Immigration News July 2024

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 2024 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the Fall 2024 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 (before July 9, 2024) in order to maintain your F-1 status.

Last Date to Submit your OPT Application

If you graduated in the Spring 2024 semester and are interested in applying for OPT, the last date to submit your OPT application to USCIS is Tuesday, July 9. 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.

New Process to Submit Form I-515A Documentation

Beginning June 26, 2024, F, M and J nonimmigrants who receive a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor,” from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer will be instructed to email their required documentation to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Form I-515A Processing Team at SEVIS.I-515@ice.dhs.gov  instead of mailing the documents to SEVP. A nonimmigrant student or exchange visitor who receives a Form I-515A has 30 calendar days from their date of entry into the United States to email their documents to SEVP. This change to the Form I-515A process will expedite the Form I-515A processing times while eliminating the costs and risks associated with mailing original documents. For more information about the Form I-515A process, please visit the Form I-515A Overview on Study in the States.

USCIS Extends Employment Authorization Documents under Temporary Protected Status Designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan

USCIS is extending the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries under the designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan through March 9, 2025. They will send a Form I-797, Notice of Action, notifying you if you are affected by this extension. If you are a current TPS beneficiary under one of these designations, and you have not yet re-registered for TPS under the most recent extension for that designation, you must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, during the current re-registration period to keep your TPS benefits.

DHS Redesignates and Extends Special Student Relief Employment Benefits to Haitian Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship

On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a Federal Register Notice announcing the suspension of certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students from Haiti who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a result of the current crisis. This notice extends Special Student Relief (SSR) for eligible students from August 4, 2024, until Feb. 3, 2026. These notices temporarily suspend applicable on-campus and off-campus employment regulations for eligible Haitian students. These notices apply exclusively to F-1 nonimmigrant students who meet certain conditions. Please refer to the Haiti Federal Register Notice for more information.

Summer Travel & Fall 2024 Physical Presence

Visit the ISSO 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 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.

In order to verify the physical presence of current students, the ISSO will require all continuing students to 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. Announcements will be sent out over the summer regarding deadlines for submission.

Summer 2024 CPT Physical Presence

If you are working on a CPT internship during Summer 2024, you must be physically present in the U.S. for majority of the duration of CPT internship, even if you have been approved for a primarily remote internship experience. With remote CPT work authorization, you are eligible to work on a CPT internship anywhere within the United States. However, you would not be meeting your F-1 presence requirements if you work from abroad on a CPT for a prolonged period. If you have a summer CPT and plan to travel for Summer 2024 semester, you may need to adjust your travel plans to meet your status requirements of being physically present in the US for the duration of the Summer CPT internship.

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.

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