Immigration News July 2021

Appointments and Live Chat Unavailable, July 12 – 16 and July 22 -23

To allow advisors to work on time-sensitive student requests, the ISSO will not be offering appointments or live chats from Monday July 12 through Friday July 16, as well as July 22 – 23. We will continue to respond to questions submitted through the Ask an Advisor eForm in iComet. We recognize that many students are concerned about the extended processing times, and the advisors are taking this time to prioritize your requests. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

Change of Level 

 Students who completed an academic program or ended OPT in Spring 2021 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the Summer or Fall 2021 semester, must obtain a Change of Level I-20. The deadline for most Change of Level applications is Tuesday, July 13 but may be earlier based on your specific program end date or OPT end date. You must request for your Change of Level I-20 as soon as possible in order to maintain your F-1 status.

Last Date to Submit your OPT Application

If you graduated in the Spring 2021 semester and are interested in applying for OPT, the last date to submit your OPT application to USCIS is Wednesday, July 14. USCIS must receive your OPT application on or before this date. For more information, attend an online OPT workshop through iComet or visit the ISSO Optional Practical Training webpage.

Applying for STEM OPT

If your OPT end date is approaching and you plan to apply for STEM OPT, please make sure to submit your request as early as possible. Due to a high volume of requests, it takes approximately 14 business days to process requests. Processing times begin from the date the ISSO receives all required documents. If your STEM OPT I-20 application documents are incomplete, processing times may take longer. In order to expedite processing, please ensure you are submitting a complete request and that your forms are correctly filled out. Review the application instructions and the sample I-983.

STEM OPT Validation Reports

You must report to the ISSO every 6 months, from the start date listed on your STEM OPT EAD card. Your reporting deadlines are based on your STEM OPT start date, not your employment start date. Every 6 months you must submit a STEM OPT Reporting eForm in iComet to confirm that your name, address, employer name and address, and employment status are correct.

Select “yes” for the last question on the eForm, and then select the option to report a validation report. You must report your home address and complete employment information, even if it has not changed. Every 12 months, you must also upload a copy of your I-983 with the student evaluation on page 5 completed by you and your employer with your STEM OPT Reporting eForm in iComet.

You must submit your validation report to the ISSO within 10 days of the due date, which is exactly 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the start date listed on your STEM OPT EAD card. Then, the ISSO is allowed 21 days to update SEVIS with your validation information. Once you have submitted your validation documents in a timely manner, you have met your requirement to report.

MS Marketing CIP Code Change

Effective fall 2021, the MS Marketing CIP code will change from 52.1401.00 to 52.1399.01 (STEM-eligible). Starting on Census day (September 8th, 2021) the ISSO office will re-issue I-20s for students in the MS in Marketing to reflect the new CIP code. Students will not need to do anything to obtain the updated I-20. 

Fall will be Face-to-Face

UT Dallas plans to resume face-to-face classes in fall 2021. Current students outside of the Dallas area should plan to return to Dallas for the fall semester.

USCIS Lockbox Flexibilities

 A 06/10/21 USCIS news alert describes additional temporary filing flexibilities for benefits filers impacted by USCIS Lockbox delays. These flexibilities are in addition to the OPT filing flexibilities, still in effect, that were announced on February 26, 2021.

The following temporary flexibilities are effective for 60 days from June 10 until Aug. 9, 2021:

• If you submitted a benefit request to a USCIS lockbox between Oct. 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and that request was rejected during that timeframe solely due to a filing fee payment that expired while the benefit request was awaiting processing, you may resubmit the request with a new fee payment.
• USCIS will allow applicants and petitioners to submit documentation with a benefit request resubmission demonstrating that because of the time that elapsed between when a benefit request was originally submitted to a USCIS lockbox and when USCIS rejected it, an applicant, co-applicant, beneficiary or derivative has reached an age that makes them no longer eligible to file for the benefit requested.

Recognize the Signs of a Potentially Fraudulent Employer

In order to maintain your status it is important for international students to be aware of potentially fraudulent employers and to report suspected fraud. Learn more about red flags that may indicate a fraudulent employer and how to report non-compliant employers at Study in the States.

Submit Processing Requests to ISSO Early

ISSO receives a high volume of student and alumni requests. Don’t wait until the last minute! Submit requests to ISSO 3-4 weeks in advance of when you need them.

ISSO is here for you

There are many ways to contact the ISSO. You can reach out through your iComet Portal, join us for a Live Chat online, or schedule an appointment. We offer virtual workshops for OPT and CPT in iComet, and we are making plans to resume some in-person workshops on-campus. Watch the Comet Calendar for upcoming events!

Beware of Scams

International students are often targeted by scammers, who may pretend to be government officials or threaten legal action in order to get money from scam victims. Watch out for scams! Government officials will not call you and demand payment or information over the phone, and no legitimate organization will ask for payment in the form of gift cards. Learn more about scams from the UT Dallas Information Security Office and UT Dallas Police Department.

Official communications from UT Dallas about COVID-19 will continue to be provided via UT Dallas email addresses and the UT Dallas website, utdallas.edu/coronavirus/. If you are uncertain about the source of communications you receive, please check its legitimacy. If you have any questions about a potential contact or scam, call the UT Dallas Police at 972-883-2222.