Compliance Management

STEM OPT Employer Site Visits

Since the 24-month STEM OPT rule became effective on May 10, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security has had authority to conduct site visits of STEM OPT employers. In late summer, 2019, a number of law firms and news outlets reported that although DHS has had this authority since 2016, it has

Rulemaking on Public Charge Determinations

Updates On November 3, 2025, DHS submitted a proposed rule for OMB review titled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility." ( RIN: 1615-AD06 ) No further information is available, and it is not known to what extent the proposal seeks to revise the public charge standards included in the DHS public

The EU General Data Protection Regulation

European Union authorities began enforcing the GDPR on May 25, 2018. The European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates the collection, processing, and safeguarding of personal data of individuals physically present in EU member states, regardless of the person's citizenship

Court Case Threatens OPT: What You Can Do

Event Dates

September 3, 2019

September 3, 2019 The court case Washington Alliance of Technology Workers v. Department of Homeland Security seeks to discontinue the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, particularly post completion OPT and STEM OPT. A decision in the case against OPT could also put other forms of F-1

DOS Guidance Directive 2019-03 - College and University Student Category: Screening and Monitoring

On August 5, 2019, the Department of State (DOS) issued Guidance Directive 2019-03 - College and University Student Category: Screening and Monitoring. Download Guidance Directive 2019-03 The guidance stems from DOS's review of the J-1 exchange visitor College and University Student category, and to

DOS OPA-AG Serious Problem or Controversy Reporting Rubric

22 CFR 62.13(d) requires an exchange visitor program to notify the Department of State of: any investigations of an exchange visitor's site of activity, or any serious problem or controversy that may bring the Department of State or the sponsor's exchange visitor program into "notoriety or disrepute

DHS Expands Expedited Removal Policy

March 21, 2025

Expedited removal is a procedure established by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) that allows a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official to summarily deport (remove) an individual without a hearing before an immigration judge or review by the

IssueNet Quarterly Summary - July 2019

Summary of top issues reported to NAFSA IssueNet from March 2019 to June 2019 Long delays for H-1B applications which are impacting other things such as renewing driver's licenses. USCIS continues to apply a stricter standard of the Specialty Occupation definition for H-1Bs than in the past, leading

Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting

Recent Updates Executive Order 14282 of April 23, 2025: Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14282 published at 90 FR 17541 (April 28, 2025). This Executive Order reinstates and tightens enforcement of higher education institutions' obligation

Key Takeaways from the May 16, 2019 DOL OFLC Stakeholder Meeting

Top Takeaways from the Department of Labor Stakeholder Meeting on May 16, 2019 A new system for filing with DOL is here: the Foreign Labor Application Gateway ( FLAG). Starting Monday, June 10, applications for Prevailing Wage Determinations will only be accepted through FLAG Due to the transition