Answer There is nothing inherently wrong with CPT, as long as it complies with the regulations. The USCIS does apply a great deal of scrutiny if the individual has been maintaining F-1 status based on CPT. The most frequent CPT abuses seem to occur with day-1...
Answer There is nothing inherently wrong with day-one CPT, if it complies with the regulations. It does receive a great deal of scrutiny from the USCIS, however. And, historically, some of the schools that have offered day-one CPT have failed to fully comply with the various...
On May 11, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum that will substantially change the rules regarding unlawful presence (ULP) as they apply to those in F, J, and M status. The new rules are scheduled to go into effect...
Answer One can qualify for OPT after one year of full-time study in any status (as long as s/he is in F-1 status at the time the OPT application is filed). (14.May.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum today that will dramatically expand the manners in which those in F, J, and M status may begin accruing unlawful presence (ULP).Nonimmigrants entering in F, J, or M status usually are admitted for "duration...
At the end of 2017, MurthyDotCom summarized a number of concerning immigration regulations under consideration by the Trump Administration in the NewsBrief, Troubling Immigration Rules, Including End of H-4 EAD, on Trump’s Rulemaking Agenda (2017.Dec.15). While none of the rules has yet come to light,...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is proposing a number of changes to both the online application for a nonimmigrant visa (form DS-160) and the electronic application for an immigrant (form DS-260). The most significant changes to the forms would be to include requests for...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its STEM OPT webpage to reflect an apparent change in the agency’s interpretation of the 2016 STEM optional practical training (OPT) rule for F-1 students. Specifically, the USCIS now interprets the 24-month STEM OPT extension rule...
Answer One generally could change status to F-1 student, complete one's education, and then have an employer file an H1B petition to "recapture" the remainder of the 6 years of H1B time. (16.Apr.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance...
Answer The visa foil is just an entry document; one's valid F-1 status is governed by the SEVIS database. A valid visa foil is not required for a new program. It will only be necessary if one seeks to reenter the U.S. after foreign travel. (09.Apr.2018)In...
