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The U.S. government is out with more updated guidance on student-visa issues and the coronavirus. What's in it? you ask. First, let's talk about what's NOT in the most recent FAQ
NOT in new student-visa guidance:
• No guidance on whether students can apply for OPT, the work program for international students, from outside the U.S.
• No extension or suspension of the unemployment period for OPT. (Students have 90 days to find a job on OPT or leave U.S.)
• No guidance on whether students can apply for OPT, the work program for international students, from outside the U.S.
• No extension or suspension of the unemployment period for OPT. (Students have 90 days to find a job on OPT or leave U.S.)
• There's also not flexibility in grace period students have to leave the U.S. after program completion/graduation, even if travel restrictions make it impossible to depart.
The guidance seems to suggest that Homeland Security is still considering how to handle these
issues
The guidance seems to suggest that Homeland Security is still considering how to handle these
issues
OK, let's talk about what's IN the new student-visa guidance:
• Students can work on OPT remotely if their employer allows it/can adequately evaluate them
• Students w/o technological resources to participate in online learning can be remain active if they alert their college
• Students can work on OPT remotely if their employer allows it/can adequately evaluate them
• Students w/o technological resources to participate in online learning can be remain active if they alert their college
• Students can accrue eligibility for OPT/CPT while studying outside the U.S. during COVID-19
• Colleges cannot furlough all their employees who are certified to maintain student-visa records. If they do, they could lose eligibility to enroll international students
• Colleges cannot furlough all their employees who are certified to maintain student-visa records. If they do, they could lose eligibility to enroll international students
And the guidance confirms that visa documents with electronic signatures are valid and says that the State Department and customs agency are on board with this change. There have been reports of students going to visa interviews and having docs rejected b/c of electronic sigs
There is more in the guidance, but those are the highlights on quick perusal. Here's a link to go through the FAQ yourself — I recommend bookmarking it, as it's where all updates are posted: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/coronavirus/covid19faq.pdf
A final caveat: I'm not an immigration lawyer, just a reporter who never imagined she'd spend so much time on the minutiae of student visas
