Compliance Management

ICE OPT Enforcement Actions

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Wednesday preliminary results from Operation OPTical Illusion, a law enforcement operation targeting nonimmigrant students who fraudulently used the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program to remain in the United States... The operation

DOL Interim Final Rule on OES and Prevailing Wage Determinations

On D ecember 1, 2020, the October 8, 2020 DOL interim final rule was set aside by a U.S. District Court, and is no longer in effect. Related recent updates On January 14, 2021, DOL published a final rule titled Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain

IssueNet Quarterly Summary - Fall 2020

IssueNet Quarterly Summary - Fall 2020 Highlighting the top issues reported through NAFSA IssueNet. Prepared by Cory Owen, Chair, Student Subcommittee, International Student and Scholar Regulatory Practice (ISS RP) Committee. Top Issues Impact of COVID-19: Additional work for DSO needing to add

Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act Authorizes Expanded Premium Processing

Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act Updates Rulemaking. A final rule titled Implementation of the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act was published in the Federal Register at 87 FR 18227 (March 30, 2022). The rule goes into effect on May 31, 2022, but premium processing for newly

Responding to the DHS Proposal to Eliminate Duration of Status

Event Dates

October 13, 2020

Join your NAFSA colleagues on October 13, from 2:00pm to 3:00pm for a discussion of DHS’ proposed rule that would eliminate duration of status for Fs and Js. We will review key elements of the proposal and potential issues, describe NAFSA’s response, hear about three schools’ response plans, and

Status of Form I-129

Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Visit the USCIS Form I-129 page for the latest form and instructions, and fee and filing information. USCIS Form I-129 page USCIS Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker page USCIS Form G-1055 Fee Schedule Form Version

2020 NAFSA Virtual Regional Agency-Focused Sessions

September 16, 2020

In order to provide access to information from government officials that would have otherwise been available at 2020 NAFSA Regional Fall Events, the NAFSA International Student Scholar Regulatory Practice (ISS RP) Committee has coordinated with government agencies to record presentations similar to

Broadcast Message 2008-03: SEVP to Mail Notices to OPT Students Without Employer Information

On August 28, 2020 SEVP sent DSOs Broadcast Message 2008-03: SEVP to Mail Notices to OPT Students Without Employer Information, informing them of its plan to mail notices to OPT students "who have not reported employer information and have exceeded 90 days of unemployment." The message SEVP plans to

Applying for a Social Security Number When Applying for an EAD on Form I-765

Update: A news outlet reported in March, 2025 that an unpublished Social Security Administration (SSA) memo informed SSA offices that it "is temporarily pausing the Enumeration-Beyond-Entry (EBE) process for noncitizens granted work authorization (I-765)." Secret policy shift could overwhelm Social

DOS Policy on Interview Waiver Eligibility

Revised Visa Interview Waiver Policy In a July 25, 2025 Interview Waiver Update, the Department of State announced that effective September 2, 2025 it drastically reduced the policy that waives the visa interview requirement for applicants who previously held a visa in the same category if that visa