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Happy Wednesday. ✨

The Open Atlas Weekly Bulletin

H-1B Lottery Results Are Out. You gotta check this out

F-1 Visa Issuances Drop Sharply, Signaling Tougher U.S. Admissions Landscape

Tech Hiring Is Picking Up Again, But Not Everywhere

Now, onto the newsletter.

🧑‍🎓 Admissions Corner

​Waitlisted on Ivy Day? Here’s What You Should Do Next
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If you’ve landed on a waitlist, your application is still in play, but outcomes depend on how many admitted students accept their offers after May 1. Start with a strong Letter of Continued Interest that shows updates and genuine commitment to the school. Stay engaged through meaningful interactions, and loop in your counselor if possible. Avoid over-communicating or sending unnecessary materials. Movement happens, but it’s limited, so plan your next steps while keeping this option alive. More info in.
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​F-1 Visa Issuances Drop Sharply, Signaling Tougher U.S. Admissions Landscape​

New data shows a 36% drop in F-1 visa issuances for the 2025–26 academic year, with nearly 97,000 fewer international students approved compared to last year. India saw the steepest decline, over 60%, largely due to visa interview freezes and stricter processing. Combined with rising denials and policy shifts, this signals a more challenging environment for international applicants. With students exploring alternative destinations, the U.S. risks losing both talent and billions in economic impact.
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📗 Immigration desk: Visa news, options & updates

​H-1B Lottery Results Are Out. You gotta check this out​

USCIS has begun rolling out FY 2027 H-1B selection notices, with some applicants already marked as “Selected.” The process is staggered, so updates may still be pending for many. Results appear only in the employer or attorney’s USCIS account, not the public case tracker. A “Selected” status allows filing the full petition, but approval still depends on documentation. Premium processing fees have also increased to $2,965 starting March 2026.
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​USCIS Tightens Vetting, Expect More Scrutiny and Delays​

USCIS is expanding its screening process after an internal review found gaps in how some immigration applications were vetted. The agency is now rechecking certain cases, increasing biometric and social media reviews, and applying a stricter, layered vetting approach. Some applications, including asylum and adjustment cases, may face additional holds or scrutiny. For applicants, this likely means longer timelines and closer examination of documents.

💫Career Resources

​Tech Hiring Is Picking Up Again, But Not Everywhere​

Early 2026 data shows a rebound in tech hiring, with product and engineering roles at multi-year highs and AI jobs growing rapidly. PM openings have crossed 7,300 globally, while engineering roles exceed 67,000, signaling strong demand. However, design roles remain flat, and remote opportunities continue to decline as hiring recenters in hubs like the Bay Area. Opportunities are increasing, but competition and hiring timelines remain tough.

​AI Is Starting to Run Its Own Experiments And That Changes What Skills Matter​

A new project by Andrej Karpathy shows how AI agents can run dozens of machine learning experiments on their own, while humans just set things up. Once you define the time, metrics, and environment, the system can run ~100 experiments overnight on a single GPU. It’s a clear shift from AI helping with work to actually doing chunks of it. For anyone in tech, this basically means your value is moving more toward how you think and design problems, not just how you execute them.
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​👉 Want to put yourself in front of 40,000+ high-skilled immigrants? Just hit reply to start a conversation.

Until next week, stay awesome.

Yours truly,

Team Open Atlas 💙

💡 None of the information shared in this newsletter is meant to be legal advice. If you're looking for legal advice, speak to a lawyer.

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