On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of eight new fields of study to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. The OPT
Continue Reading DHS Adds 8 Fields to STEM OPT Program, Expanding Opportunities for Foreign National Students
USCIS has made it easier for certain F-1 students who are seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) OPT extensions to apply
Continue Reading Online USCIS Premium Processing for F-1 Students Seeking OPT
On Jan. 21, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address national interest waivers for advanced degree professionals or persons
Continue Reading USCIS Updates Guidance Adjudicating Requests for ‘National Interest Waiver’
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization online if they are filing
Continue Reading USCIS Expands Online Filing to F-1 Students Seeking OPT
With delays at USCIS lockbox and service centers due to COVID-19 and an unprecedented number of applications, those seeking to apply or renew their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) have experienced
Continue Reading Delays at USCIS Affecting F-1 Students with Work Authorization
As you may have read, many media outlets and other sources are reporting that the Trump Administration plans to issue an additional Proclamation or Executive Order (EO) in the coming
Continue Reading Possible Presidential Proclamation to Limit Entry of Foreign National Workers into the U.S. and additional regulatory measures on the Horizon
USCIS announced today, April 6, 2018, that the FY 2019 H-1B cap is now closed because it has received a sufficient number of H‐1B petitions to reach the 65,000
Continue Reading FY2019 H-1B Cap Met
On Jan. 25, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced S. 2344, the Immigration Innovation Act of 2018, or I-Squared. I-Squared has been long-championed by Senator Hatch and the reintroduction of it this Congress includes “updates for this Congress.” Per Senator Hatch-
Continue Reading U.S. Senate legislation Introduced to Address H-1B and Employment-Based Immigration Reforms
This week, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) published its quarterly “SEVIS by the Numbers” report announcing that there are over one million international students in the United States.
Continue Reading July 2016 “SEVIS by the Numbers” Report Indicates Growth in the Number of International Students Studying in the United States
The new STEM OPT program became effective on May 10, 2016, and represents a complete overhaul of how this program has operated since 2008. For the uninitiated, STEM stands for
Continue Reading The New STEM OPT Program: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly