Four new steps the United States has taken to help International students and immigrants.

 

From premium processing to visa extensions for international students, these are the five new changes announced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) you should take note of.

The United States has taken a slew of steps over the past couple of months to get visa and immigration services back on track, and clear backlogs post-pandemic.

1. Work authorizations (For spouses of H, E, and L visa holders)

A new guide has been published for work permits of H, E and L spouses. From now on E and L-dependent spouses will no longer be required to apply for EADs.

Some H-4, E, or L-dependent spouses will qualify for an automatic extension of their existing employment authorizations and accompanying EADs - provided they properly apply to renew them before they expire, and have an unexpired Form I-94 showing their existing status.

Automatic extension of their EADs will continue until the end date on Form I-94 showing valid status, the approval or denial of the EAD renewal application, or 540 days from the date of expiration of the previous EAD (whichever comes first). 

2. J-1 visa extension

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students, including recent graduates who want to commence academic training no later than 30 days after completion of their STEM-related studies, can now extend their J-1 visas for up to 36 months.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also added 22 new fields of study to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

3. O-1 Visa guidelines

An extended guideline has been published for O-1 work visas for people with remarkable aptitude in certain fields like sciences, education, business, athletics, arts, or motion picture or television production.

The new guideline focuses on submitting evidence which is of the same significance to that criterion to establish sustained acclaim and recognition in case an applicant exhibits that a particular criterion does not readily apply to their occupation.

4. Extension of Period of Authorized Work

Certain renewal applicants who have filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, qualify for an automatic extension of their expiring employment authorization and/or EADs while their application is pending. This includes family, employment, speciality, TPS, asylum, and diversity applicants.

This extends the applicant's authorized period of work from 180 days to 540 days. The USCIS hopes this will help immigrants avoid gaps in employment due to pending EAD renewal applications.

Source: USCIS