Regulatory Information

Exchange Visitors and Exchange Visitor Programs

Fees, Forms, Filing Procedures

Institutional Obligations and Compliance

International Faculty, Staff, Researchers

International Students and Schools

U.S. Immigration Systems, Data, Status, and Concepts

Visas, Travel, Entry

Upload of STEM OPT Form I-983 Training Plans in SEVIS Release 6.49

Beginning with SEVIS Release 6.49 (scheduled release date November 17, 2019), DSOs will be able to upload Form I-983 training plans in SEVIS when recommending initial STEM OPT, adding a STEM employer, and at the 12 and 24 month self-evaluation reporting periods. View SEVP's: SEVIS Release 6.49

Presidential Proclamation 9945

Update: President Biden revoked former President Trump's Proclamation 9945 on May 14, 2021. See Proclamation 10209 of May 14, 2021: A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 9945. This discussion of the subsequently revoked Proclamation 9945 is maintained for research purposes. Under Presidential

20cfr656

May 26, 2023

20 CFR Part 656 Labor Certification Process for Permanent Employment of Aliens in the United States This resource is a reference aid developed by the NAFSA Adviser's Manual 360 team. This is not an official edition of the Code of Federal Regulations. For information on the official edition of the

22cfr41100

March 5, 2023

22 CFR Part 41 Subparts J, K, L (22 CFR 41.101 - 22 CFR 41.122) This resource is a reference aid developed by the NAFSA Adviser's Manual 360 team. This is not an official edition of the Code of Federal Regulations. For information on the official edition of the Code of Federal Regulations published

SEVP Portal Becomes Available To Students For Only Six Months Following OPT

According to SEVP's Broadcast Message 1910-01 (October 2, 2019), after the SEVP Portal upgrades to Releases 1.10 and 1.11 (as soon as October, 2019): "students will only have access to the SEVP Portal for up to six months after their OPT ends... In preparation for account closure, SEVP strongly

SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training-Determining a Direct Relationship Between Employment and a Student's Major Area of Study

On September 27, 2019, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program issued policy guidance on the obligations of schools and students to document that there is a direct relationship between the student's major field of study and the work the student does on pre-completion OPT, standard post-completion

20cfr655700

September 26, 2019

20 CFR Part 655, Subpart H Labor Condition Applications and Requirements for Employers Seeking To Employ Nonimmigrants on H-1b Visas in Specialty Occupations and as Fashion Models, and Requirements for Employers Seeking To Employ Nonimmigrants on H-1b1 and E-3 Visas in Specialty Occupations This

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 (2020) Update: On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 1044 by unanimous consent, a procedural motion that does not allow for further amendments to the bill. The title of the amended bill is Fairness for High-Skilled

OSTP Letter to Academic Institutions on Plans for Campus Meetings on Research Security and Other Topics

In a September 16, 2019 letter to academic institutions, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) said, "During the next few months, OSTP will be holding meetings at academic institutions across the Nation to converse with researchers and students on matters of research

NAFSA Education Abroad Regulatory Summit

The applicability of federal regulations to education abroad as a professional area of practice is increasingly complex. Amid all the details and challenges of sending students abroad, it can be easy to overlook the impact of federal regulations on the everyday work of managing programs. Regulations