Author: Sara Torres

J-1 students are advised to revisit the rules of their J-1 visa. We have a few reminders here to help with some common questions. Online Courses J-1 students are not allowed to count any online classes towards full-time enrollment. While hybrid courses may be counted towards full-time enrollment, if J-1 students learn that their course has limited in-person requirements, they should plan to adjust their enrollment to take in-person courses. In-person, on-the-ground activities are key to intercultural exchange, which is…

On April 3, 2023, F-1 students were given the opportunity to submit their I-765s for OPT and STEM OPT to USCIS together with Form I-907. Information about the time it may take for approval is listed on USCIS’s website. While many students ask us whether we think that students should file for premium processing, our team does not have a strong recommendation at this time. The decision of filing an I-907 is individual. We advise students to consider the costs…

SEVP’s COVID-19 guidance for F-1 students lasts for the full 2022-23 academic year. This past week, the ISS Leadership Team met to confirm that as UW considers summer 2023 to be part of the 2022-23 academic year, that summer 2023 allows for the continuation of the guidance issued by SEVP on April 18, 2022. Though SEVP could announce that the guidance ends earlier, at this time we are advising all students that summer 2023 allows for the continued flexibilities articulated…

We’ve moved the J-1 Travel Signature Clinic next week to Thursday, April 27th from 10 AM to 12 PM in Schmitz 490. If you’d like to get your DS-2019 signed in person, please come between 10 AM and 12 PM. As a reminder, J-1 Virtual Advising begins this Thursday, April 20, and will continue weekly on most Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 10 AM. We look forward to serving you soon!

OPT can be difficult to navigate even without all of the dates and deadlines to remember. One of the questions we get a lot is about the grace period students get after their program and the unemployment days students have once their OPT begins. We’ve created a graphic that will hopefully help you understand the differences a little better! Note: This example is specifically for a student applying for post-completion OPT. The “Grace Period” This period begins after your program…

On March 28, 2023, the Department of State announced that effective April 27, 2023, DS-2019s may be digitally signed and electronically transmitted. This will allow AROs in ISS to issue your DS-2019s through MyISSS with our digital signatures. All J-1 forms will be updated in MyISSS on April 26, 2023 to prepare for this change. You will no longer be asked if you would like to have your documents shippped to you via e-Ship Global. And, you will not have…

With the recent challenges with lay-offs in the tech industry, we have also heard of students on OPT or STEM OPT asking questions about receiving lump sums of money to start their jobs later than expected. Lump sums from potential employers are often called signing bonuses. The sign-on bonus is not considered employment and you should be able to accept the money. If you do have delayed start dates, you may need to find other work. Unemployment days count from…

We’ve had a lot of students come to ISS to talk about their questions about the H-1B visa recently and we wanted to make sure to communicate clearly about how ISS can help you with your questions. ISS’s Purview ISS’s mission is to advise students about their F-1 or J-1 visas. While we may have knowledge or experience advising on H-1Bs, we are not able to advise you about your petition or your travel related to your H-1B processing. H-1B’s…

We’ve been seeing some errors in STEM OPT I-20 requests that are causing delays. e-Verify Number Issues Your I-765 requires you to include the e-Verify number for your employer. Our form in MyISSS request also requires it. We’re seeing students answer the question that they will upload a letter from their employer about their e-Verify employer and then not uploading the number. We’re also seeing students input the EIN number of their employer rather than the e-Verify number. If we…

Our advising team recently discussed the upcoming end of the SEVP COVID Guidance which ends after this academic year (June 10, 2023). While remote work for STEM OPT Employers was allowed under COVID guidance, we are anticipating that the regulations will return to normal and require direct supervision/on-site work from your employer. If the COVID guidance expires, you will be required to have an in-person/on-site component to your employment. Your I-983 training plan will need to include a work site…