The New York Times reports student visa holders are encountering obstacles with obtaining work authorization associated with Optional Practical Training (OPT), a vital and essential component of the F-1 visa for most, if not all, foreign national students. OPT work authorization allows F-1 students to work temporarily in fields that advance their studies for a… [Read More]
SEVIS Advanced: How to Authorize Reduced Course Loads for Foreign Students
Designated School Officials (DSOs) of college and universities have the important task of updating student records and helping students maintain their status while attending school on an F visas. One common pitfall can be maintaining the proper course load for the program of study. Ideally, DSOs will work students proactively to make sure they stay… [Read More]
4 Benefits of Bringing Foreign Students to Study at American Universities
In order to recruit foreign students, higher education institutions, private schools and public high schools must obtain certification through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) program. Once certified through SEVP, the institution must maintain compliance within the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which tracks the courses of study,… [Read More]
Rule By Memorandum: What You Need to Know about USCIS Updates to NTA Policy
A memo published July 5 by the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) outlines a policy change that could have far reaching implications for those in the United States on work or student visas. Change in Notice to Appear Policy The July memo, which, among other decrees, instructs USCIS to issue a Notice to… [Read More]
Not Just Dreamers – Here Are Three Real Immigration Problems Congress Should Address (And How to Fix Them)
House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday announced two votes on immigration legislation in the United States House of Representatives, derailing efforts by bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives to secure the signatures necessary to vote on competing immigration reform bills using a discharge petition. The upcoming votes on two separate immigration bills – one proposed by… [Read More]
Six Common SEVIS Mistakes and Staying SEVP Compliant with Today’s USCIS
While a May 10 memo from United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not necessarily change the immigration law around popular student visas, it does go further in clarifying the USCIS policy on enforcing legal status in the United States. These changes could result in increased penalties for students and their sponsoring organizations. It… [Read More]
Recruiting Foreign Students in the Trump Years
For the first time in years – if not decades – colleges, universities and graduate programs in the United States are facing a decline in enrollment of foreign students. This month, CNN reported F-1 visas issued to foreign students decreased nearly 20 percent in the year that ended September 20, 2017. The Wall Street Journal… [Read More]
Understanding SEVP: I-17 Recertification Compliance and What Every School Should Know
Colleges and universities that offer a foreign student program (FSP) don’t have to be told about the benefits that come along with it. Students from the United States and abroad are able to collect educational and cultural experiences that will remain with them for a lifetime. But as a higher education professional, you already know… [Read More]
Understanding SEVP: Maintaining SEVIS Compliance
The start of a new semester can be an exciting and invigorating time for a college student, especially one who is participating in a study abroad program. For college admissions and enrollment professionals, with each new college semester comes a new class of students participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). And the… [Read More]
Understanding SEVP: What to do if a student loses their F-1 status
Students that come to study in the United States on an F-1 visa are able to enjoy the same academic and cultural experiences that resident students are afforded. But in certain situations — sometime even beyond the student’s control — a student’s F-1 visa can be revoked. And that can lead to issues not only… [Read More]
