Immigration News December 2022
December 8, 2022
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Immigration News Spotlight – December 2022
Time Sensitive Reminders for F-1 Students
Graduation and Beyond
Before February 14, 2023. 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.
Before December 16, 2022. If your I-20 is expiring, or you applied for Fall 2022 graduation but require another semester to complete academic requirements, notify the International Center through Ask an Advisor in iComet. Failure to request an extension of your program before your program end date will result in the termination of your F-1 status.
Change of Level
Before Census Day, February 1, 2023. Students who will complete an academic program or end OPT in the Fall 2022 semester and will continue or begin another degree program in the Spring 2023 semester, must obtain a Change of Level I-20 to maintain their F-1 status.
Change of Major
Census Day, February 1, 2023. Students whose primary major will change to a different Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for the Spring 2023 semester, will be issued a Change of Major I-20 by the International Center beginning Census Day of the Spring 2023 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.
Understand Immigration Consequences Before Dropping Courses
Even if you attended classes full-time for the entirety of the semester, dropping below full-time enrollment at the end of the term without authorization is still a violation of F-1 status and can lead to termination of your immigration record. If you believe you may receive a poor grade in a class, please do not drop the class before understanding the immigration implications. First talk to your academic advisor regarding options that will not endanger your status as an international student. You may also refer to ISSO’s Reduced Enrollment web page to see if you are eligible for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) authorization.
Reminder: F-1 Enrollment Requirements Changing Spring 2023
As of spring 2023, UT Dallas will have no COVID-19 related operational adjustments and as a result, F-1 students must follow the standard F-1 regulations for enrollment. This means going forward, only one hybrid or online course can count towards your full-time enrollment requirements each semester. For example, a graduate student who is required to take 9 credit hours to be full-time enrolled would need at least 6 credit hours of face-to-face coursework. Hybrid courses are considered online courses. If it is your graduating semester, at least one face-to-face class for the duration of the graduating semester is required. Additional classes needed to complete the degree in the graduating semester may be online, hybrid, or face-to-face.
ISSO Services over the Holidays
ISSO services will be limited during some periods around the holidays. The ISSO will be closed from December 23 through January 2 for the university’s winter break. We will reopen Tuesday, January 3. Complete requests submitted before December 12, 2022 will be processed before the ISSO closes at the end of the day on December 22, 2022.
Travelling soon?
You will need a travel endorsed I-20 to re-enter the U.S. Check your current I-20 for a travel endorsement on page 2. If it was issued within 12 months (for current students) or 6 months (for OPT students), then you may use the I-20 you already have for travel. The travel endorsement must be valid on the date you re-enter the U.S. If the endorsement is expired, or you do not have an endorsement on your I-20, submit a Travel Signature Request in iComet to request a new I-20. The ISSO will send your new I-20 with travel endorsement by email. You will print and sign it to use for travel.
The ISSO will also be offering our I-20 Travel Signature Kiosk to provide on-the-spot I-20 travel endorsements before the holidays. The kiosk will be available in SSB 3.600 every Tuesday and Thursday from 10-12 starting November 29 up to December 22.
Temporary Protected Status Extended
On Nov. 10, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a Federal Register Notice announcing the continuation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and certain related documents for beneficiaries under the TPS designations. TPS beneficiaries under the designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal, as well as the 2011 Haiti designation and the 2013 Sudan designation will retain their TPS, provided they continue to meet all the individual requirements for TPS eligibility. The automatic extension of TPS-related documentation includes specified Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) through June 30, 2024. Beneficiaries who want a new EAD with the expiration date of June 30, 2024, displayed on the EAD must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, along with the filing fee or a fee waiver. Please refer to the Federal Register Notice regarding TPS benefits and processes.
Problems with iComet Access
There is a known iComet Access issue that is occurring with a small number of current and alumni students. If you find you are unable to log in to iComet, try the following steps in order:
- Instead of clicking a link to a direct eForm, try typing ‘icomet.utdallas.edu’ into the search bar and log in through the main iComet page
- Clear your browser cache
- Try a different browser
- Contact OIT for a password reset and to see if the issue is something they can assist with
- Reach out to ISSO during Live Chat to have an advisor verify your iComet credentials
- See our advising services here for information on Live Chat: https://isso.utdallas.edu/advising/
- If we update your information internally, wait 3 days and try contacting OIT again for a password reset
If after trying all 5 steps you are still unable to log in, the ISSO can direct you on how to submit a ticket to our software specialist regarding your case.
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 Graduation and Beyond webpage.
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.
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. 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!
