Student Visas (F, M, J)

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shared online resources on July 28, 2022, that overviews some permanent as well as temporary ways for foreign nationals working in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to remain in the United States (US). Here’s an overview of what was learned through those resources.
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On Nov. 1, 2021, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) published SEVP Policy Guidance: Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission for the Form I-20, which establishes the procedures for the use of electronic signatures and transmission of the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Students.” This guidance permits designated school officials (DSOs) to electronically sign and transmit the Form I-20 to initial and continuing students and their dependents.
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Pursuant to a court order, USCIS extended the flexibilities for certain foreign students affected by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. These flexibilities have been extended to include applications received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through Oct. 31, 2021, inclusive. Applicants can file Form I-765 up to 120 days before the program end date if the application is received by Oct. 31, 2021.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that certain foreign students can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online.

F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) directly related to their major area of study are eligible to apply for employment authorization online if they are filing under one of these categories:
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As exceeding unemployment limits can result in a loss of status, we are reminding F-1 aliens participating in post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), and their designated school officials (DSOs), that they must update the employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), including unemployment data. Federal regulations require F-1 aliens to notify their DSO within 10 days of any changes to their personal or employment information. In turn, DSOs must update SEVIS with the alien’s information within 21 days. This reminder helps ensure F-1 aliens and DSOs properly comply with existing requirements.
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Before entering the U.S., it is usually required that a foreign national obtain either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. This is also true of students who are citizens of foreign countries looking to come to the U.S.
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Johns Hopkins University filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Trump administration from stripping international students of their visas and forcing them to leave the U.S. if they are not taking any in-person courses in the fall.

The Baltimore institution filed the suit on Friday against U.S.
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NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Friday, Rutgers University announced they are joining a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and MIT against ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Rutgers, Harvard and MIT are fighting brand-new guidelines from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the agency announced just this past Monday it would deny visas to international college students who take online-only courses this fall.

Harvard and MIT filed the the suit in federal court in Boston Wednesday.
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Princeton University will support a lawsuit brought against federal agencies by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the schools seek to block a rule that allows international students to study only at reopened universities with in-person classes.

The two Cambridge, Massachusetts schools filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S.
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The United States has long been a premier destination for promising students across the globe. International students have come to serve an integral role in the diversity of U.S. universities. Additionally, these students have provided far-reaching economic benefits to universities and the country as a whole.
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