Immigration News July 2023

July 6, SSB Network Outages for Maintenance – ISSO Partial Closure

Tomorrow there will be internet outages in the SSB building due to maintenance. The ISS office in SSB 3.4 will be closed to outside traffic on the morning of July 6 due to the maintenance, and if the outages continue throughout the day, the office may remain closed in the afternoon. ISSO processing of student requests will continue as normal while advisors work from home.

Delays in EAD Card Production for OPT and STEM OPT

Many students who have pending Post-Completion and STEM OPT applications with USCIS have recently experienced delays in production of their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). USCIS has reduced capacity to print EADs after it ended a contract with an outside vendor responsible for printing these documents. As a result, production of EADs has been delayed. Affected applicants who have received a I-765 approval but have not yet received the actual EAD card can either submit a service request to USCIS or ask the USCIS Ombudsman’s Office for case assistance. The USCIS Ombudsman office has released a new tip sheet on how to request case assistance for USCIS applications and processes. The tip sheet clarifies some key questions on how to best request ombudsman assistance.

Premium Processing Now Available for Change of Status to F or J

Premium processingis now available if you have filed or are filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status to change your status to certain student or exchange visitor statuses. If you fall into an eligible category and your Form I-539 is already pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): As of June 13, you may request premium processing, OR you have not submitted your Form I-539 yet: Starting on Monday, June 26, you can submit a premium processing request together with your Form I-539. View USCIS’ alert for additional information.

DHS Rescinds Prior Administration’s Termination of Temporary Protected Status Extensions

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the rescission of the prior Administration’s terminations of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua and the extension of TPS for these for countries for 18 months. As always, DHS closely monitors conditions around the world to assess whether new TPS designations are warranted. Soon-to-be-published Federal Register notices will explain the eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register for TPS and renew their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). Once the notices are published, existing TPS beneficiaries under the four designations will be able to re-register to continue their TPS throughout the 18-month extension. For additional information, please see the specific TPS country pages on the USCIS website, and the USCIS Ramos v. Nielsen webpage.

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 in time to start fall classes on August 21. 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

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

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 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!