Immigration News February 2022

2/2 – 2/4 Inclement Weather

Texas will be experiencing a severe winter storm this Thursday into Friday. The ISSO will continue to work remotely, and we expect scheduled appointments, live chat hours, and processing services to continue as normal. However, there may be unexpected disruptions due to power or internet outages. Continue to watch our advising webpage for any updates.

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

Graduation and Beyond

Before February 13, 2022. If you are an F-1 student, have completed your academic requirements and will remain in the U.S. after graduation, make appropriate preparations such as applying for OPT, starting another academic program or transferring out to another school.

Change of Level 

TODAY Census Day, February 2, 2022. Students who will complete an academic program or end OPT in the Fall 2021 semester and will continue or begin another degree program in the Spring 2022 semester, must obtain a Change of Level I-20  to maintain their F-1 status.

Change of Major

Beginning TODAY Census Day, February 2, 2022. Students whose primary major will change to a different Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for the Spring 2022 semester will be issued a Change of Major I-20 by the International Center beginning Census Day of the Spring 2022 semester.  These students will receive an e-mail notification when their new I-20 has been issued.

Report Your OPT Employment

All students on OPT must report changes in employment within 10 days. Exceeding the limits on unemployment can result in DHS terminating your F-1 record. You may not be eligible for reinstatement for a termination during OPT or STEM OPT. Students on Post-Completion OPT may accrue up to 90 days of unemployment, and students on the 24-month STEM OPT extension can accrue an additional 60 days of unemployment, for a total of 150 days. Although you can update some information in the SEVP Portal, you are still required to report directly to the ISSO through the iComet Portal.

The ISSO strongly recommends reviewing your reporting requirements for Post-Completion OPT and STEM OPT online to ensure you know how to maintain your F-1 status.

Spring 2022 Enrollment

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has extended the F-1 COVID guidance on enrollment requirements through spring 2022. Continuing students who were in active F-1 status on or before March 9, 2020 may choose to enroll online or in person as they wish. Students whose F-1 status began after March 9, 2020 must enroll in at least one class with an in-person component (face-to-face, hybrid) and should participate in the in-person components. All students may attend class virtually until 2/4/2022 due to COVID related university policies. After 2/4/2022, enrolling in a face-to-face or hybrid course but not attending the class in-person may put your immigration status in jeopardy.

Understand the Immigration Impact of a Withdrawal from Classes

If you request an academic or non-academic withdrawal of your courses, and your enrollment drops below full-time as a result (12 credits for undergraduates, 9 credits for graduates), this can jeopardize your immigration status if you are not authorized for a Reduced Course Load by the ISSO prior to the withdrawal. This action could cause a termination of your F-1 record, regardless of whether the withdrawal occurs during the semester or at any point after the end of the semester. In order to maintain your F-1 immigration status, you must obtain RCL authorization from the ISSO first, before completing a withdrawal.

Spring Graduation OPT Dates

If you are completing your academic program this semester and plan to apply for post-completion OPT, the ISSO will begin accepting OPT applications for Spring 2022 graduates on February 12, 2022. USCIS must receive your OPT application no later than July 12, 2022. F-1 students applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) are required to complete  the online OPT workshop in iComet before applying for post-completion OPT.

H-1B  Electronic Registration Process

Employers must complete an electronic registration process as a part of the H-1B petition process. Registration opens in March. If you need copies of your UT Dallas I-20 forms, complete the Immigration Document Copy Request through the iComet Portal. Please keep in mind, the ISSO can only provide copies of documents that we have on file. It is the your responsibility to maintain your immigration records.

H-1B registration DOES NOT provide Cap Gap Extension eligibility. Any Cap Gap Extension is based on the filing date (when the full application is sent to USCIS), not the registration date. You will receive both a registration notice after electronic registration and a receipt notice after filing the application. Only the receipt notice can be used for Cap Gap Extension benefits.

Taxes

All non-resident aliens who resided in the United States between January 1 and December 31 of 2021 must file a U.S. tax form. Refer to the ISSO webpage for resources to help you file your taxes: https://www.utdallas.edu/isso/taxes/. If you have any additional questions about tax filing, contact the UT Dallas Tax Compliance Office at taxcompliance@utdallas.edu.

Inclement Weather Policy

As we approach the winter season, you should stay informed about potential weather related university suspensions or closings. Please see the Inclement Weather Policy web page for how to receive alerts from the university when there may be an interruption of classes or services due to severe weather.

New Live Chat Service – ISSO Connect

The ISSO has transitioned to Amazon Connect software for our Live Chat advising services. The chat will still be accessible on our advising web page, as it has been up to the present. The primary benefit that students will receive from this change is that Amazon Connect has the security to allow advisors to look up and answer questions about students private records once their identity has been verified. We look forward to assisting you with this improved service.

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.

Use Your UT Dallas Email

ISSO advisors will only send communications to official UT Dallas emails. All current students and F-1 alumni on OPT should have access to their UT Dallas email account. If you are having trouble accessing your UT Dallas email, please contact the Office of Information Technology for assistance. Check your UT Dallas email regularly for updates from the ISSO.

Updated Financial Figures for I-20s

The Estimated Expenses used to issue new I-20 documents and I-20 program extensions have been updated and will go into effect February 18, 2022. If you plan to request a Change of Level I-20 or program extension in the upcoming semester, be sure to review the financial requirements before submitting your request. Any requests submitted by February 17, 2022 will use the current estimated expenses. Requests submitted on or after February 18, 2022 will use the new estimated expenses. Which estimated expenses apply to your request depend on your submission date, not the date that the ISSO processes the request. See the ISSO Financial Requirements webpage for more information.

USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to certain requests, notices or decisions issued by USCIS. This flexibility applies if the issuance date listed on the request, notice or decision is between March 1, 2020, and March 26, 2022, inclusive. USCIS will consider a response to the above requests and notices received within 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice before taking any action. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for USCIS updates.

Ensure your Home Address in Galaxy is up to date for Spring 2022 Study

F and J students are required to update their current address in Galaxy within 10 days of the change. Check your Galaxy account to make sure that current physical location is reflected in the ‘Home’ address. Remember to check your current local address and update if necessary. For instructions, visit the Address Reporting webpage.

ISSO is here for you

While ISSO staff will be working remotely until 2/7/2022, 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 later this spring. 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.