MUMBAI: The US Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) has on Aug 27,2024, up to date its coverage pointers as regards optionally available sensible coaching (OPT) for worldwide college students within the Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Arithmetic (STEM) fields.
Whereas worldwide college students get a possibility to work for a 12 months put up qualification, STEM college students get a further two years.Thus, the OPT tenure for them is three years.
Clarifications on whether or not distance studying would contribute to their study-requirement with out violating the norms of the F1 (pupil visa), or that put up an affiliate diploma, an OPT is feasible are some key clarifications. The up to date coverage pointers come into impact instantly, together with for pending requests.
As per the final Open Doorways survey, issued in November 2023, the variety of worldwide college students from India to the US elevated by 35 % and resulted in an all-time excessive of two,68,923 college students in tutorial 12 months 2022-23. Almost 69,000 Indian college students had been pursuing OPT.
College students within the US and people aspiring to check there, ought to notice the salient highlights of the coverage pointers:
Whereas worldwide college students get a possibility to work for a 12 months put up qualification, STEM college students get a further two years.Thus, the OPT tenure for them is three years.
Clarifications on whether or not distance studying would contribute to their study-requirement with out violating the norms of the F1 (pupil visa), or that put up an affiliate diploma, an OPT is feasible are some key clarifications. The up to date coverage pointers come into impact instantly, together with for pending requests.
As per the final Open Doorways survey, issued in November 2023, the variety of worldwide college students from India to the US elevated by 35 % and resulted in an all-time excessive of two,68,923 college students in tutorial 12 months 2022-23. Almost 69,000 Indian college students had been pursuing OPT.
College students within the US and people aspiring to check there, ought to notice the salient highlights of the coverage pointers:
- On-line and Distance Studying Programs: The brand new coverage clarifies that F1 college students might depend one class or as much as three on-line credit per time period in the direction of their full course of examine requirement, in the event that they take the category on-line or via distance studying. In different phrases, a restricted quantity of on-line or distance training will depend in the direction of completion of the category requirement, with out violating the phrases of their
F1 visa . - Affiliate’s diploma additionally qualifies for OPT: Eligibility for Submit-Completion OPT: USCIS has clarified that worldwide college students could also be eligible for post-completion OPT after completion of an affiliate’s, bachelor’s, grasp’s, or doctoral diploma program. When it comes to training, an affiliate diploma falls between a highschool diploma and a bachelor’s diploma and might be of a period of simply two-years.
- Transfers between instructional establishments: The brand new coverage clarifies that F1 college students can switch between colleges which can be licensed by the Scholar and Change Customer Program (SEVP). This is applicable for transfers inside the similar instructional degree (like one examine stream to a different at say a bachelor’s degree) or shifting to the next degree similar to a grasp’s program.
- 60-Day Grace Interval: USCIS explains thatduring the 60-day grace interval put up completion of OPT, college students might change their training degree, switch to a different SEVP-certified faculty, or file an software or petition with USCIS to vary to a different non-immigrant or immigrant standing. An employer the place a pupil has completed his/her OPT can sponsor the F1 visa holder for an H-1B, however this entails participation within the random attracts (lottery) and college students aren’t at all times profitable in acquiring a piece visa through this route.
- Time of software for an OPT: The brand new coverage corrects the interval throughout which worldwide college students might apply for STEM OPT extensions and makes different technical corrections. F-1 college students ought to submit a correctly filed Type I-765 (for employment authorization-EAD) as much as 90 days earlier than the expiration of the F-1 pupil’s present EAD.
- Examine overseas program: USCIS clarifies {that a} pupil enrolled in a SEVP-certified faculty throughout a examine overseas program might stay lively within the Scholar and Change Customer Data System if the examine overseas program lasts lower than 5 months, however that the coed will want a brand new Type I-20 (Certificates of eligibility for nonimmigrant pupil standing) if this system is of an extended period.
