Immigration News June 2023

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

Summer Enrollment and Graduation Requirements

Enrolling in summer classes is optional unless you meet any one or more of the criteria below:

• It is your first semester at UT Dallas, or your first semester in F-1 status (Example: After being approved for a change of status to F-1), or your first semester with an I-20 for your current degree program (Example: After receiving a change of level I-20). Full time enrollment is required. Only one hybrid or online course can count towards your full-time enrollment requirements.
• It is your final semester at UT Dallas in F-1 or J-1 status (Example: You have filed for graduation for the summer semester). File for graduation by the Graduation Application deadline. You must enroll in the remaining courses that you need to graduate. It is acceptable if your remaining credits to graduate is less than full time.  If it is your graduating semester, at least one face-to-face class for the duration of the graduating semester is required. Additional classes needed to complete the degree in the graduating semester may be online, hybrid, or face-to-face.
• TA/RA students may have additional enrollment requirements as a condition of their employment.

For more information visit the International Student Enrollment webpage. 

Do Not Delay Your Graduation

Postponing graduation when you have completed all the courses required to earn your degree is a violation of the immigration regulations. For more information visit the ISSO Graduation and Beyond webpage.

Change of Level 

Students who will complete an academic program or end OPT in Spring 2023 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the Summer or Fall 2023 semester, must obtain a Change of Level I-20 to maintain their F-1 status. You must request for your Change of Level I-20 in a timely fashion in order to maintain your F-1 status.

Last Date to Submit your OPT Application

If you graduated in the Spring 2023 semester and are interested in applying for OPT, the last date to submit your OPT application to USCIS is Tuesday, July 11. 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 may take 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. Will 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.

ISSO Immigration Advising Discontinued at JSOM and ECS Offices

When the university began resuming in-person services after the pandemic, the ISSO was offered temporary advising spaces in the JSOM and ECS offices during this transition period, due to challenges with available space for in-person appointments in our main office. Because of recent changes within the structure of our main office, it was determined that the additional advising spaces in JSOM and ECS were no longer needed to accommodate scheduling of in-person ISSO appointments going forward. As of June 5, 2023, all in-person appointments scheduled with the ISSO will be held in our main office in SSB 3.400.

SEVP Announces Termination of COVID-19 Flexibilities for F-1 Students

In spring 2023, F-1 enrollment flexibilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic ended for current UTD students, due to the university’s resumption of normal school operations this past term. It has now been announced that at the end of summer 2023, all related COVID flexibilities for F-1 students will be discontinued nation-wide, including certain allowances that remained for UTD alumni on OPT. Students on OPT will receive further communications from the ISSO regarding these updates. However, some policy changes during the pandemic will remain permanently, such as the validity of electronically issued I-20s and DSO signatures, and the ability for F-1 students to work remotely as long as certain status requirements are being fulfilled. Please see SEVP’s Post-COVID 19 FAQ for details.

Return on Time for Fall 2023 Classes

The ISSO now requires all continuing students to submit proof of their current presence in the U.S. for fall and spring semester by submitting a copy of your most recent I-94 in iComet. A new Current Student Check In form will be launched in the iComet portal for this purpose prior to Fall 2023. You should anticipate timely submitting your re-entry information to the ISSO and plan your summer travel accordingly to ensure that you ideally return prior to the start of fall classes. If Current Student Check In is not completed by Census Day of each fall and spring term, it can lead to termination of your F-1 status due to not fulfilling the physical presence requirements of your visa. Please see the following FAQ page for more details: Fall 2023 Check-in and Physical Presence

Federal Controlled Substance Violations

USCIS recently announced that they are issuing new policy guidance “to clarify that violations of federal controlled substance law, including violations involving marijuana, are generally a bar to establishing good moral character for naturalization, even where that conduct would not be an offense under state law. ” Even though some individual states have decriminalized marijuana use, participating in activities involving marijuana could have immigration consequences.

Prepare for Travel

Visit the International Center webpages for Traveling Inside the U.S. and Traveling Outside the U.S for specific details on what immigration documents to carry when traveling. Remember that the law requires anyone who is not a U.S. citizen to carry evidence of status at all times.

Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for nonimmigrant travel

Effective, May 11, 2003, noncitizen and nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States.

H-1B Cap Gap

Employers must complete an electronic registration process as a part of the H-1B petition process. Registration opened in March. H-1B electronic 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 paper receipt notice sent by mail can be used for Cap Gap Extension benefits.

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. You can also check us out on Facebook  Instagram, and LinkedIn. Watch the Comet Calendar for upcoming workshops and events!