If you are currently in the U.S. working on a post-completion OPT or if you graduated university and you are currently looking for a job related to your field of study, you may be wondering for how many days in…
Jenny ZhanJuly 15, 2020
If you studied in the U.S. on an F-1 visa and you are currently in the U.S. on a post completion OPT, you may be wondering if you can get an unpaid internship given that many companies stopped their hiring…
Jenny ZhanJune 25, 2020
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits a company to hire workers in specialty occupations. There are a limited number of H-1B petitions that USCIS can adjudicate every year (65,000 Regular Cap petitions and additional 20,000 U.S. Advanced Degree Petitions). Every…
Jenny ZhanApril 22, 2020
Let’s analyze the following scenario: You were in the U.S. on a post-completion OPT and found an employer willing to sponsor you for an H-1B visa. The employer filed an H-1B cap petition that got approved in July with the…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 24, 2020
If you are currently in the U.S. and you are participating in a regular OPT, you may apply for a STEM OPT if you meet certain requirements. Do I have to have a degree from a U.S. University to qualify…
Jenny ZhanDecember 23, 2019
If you are studying in the U.S. as a full-time student at an accredited college or university on an F-1 visa, you may be interested in getting a job on or off campus and you may also want work in…
Jenny ZhanNovember 19, 2019
Let’s analyze the following scenario: You are in the U.S. on F-1 OPT status and you are working for an employer. During the cap season, your employer files an H-1B Cap Change of Status petition and the case is selected…
Jenny ZhanSeptember 30, 2019
In May 2018, USCIS quietly changed the rules for offsite STEM OPT workplace placement on its website that disallowed STEM OPT students from being placed with a third party. For many foreign nationals who travel to the United States to…
Jenny ZhanAugust 20, 2018
For many foreign nationals who travel to the United States to study and earn a bachelor’s degree in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (“STEM”), the 24-month extension of their Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) is a critical to…
Jenny ZhanMay 25, 2018
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have issued a reminder that F-1 students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) will have their OPT status terminated automatically if they transfer to another school or begin studying at another education level.…
Jenny ZhanMay 21, 2018
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released it spring 2018 regulatory agenda, proposing significant changes to the B-1 and B-2 temporary visitor categories, the H-1B and EB-5 programs, F-1 practical training, and H-4 employment authorization. B-1 and B-2 Classifications:…
Jenny ZhanMay 10, 2018
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) quietly revised the STEM OPT requirement page, showing only as “last reviewed/updated”, on January 24, 2018. USCIS revised the Optional Practical Training (OPT) temporary employment for F-1 students working in the science,…
Jenny ZhanMay 8, 2018
Foreign nationals who enter the United States to pursue educational degrees are admitted as F-1 nonimmigrants. Students on an F-1 Visa have the option of training in the United States by engaging in practical training related to the student’s major…
Jenny ZhanMarch 30, 2018
What is OPT? If you are a foreign national in the U.S. on an F-1 visa you can participate in temporary employment that is related to your field of study. This employment is called Optional Practical Training (OPT) and can…
IanScottJune 16, 2017
On March 11th 2016, the Department of Homeland Security issued a rule allowing certain students on F-1 visas with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from U.S. institutions of higher education, who elect to pursue 12 months of…
IanScottMarch 18, 2016
