, by which prospective immigrants can obtain a green card.
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The new changes also coincide with some other minor changes to the diversity visa form DS-5501.
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Applicants need a JPEG scan of key pages of their passport, which much be valid and unexpired.
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Exemptions to the new rule to exist, including stateless individuals and nationals of specific countries who cannot obtain passport information.
Administration wins key case on detention without bond in appeals court
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A federal appeals court ruling in St. Louis allowed for the federal government to continue to hold immigrants without bond, the latest update in what has been an ongoing court battle.
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The ruling follows a similar ruling in Louisiana last month, and contends that the practice of not giving bond to immigrants in detention is constitutional.
Supreme Court thought to be sympathetic to asylum restrictions
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Arguments are ongoing at the Supreme Court on a high profile case on whether the federal government can legally turn away an asylum seeker at the US border.
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Reporters have speculated that the Supreme Court may side with the administration, which asserts that the federal government does not have a legal application to process an asylum claim for someone not yet on US soil, but at a border post.
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Federal law states that a migrant that has arrived in the United States has a right to apply for asylum; the administration’s argument views this provision as applying to those already in the United States, not those seeking to enter.
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The policy, known as ‘metering’, was introduced under President Obama, expanded under the first Trump administration, but halted under Biden’s presidency.
