Compliance Management

CIS Ombudsman Corrects Tip Sheet on How F-1 Students Seeking OPT Can Avoid Form I-765 Delays

On September 18, 2023, the CIS Ombudsman posted a revised tip sheet titled How F-1 Students Seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) Can Avoid Form I-765 Delays. The revision corrects an error in the prior (May 8, 2023) tip sheet that NAFSA brought to the office's attention. An Ombudsman's office

Considerations for Selecting a Credential Evaluation Service

Resource by Emily Grubbe, MS (Duke Kunshan University) Alex Popovski, MA (Ucredo LLC) Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert, MBA (ACEI and AACRAO) Emily Tse, MPhil (IERF and AACRAO) In the United States, there is no governmental body that accredits or approves credential evaluation agencies. Companies that offer

Digital Signing and Electronic Transmission of Form DS-2019

A Department of State (DOS) interim final rule published at 88 FR 18249 (March 28, 2023) allowed digital signing and electronic transmission of exchange visitor Form DS-2019, effective April 27, 2023. Forms DS-3036, DS-3037, and DS-7002 may also be digitally signed and electronically transmitted

DOS Raises Visa Processing Fees Effective June 17, 2023

A Department of State (DOS) final rule published at 88 FR 18243 (March 28, 2023) raises key visa processing fees, effective June 17, 2023. For example, the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee for F-1, J-1, and other non-petition-based visas rises 15.6%, and the MRV fee for petition-based categories such

Department of Education Title IV Guidance Regarding Third-Party Servicers

UPDATES: The U.S. Department of Education announced in a October 21, 2024 court filing that it will formally rescind the Dear Colleague Letter of February 2023 which proposed major changes to the definition of third-party servicer. It is gratifying to see the department heed the advice of its

USCIS Adds Basic F-1 SSR Content to USCIS Policy Manual

On February 22, 2023, USCIS added basic content on F-1 Special Student Relief (SSR) off-campus employment authorization to the USCIS Policy Manual. The new content confirms that Form I-765 code (c)(3)(iii) should be used when requesting SSR off-campus employment authorization, and that USCIS should

DOS Extends Initial F and M Visa Issuance Window to 365 Days

In February, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) revised its policies to now allow consular officers to issue an F or M student visa up to 365 days in advance of a new student's I-20 program start date. See: A February 21, 2023 DOS tweet, and content on the DOS Student Visa Page (updated on February

Stateside Renewal of Nonimmigrant Visas

From January 29 to April 1, 2024, the Department of State ran a pilot program to test the resumption of domestic visa renewal for H-1B applicants who were renewing an H-1B visa that was issued by: Mission Canada with an issuance date from January 1, 2020, through April 1, 2023; or Mission India with

Evaluating Higher Risk Travel: Resources beyond the Department of State Travel Advisory Levels

Contributors from the 2022 Education Abroad Knowledge Community (EAKC) Subcommittee on Health & Safety: Colin McElroy, Director of Health, Safety, and Security, CIEE Dianne De Salvo, Director of Study Abroad, Central Michigan University Daniel Kampsen, Director of Global Safety & Operations, Drexel

USCIS Bundling Adjudication of H-4 and L-2 dependents' Forms I-539 and I-765 Concurrently Filed with Principal's I-129

For a two-year period starting around January 25, 2023, USCIS will once again "bundle the adjudication of the Form I-539 and Form I-765, where applicable, for H-4 and L-2 derivatives with the underlying Form I-129 when these forms are properly filed together regardless of whether they are filed