Immigration
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Card Delays
July 31, 2019
There are major delays currently with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issuing employment authorization document (EAD) cards. This should not be news to anyone who has been staying on top of the EAD card delays with USCIS. Processing times are hitting the five-month marker. We understand that some of our current students who have […]
U.S. Department of State to Collect Social Media Information
June 11, 2019
The next time you need to apply for a visa, be prepared to provide all personal social media accounts that have been used within the last five years effective May 31, 2019. The U.S. Department of State is requiring that you release your username/handle for all accounts, but not your password. This new requirement applies […]
I-901 SEVIS Fee Increase
May 22, 2019
It’s been confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to officially increase their fees that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) charges to those needing to enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status (minus J-1 au pairs). These fees are effective June 24, 2019. I-901 Fees F-1 J-1 Current New […]
Update on New Policy on Accrual of Unlawful Presence
May 13, 2019
This is an update to the New Policy on Accrual of Unlawful Presence post by OIS. A group comprising of a few colleges and universities, a teachers union, an international student club, and a couple of students banded together to file a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) back in October 2018 (Guilford College […]
CBP Update: Alphanumeric I-94s Arrival/Departure Records
April 25, 2019
Effective this May 2019, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be adjusting the I-94 number once it is issued to international travelers. Currently, the formatting of an I-94 number includes 11 digits and is comprised of only numbers. Starting this May, the I-94 number will become alphanumeric. The I-94 will remain 11 characters in length […]
Potential changes to H-4 EAD Eligibility
March 4, 2019
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has submitted a draft proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to end the work authorization of H-4 spouses. This proposed rule would end the current eligibility that H-4 spouses have to apply for the employment authorization document (EAD) card once primary H-1B holder has reached […]
Revised Form I-539 and new Form I-539A
February 27, 2019
Effective March 11, 2019, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they will only accept the revised Form I-539 with the edition date of 02/04/2019. Any submissions of the Form I-539 with a previous edition date will automatically be rejected. USCIS has also created a new Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change […]
Non-emergency visa services suspended in Venezuela
January 28, 2019
Due to the political situation in Venezuela, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has withdrawn all non-essential diplomatic staff from the country and has suspended all “non-emergency” visa services in Caracas, Venezuela. At this time, the DOS has not addressed whether any services will be available to foreign nationals. However, immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing […]
New Policy on Accrual of Unlawful Presence
January 14, 2019
On May 8, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a memo proposing a fundamental change to the way it counts accruing “unlawful presence,” which impacts those of you who are in F-1 and J-1 status, as well as your dependents. This new USCIS policy went into effect on August 9, 2018. In the […]