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F-1Student Checklist
Checklist for F-1 Students Transitioning to CAP-SUBJECT H-1B Status Many of the foreign nationals who submit H-1B cap lottery registration each year hold F-1 status. It is critical that those who are selected tie up all loose ends and maintain proper F-1 status to ensure a smooth transition to H-1B status. Review these items: (click […]
F-1 Student Status Change
Applicants for F-1 Student Status Change No Longer Need to Submit Subsequent Applications to “Bridge the Gap” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced new policy guidance that eliminates the need for individuals who have applied for a student status change of (COS) to F-1 student to apply to change or extend their nonimmigrant status […]
International Student Enrollment Is Tapering, But Not for the Reasons You May Think
Unlike many lawyers I know, I did not go directly from my undergraduate studies to law school. In fact, when I graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and law was only on the back of my mind. After a stint as a […]
Universities and IT Firms Challenge USCIS Policies on Unlawful Presence and Third-Party Worksites
As a lifelong fan and supporter of the foreign national community, it has been hard for me to watch the Trump Administration enact increasingly stringent visa policies and practices. Today I’m happy to report that in both the student and employment visa arenas, some of these policies and practices are being challenged in court. Pushback […]
New Unlawful Presence Guidelines Increase Vigilance on International Students and Exchange Visitors
Recently a student called my office asking to talk to the “F-1 attorney.” The student was employed using his STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) and his employer was seeking to change his status to H-1B for continued employment. Last year their H-1B petition was accepted in the H-1B lottery only to be denied for various […]
What Graduating Foreign Nationals Need to Know
The month of May brings graduation ceremonies and celebrations across the United States. For many foreign national students, this is both a time to cherish their new degree and to manage their transition from student visa to work permit. It comes as no surprise that this transition requires close attention in the era of the […]
With US Easing Travel Restrictions, Foreign National Visa Holders Ask: Can I Go Home?
As soon as the Biden administration announced it would ease travel restrictions in early November, my phone began ringing non-stop. My email notifications started pinging like popcorn. If you work in Human Resources, you may know what I mean because it is likely your phone and email were ringing first. My HR clients were sending […]