Immigration News August 2025
August 6, 2025
Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students
Change of Level
Students who will complete an academic program or end OPT in Summer 2025 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the Fall 2025 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.
F-1 Optional Practical Training
If you will graduate in the summer 2025 semester, you may be eligible for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information attend an OPT workshop on iComet or visit the ISSO Optional Practical Training webpage.
If you plan to graduate in the fall 2025 semester, the first day to apply for Post-Completion OPT is September 21, 2025. Please keep in mind that prior to requesting your OPT I-20, you must do the following:
- Apply for graduation
- Attend the OPT workshop
- Pay the ISSO Practical Training Fee
Graduation Application Deadline for Fall Graduates
Fall 2025 F-1 graduates must apply for graduation by 11:59pm on September 10, 2025 in order to maintain their immigration status. Please note that the immigration deadline is earlier than the university deadline. For more information about how to apply for graduation visit the Registrar Office.
Time Sensitive Reminders for J-1 Students
Summer 2025 Graduation/Completion and Grace Period
J-1 students who will graduate or complete their exchange program in Summer 2025, please be aware:
- J-1 Degree Seeking Students on a UTD DS-2019 will have their program end date shortened to August 23, 2025 and will have a 30 day grace period.
- J-1 Degree Seeking Students on another programs DS-2019 will need to consult with their J-1 sponsor to confirm their program end date and grace period.
- J-1 Exchange Students’ program end date will not be changed and will have a grace period of 30 days.
J-1 Academic Training
J-1 students may be eligible to work off-campus by applying for Academic Training. Academic Training can be used before or after program completion. For additional information, visit J-1 Academic Training.
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.
Breaking News
Special ISSO Advising Hours: First Week of Classes
In order to accommodate our new incoming international students for Fall 2025, the standard advising schedule will be adjusted during the first week of fall classes:
- Monday, August 25 – NO advising appointments will be available
- Wednesday, August 27 – Walk-in appointments will be available in both the morning (10am to 12pm) and the afternoon (2pm to 4pm)
- Friday, August 29 – NO walk-in appointments will be available, however scheduled virtual appointments will be available in both the morning (9am to 11am) and the afternoon (2pm to 4pm)
- Live Chat will still be available on all days Mon-Fri during the standard scheduled times
Don’t forget to check the ISSO Advising web page to check general advising availability for the upcoming month.
New J-1 Exchange Visitor Incident Reporting Requirements
The university is required to notify the Department of State promptly any serious problem or controversy with a J visa holder which could be expected to bring the Department of State or the sponsor’s program into notoriety or disrepute [22 CFR 62.13(b)]. The Department has revised the Incident Reporting Rubric for academic program sponsors by adding new incident reporting requirements:
- Lawsuits or Formal Complaints by an Exchange Visitor Against the Sponsor Alleging Unlawful Affirmative Action (e.g., alleged discrimination in the selection or hiring of exchange visitors based on an unlawful Affirmative Action policy)
- Lawsuits or Formal Complaints by an Exchange Visitor Against the Sponsor Alleging Unlawful DEI Policies (e.g., alleged unlawful discrimination against exchange visitors due to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies)
International Student Events
ISSO Employment Workshops Fall 2025
Have questions about your employment options as an F-1 student? Come to one of the ISSO employment workshops!
CPT Workshop (First session is Monday, August 25)
Register through the links above – registration opens 30 days in advance. 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.
Seasonal Reminders
Fall 2025 Current Student Check In and Enrollment Reminders
The Current Student Check In eForm is now live in iComet. All continuing F-1 students who enroll in fall must complete the Check In before Census Day (September 10) to verify that you are physically present to attend the in-person components of our courses. See our Travel web page for more information.
In addition, you must be meeting your F-1 enrollment requirements or be authorized for Reduced Course Load by the Census Day deadline to maintain your status for fall. Review the F-1 Enrollment Requirements to ensure that you are correctly enrolled.
Not All On-Campus Employment is Allowed for F-1 Students
On-campus employment options depend on where the work is physically located and who the employer is. F-1 students may work on campus, employed by UT Dallas, or by on-campus commercial firms that directly serve the UT Dallas student population (Chartwells, University Bookstore, etc.). Positions with third parties not providing services directly to students (alumni call center) or personal services for faculty or staff (housekeeping, lawn care) is not allowed. Refer to information on the F-1 Student Employment page for more information.
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.
Ensure your Home Address in Galaxy is Up to Date
F and J students are required to update their current address in Galaxy within 10 days of the change. Check your Galaxy account to make sure that current physical location is reflected in the ‘Home’ address. Remember to check your current local address and update if necessary. For instructions, visit the Address Reporting webpage.
Tuition Insurance Available to UTD Students
The Bursar’s Office offers GradGuard tuition insurance as an option to all enrolled UTD students. Tuition insurance can help students and families overcome financial losses that may result from events which force students to completely withdraw from the semester due to a covered medical reason. Under certain conditions, tuition insurance coverage can reimburse up to 100% of your school expenses/payments (tuition, housing, and other educations expenses) after an unexpected complete withdrawal of all classes (at any time during the semester) for a covered illness, injury, mental health disorder and more.
Coverage is purchased per semester – you have until the start date of classes to opt in to receive insurance coverage for that term. See the Bursar office web page for more information: https://bursar.utdallas.edu/tuition/tuition-insurance/
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!
