Immigration News February 2025
February 5, 2025
Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students
Graduation and Beyond
Before February 19, 2025. 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 Major
Census Day, February 5, 2025. Students whose primary major will change to a different Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for the Spring 2025 semester, will be issued a Change of Major I-20 by the International Center beginning Census Day of the Spring 2025 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.
Time Sensitive Reminders for J-1 Students
J-1 On-Campus Employment
J-1 students are eligible for on-campus work authorization including employment related to a scholarships or assistantships. The student must be authorized for employment by their Program Sponsor, on form DS-2019, before beginning employment. Employment is limited to 20 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters and can be full-time during official school breaks. For the work authorization, you must submit the J-1 Student Service Request Form to the ISSO.
J-1 Student Advising
The ISSO offers 15 minute advising appointments, Mondays from 1pm to 2pm, Wednesdays from 9am to 10pm, and Fridays from 2pm to 3pm. Email ISSOJ1@utdallas.edu to schedule an appointment with a J-1 advisor.
International Student Events
ISSO Employment Workshops Spring 2025
Have questions about your employment options as an F-1 student? Come to one of the ISSO employment workshops!
CPT Workshop (First session today, February 5!)
Register through the links above. Note that while completing the CPT and OPT workshops is required to apply for each benefit, you are NOT required to attend these workshops in-person. You may also complete these workshops online in iComet for your application requirements.
EB Visa Seminar (Today, February 5!)
Join us for an engaging EB Visa Immigration Seminar co-presented by OICS and expert immigration attorneys from Ustun Law Group, PLLC. This is your chance to learn all about EB Visas, ask your questions, and gain valuable insights to plan your future!
Where: UTD Campus (FA 2.206) or Virtually on Teams
When: Wednesday, February 5
Time: 11:00 AM Central Time
Virtual Registration: EB Visa Immigration Workshop – Open to up to 1,000 participants
In-Person Registration: EB Visa Immigration Workshop – Limited to 40 spots! If you’re registering for in-person attendance, be sure you can make it—or cancel your registration if plans change.
Breaking News
H-1B Final Rule, H-2 Final Rule, and Revised Form I-129
The Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B final rule and H-2 final rule take effect on Friday, January 17, 2025, modernizing and improving requirements for the H-1B nonimmigrant and H-2 nonimmigrant visa programs. USCIS will also publish a revised Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (edition date 01/17/25) on Jan. 17, reflecting combined changes associated with the two final rules.
For F-1 students or alumni who apply for a Change of Status to H-1B, this final rule will primarily cause a change for those who are eligible for a Cap Gap Extension. While in the past, Cap Gap would only extend certain F-1 applicants’ status and OPT authorization to October 1 of the current fiscal year, eligible F-1 applicants can now continue on Cap Gap Extension until April 1 of the following H-1B fiscal year if their H-1B application is still pending beyond October 1. This new rule is meant to help prevent employment disruptions between changes in immigration status going forward.
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.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
District Court Judge John Coughenour issued a temporary restraining order of the recently issued Executive Order: Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship. Additionally, various lawsuits across 22 states have been filed against Trump’s EO which reinterprets the definition of the birthright citizenship. It is likely that these challenges to the EO will eventually come before the Supreme Court for a final decision.
DHS Publishes Federal Register Notice Extending Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine and Sudan
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Jan. 10, 2025, the extension of Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine and Sudan for 18 months due to armed conflict and/or extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent individuals from safely returning. See the corresponding Federal Register notices for more information about registering for TPS as a current beneficiary under these extensions:
DHS Vacates Recent Temporary Protected Status Extension for Venezuela
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has vacated a January 17, 2025 Federal Register notice that had extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela through October 2, 2026. According to a notice released last night and scheduled for Federal Register publication on February 3, effective immediately, Venezuela TPS will become subject to the following rules and timelines:
- 2023 Venezuela TPS Designation: On Feb. 1, 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem decided to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the 2023 designation for Venezuela. TPS and related benefits associated with the 2023 designation will no longer be in effect starting 60 days after publication of the termination notice in the Federal Register.
- 2021 Venezuela TPS Designation: 2021 Venezuela TPS designations will revert to its prior expiration dates and will remain valid for current beneficiaries through September 10, 2025. A decision on whether to extend this designation must be made by DHS by July 12, 2025. If DHS decides to terminate the designation by that date, the termination cannot take effect earlier than 60 days after the termination notice is published (and not earlier than September 10).
According to DHS, if any 2021 Venezuela TPS registrants chose to register under the 2023 designation – as they were permitted to do under the now-vacated TPS extension notice – DHS will restore their 2021 designation, and they will be subject to the above 2021 designation validity dates.
Seasonal Reminders
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 and processing OPT applications for Spring 2025 graduates on February 24, 2025. USCIS must receive your OPT application no later than July 23, 2025. 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.
Received income in 2024?
All non-resident aliens who resided in the United States between January 1 and December 31 of 2024 must file a U.S. tax form. Refer to the ISSO webpage for resources to help you file your taxes: https://isso.utdallas.edu/employment-and-internships/taxes/. If you have any additional questions about tax filing, contact the UT Dallas Tax Compliance Office at taxcompliance@utdallas.edu.
Understand How to Protect Your Personal Information
The UTD Directory is a repository of information on students, faculty, staff, and guests with UTD accounts. The directory includes information including your name, local address, email address, telephone number, place of birth, and more. Students may ensure their directory information is not shared with outside sources by completing a FERPA – Request for Confidentiality. Instructions for completing a confidentiality request can be found on the Electronic Forms and Other Resources page. Current students may log in to Galaxy and their Orion Self-Service to request confidentiality on their account.
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.
Inclement Weather Policy
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.
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 or Instagram. 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!
