Immigration News April 2024

Prepare for Summer Travel & Fall 2024 Physical Presence

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. While summer enrollment is not required for most continuing students, we would like to remind all current students of your face-to-face enrollment and physical presence requirements for Fall 2024. To fulfill your F-1 status requirements, you must be physically present in the U.S. – on campus or at your designated educational site (such as a CPT internship) each fall and spring semester.

ISSO requires all continuing F-1 students to complete “Current Student Check In” and submit proof of their current presence in the U.S. before each fall and spring semester by submitting a copy of your most recent I-94 in iComet. You should anticipate timely submitting your re-entry information to the ISSO and plan your summer travel accordingly to ensure that you return prior to the start of fall classes. The Current Student Check In form will be available in iComet 30 days before the start of classes, and must be completed no later than Census Day.

Not Graduating in Spring 2024?

If you applied for graduation this Spring, but find that you will not be eligible for graduation, notify the ISSO before May 10, 2024 and request an extension of your I-20. Failure to notify the ISSO in time may result in being ineligible for an extension and loss of your F-1 status. Submit your complete program extension request to ISSODocuments@utdallas.edu as soon as you know you will not graduate.

The ISSO strongly recommends that if you have any doubts that you may not complete your graduation requirements this term: do not request an OPT I-20 until you are certain that you will complete your program as planned. Applying for OPT and then failing to graduate can cause complications or endangerment of your F-1 status. Additionally, issuing your OPT I-20 shortens your I-20 program end date, which means there is much less time to make corrections to your immigration status if there is an issue with your graduation requirements later.

If you have already applied for Optional Practical Training and you find that you will not graduate this semester, you must notify the ISSO as soon as possible. Failure to notify the ISSO before your program end date on your I-20 could negatively affect your F-1 status.

Academic Probation
As we reach the midpoint of the semester, it’s important to remember the impact of your academic progress on both your academic goals and immigration status. If you anticipate challenges that may affect your ability to pass your classes and enroll in a future semester, it’s important to act immediately. Your F-1 immigration status is contingent on maintaining satisfactory academic progress. If you foresee any difficulties in meeting the academic requirements, we strongly advise you to reach out to your academic department/advisors and the ISSO.

Per Department of Homeland Security regulations, your F-1 status will be terminated upon notification from the registrar’s office that a dismissal/academic suspension was granted.

If you improve your GPA and no longer expect to be on academic probation for the upcoming semester, you can disregard this information.  The ISSO strongly advises you to speak with your academic department regarding your academic standing and GPA to confirm if this applies to your unique situation.

Summer Enrollment Requirements

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

• If summer is your first semester at UT Dallas, your first semester in F-1 status (Example: After being approved for a change of status to F-1), or summer is the first semester of your I-20 Program Dates for a new/continuing program (Example: After receiving a change of level I-20).
• If your first semester at UT Dallas was the spring term immediately prior to summer. You must complete a full academic year of enrollment at UTD before you are eligible for summer annual vacation. This applies to both initial and transfer students.
• If 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.
• If you are a TA/RA student that may have additional enrollment requirements as a condition of their employment.

If any of the scenarios above apply to you, you are required to enroll for the summer semester. For more information visit the International Student Enrollment webpage. 

Summer 2024 Student Health Insurance

If you are an international student enrolled in Summer 2024 classes, you are automatically assessed a student health insurance fee to cover the cost of the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).  If you choose to obtain alternative insurance you must request a waiver of the student health insurance fee if you want a waiver of the SHIP coverage. If you will be taken classes at UTD this summer while NOT residing in the United States, please email stuhealthinsurance@utdallas.edu for more information about health insurance requirements.

The waiver requests must be submitted online each semester. If you are not enrolled in summer classes, then you are not automatically enrolled in the SHIP. However, the Student Health Center recommends that you maintain health insurance coverage continuously while in the U.S. If you have any questions about the waiver or purchasing summer insurance coverage, email stuhealthinsurance@utdallas.edu, or visit the Student Health Center website.

Comets Giving Day

Due to the generosity of campus partners, community members, alumni and current students like you, the ISSO is occasionally able to distribute much needed emergency funds to international students. Please consider giving to the International Student Emergency Fund this Comets Giving Day, and any day. All funds are disbursed to UT Dallas international students.

Updated Financial Figures for I-20s

The Estimated Expenses used to issue new I-20 documents and I-20 program extensions have been updated as of April 1, 2024. If you plan to request a Change of Level I-20 or program extension in the upcoming semester, be sure to review the current financial requirements before submitting your request. Once the estimated expenses are updated, we will announce the change in the immigration newsletter and update the ISSO website.

USCIS Announces Special Student Relief (SSR) to Students from Burma and Venezuela

In March, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted Federal Register notices for Burma and Venezuela announcing the suspension of certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students from these countries who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of ongoing crises. This notice temporarily suspends applicable on-campus and off-campus employment regulations for eligible students from Burma. DHS will continue to monitor the situation in Burma and will announce any additional modifications or extensions to this notice in the Federal Register. SSR is available for eligible  Burmese students from May 26, 2024, until Nov. 25, 2025 and Venezuelan students from March 11, 2024, until Sept. 10, 2025. See the Federal Register notices for more information, and speak to a DSO in the ISSO if you wish to use this benefit for employment.

USCIS Updates: H-1B Cap Season

The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap season closed at noon Eastern on March 25, 2024. USCIS will soon randomly select enough unique beneficiaries of properly submitted registrations projected as needed to reach the FY 2025 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap), and will notify all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries. Please note that F-1 students and Alumni who may be eligible for the Cap Gap Extension may not request a Cap Gap I-20 until your employer has submitted a complete petition to USCIS and have received the official Receipt Notice document by mail.

USCIS Updates: H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change

Starting April 1, 2024, H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must no longer be filed at the USCIS service centers. All paper-based H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must be filed at USCIS lockbox locations. This includes cap, non-cap, and cap-exempt H-1B filings. USCIS will reject H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions received at a USCIS service center on or after April 1, 2024. There will be no grace period provided. USCIS has specific mailing addresses for cases that are subject to the H-1B cap. To determine the correct mailing address, please see our Form I-129 Direct Filing Addresses page.

If a petition is filed at the wrong location, USCIS may reject the petition. Rejected petitions will not retain a filing date. If they reject a petition because it was filed at the wrong location, it may be refiled at the correct location, or online. H-1B cap subject petitions may be refiled at the correct location, or online, as long as the petition is refiled during the designated 90-day filing window listed on the selection notice.

OPT and STEM OPT Filing Fees Increase Effective April 1

USCIS published a final rule to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016. This includes I-765 application fees for Post Completion OPT and the STEM OPT extension. The fees will now also be different between online filing and paper filing. The new fees are as follows, effective April 1:

• I-765 online filing – $470
• I-765 paper filing – $520

USCIS Form and Fee Update: I-907 Premium Processing

For USCIS applications that are eligible, a new form and filing fee has been implemented for the I-907 for premium processing on 02/26/2024. Starting April 26, 2024, USCIS will only accept the 02/26/24 edition of the form. Until then, you can also use the 11/03/22 E and 11/03/22 editions. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions. The new filing fee is effective for filings postmarked Feb. 26 and later. If you are filing an acceptable prior form edition, you must include the new filing fee. For filings sent by commercial courier (such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL), the postmark date is the date reflected on the courier receipt.

A Note on I-907 Premium Processing for OPT

If you apply for OPT online and intend to pay for premium processing, please ensure that your premium processing I-907 form is complete, accurate, and that the correct filing fee is paid. USCIS has noted that because online applicants can pay for both the standard application fee and the premium processing fee in one combined payment, if the premium processing has to be denied for any reason, the entire I-765 application will be denied.

If you instead apply by mail, ensure you submit your payment for the standard application fee and the premium processing fee with two separate checks or money orders. Carefully review each step of your application before submitting. 

Don’t “Volunteer” without Work Authorization!

The types of employment allowed under the F-1 visa are limited by specific requirements. Before engaging in any type of work (paid or unpaid), F-1 students should verify they are eligible to work and have the proper authorization. Working without authorization is a serious violation of F-1 status. This is true whether the work is paid or unpaid. Review information regarding on campus and off campus work employment and safeguard your status.

Report Visa Fraud and Unauthorized Employment

If you are aware of visa fraud or international students working unlawfully in the U.S., report it here: Email or Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. The ISSO will initiate unauthorized employment investigations that are reported by campus stakeholders, or where there is a student admission of their own unauthorized employment, all others will be referred directly to DHS.

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 social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn here: https://linktr.ee/UTDisso. We offer virtual workshops for OPT and CPT in iComet, and we are making plans to resume some in-person workshops on-campus this spring. Watch the Comet Calendar for upcoming events!