Cornell joined two lawsuits in 2020 to counter new immigration rulings set by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Labor. The rulings would have ended existing H-1B lottery procedures in favor of a system disadvantaging graduating students sponsored for entry-level H-1B positions and imposed new H-1B wage levels for international employees at the university. Both rulings would have made it significantly more difficult for international students, scholars, and staff to study or work at the university, and we are happy to announce that the lawsuits countering these rulings have been successful. Represented by Paul W. Hughes, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP, the lawsuits successfully demonstrated that the rulings were harmful and capricious.

Wendy Wolford
Vice Provost for International Affairs

Laura B. Taylor
Senior Associate Director of International Services