Employers who have employed F-1 students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) category of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program can expect site visits by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The March 2016 STEM OPT rule allows the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct site visits of employers that train STEM OPT students. Conducting Site Visits The site visits are READ MORE READ MORE

As an aftereffect of the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act that went into effect on December 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now suspended Trusted Traveler Programs such as Global Entry (for entry from abroad), NEXUS (for entry from Canada), SENTRI (for entry from Canada and Mexico), and FAST (for truck drivers entering the U.S. from Mexico) for the state of New York. READ MORE READ MORE

The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has again changed the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. On January 31, 2020, the USCIS released the long-awaited revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), with an edition date of “10/21/2019.” The changes are minor and USCIS has accordingly revised “Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9.” Though the Form I-9 went into effect on January 31, READ MORE READ MORE

On January 21, 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation allowing children of H-1B visa workers to qualify for in-state tuition, subject to certain conditions. “New Jerseyans deserve equal access to higher education, and today we are taking another step toward making that possible,” said Gov. Murphy. Students who are children of H-1B visa holders can now qualify for in-state tuition at the state’s public colleges READ MORE READ MORE

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are visiting workplaces to check on the student employees who are in their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Optional Practical Training (OPT). Universities are cautioning their students of such visits from ICE. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the latest among the universities to caution their students. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania and READ MORE READ MORE