Immigration News June 2022

Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students

Summer Enrollment and Graduation Requirements

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

• It is your first semester at UT Dallas, or your first semester in F-1 status (Example: After being approved for a change of status to F-1), or your first semester with an I-20 for your current degree program (Example: After receiving a change of level I-20). Full time enrollment is required.
• 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. You must enroll in the remaining courses that you need to graduate. It is acceptable if your remaining credits to graduate is less than full time.
• TA/RA students may have additional enrollment requirements as a condition of their employment.

For more information visit the International Student Enrollment webpage. 

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 2022 and who will continue or begin another degree program in the Summer or Fall 2022 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.

Last Date to Submit your OPT Application

If you graduated in the Spring 2022 semester and are interested in applying for OPT, the last date to submit your OPT application to USCIS is Tuesday, July 12. 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 takes 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.

SEVP Announces Enrollment Requirements

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program has announced that the temporary enrollment requirements will continue for the 2022 – 2023 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 or before 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.

Prepare for Travel

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.

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 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.

Use Your UT Dallas Email

ISSO advisors will only send communications to official UT Dallas emails. All current students and F-1 alumni on OPT should have access to their UT Dallas email account. If you are having trouble accessing your UT Dallas email, please contact the Office of Information Technology for assistance. Check your UT Dallas email regularly for updates from the ISSO.

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. 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!

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.