Immigration News September 2021

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

Change of Level 

Students who have completed an academic program or end OPT in summer 2021 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the fall 2021 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. See the ISSO Change of Level webpage for more details.

F-1 Optional Practical Training

If you will graduate in the summer 2021 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 2021 semester, the first day to apply for Post-Completion OPT is August 17, 2021. Some students may wish to apply for OPT early, due to the long USCIS processing times for OPT applications. Please keep in mind that prior to requesting your OPT I-20, you must do the following:

• Attend the OPT workshop
• Apply for graduation

Graduation Application Deadline for Fall Graduates

Fall 2021 F-1 graduates must apply for graduation by 11:59pm on September 21, 2021 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.

Enrollment Requirements

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program has announced that the temporary enrollment requirements will continue for the 2021 – 2022 academic year. While the standard enrollment regulations only allow one online or hybrid course to count towards a student’s enrollment requirements, the temporary SEVP guidance allows more than one course to apply towards a student’s enrollment requirements.

If you were in active F-1 status on March 9, 2020 and have continually maintained your status, you may enroll in completely online courses (if available). Regardless of whether online courses are offered for your program of study, you must enroll in at least 9 credit hours as a graduate student or 12 credit hours as an undergraduate unless approved by ISSO for a reduced course load.

If you gained F-1 status after March 9, 2020, you are required to enroll in at least one course with in-person components and you should be prepared to participate in the in-person components. You must enroll in at least 9 credit hours as a graduate student or 12 credit hours as an undergraduate unless approved by ISSO for a reduced course load.

COVID-19 Vaccinations near UTD

While you are not required to be vaccinated in order to attend UT Dallas, we encourage all students to get the vaccine. UTD will be offering a pop-up vaccine clinic at

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, on the lower level of the SU. There is no registration required for this free opportunity.

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. 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 your iComet Portal.

I-983 Expired

It is common for government forms to reach their expiration date before a new form is available. The Form I-983 Training Plan for STEM OPT expired on 07/31/2021. Until a new version of the form is released, you can safely continue to use the existing I-983, even though it expired. If you have questions, “Ask Emma” at uscis.gov.

Ensure your Home Address in Galaxy is up to date for Fall 2021 Study

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.

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.

Don’t Risk your F-1 Status by Working Without Valid Work Authorization

The types of employment allowed under the F-1 visa are limited by specific requirements. Before engaging in any type of work, 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. The ISSO will investigate some allegations of unauthorized employment, however, others will be referred directly to DHS for investigation and action.

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.

Beware of Scams

International students are often targeted by scammers, who may pretend to be government officials or threaten legal action in order to get money from scam victims. Watch out for scams! Government officials will not call you and demand payment or information over the phone, and no legitimate organization will ask for payment in the form of gift cards. Learn more about scams from the UT Dallas Information Security Office and UT Dallas Police Department.

Official communications from UT Dallas about COVID-19 will continue to be provided via UT Dallas email addresses and the UT Dallas website, utdallas.edu/coronavirus/. If you are uncertain about the source of communications you receive, please check its legitimacy. If you have any questions about a potential contact or scam, call the UT Dallas Police at 972-883-2222.