Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed eliminating the D/S ("duration of status") designation routinely issued on I-94s for nonimmigrants in F, J, or I status. If the proposed regulation is enacted, I-94s for these categories would instead be issued with a set...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is again extending the response time flexibility, initially announced on March 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexibility applies to applicants and petitioners responding to any of the following, issued from March 1, 2020 through January...
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has issued a new broadcast message advising designated school officials (DSOs) that it will soon begin issuing notices to F-1 students participating in optional practical training (OPT) if the student does not mention information on the employer in...
U.S. consular sections across India have resumed accepting drop box applications to renew F, M, J, H, and L visas from qualifying applicants. In addition to the standard drop box requirements, H and L visa applicants must qualify for one of the exceptions to the...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a reminder to universities and F-1 students employed pursuant to post-completion optional practical training (OPT) to ensure that changes in employer information are updated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Per the USCIS...
Effective Monday, August 17, 2020, the U.S. consulates in India will have a limited number of slots available for F and J visa applicants. Per the announcement, emergency student and exchange visitor appointment requests submitted prior to August 12 will be processed first. The consulates...
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will "adjust USCIS fees by a weighted average increase of 20 percent to help recover its operational costs." The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on August 3,...
The dean of Harvard University has advised its students that the legal settlement Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reached with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding online courses does not apply to first-year students entering in F-1 status. This means that...
As previously reported, on July 14, 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reinstated the March 2020 policy, allowing F-1 and M-1 students to temporarily take all courses online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this announcement, however, numerous designated school officials (DSOs) have reported hearing...
This afternoon, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reached an agreement with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to reinstate the March 2020 policy, allowing F-1 and M-1 students to temporarily take all courses online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harvard and MIT...
