Federal regulations give a specific group of nonimmigrant workers a window to regroup after a layoff without immediately falling out of status. The rule, at 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2), covers E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN classification holders, along with their dependents. It reads:
For more than thirty years, an F-1 student's Form I-94 has carried two alphabets where a date should be: D/S. Duration of status. Stay as long as your program lasts, keep studying, keep your I-20 current, and the clock never runs out.
Those two alphabets are gone.
The proposed regulation represents the most significant change to student and exchange visitor immigration in over 40 years. As stated in the preamble:
"DHS proposes to amend its regulations by changing the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period." (Page 1)
Community members and our lawyer colleagues have shared their stories. It appears:
1. The NTAs are getting resolved quickly, where you are still in the grace period and/or have a B-type petition pending. Motions to terminate are working.
2. The hearing dates are also being given in a few days or weeks.
3. The percentage of NTAs is relatively small.
For international students on an F-1 visa in the United States, the STEM OPT extension program provides an opportunity to gain valuable work experience after graduation while extending their stay in the US for a chance of an H-1B lottery win. Concomitantly, the program is invaluable for US employers in facilitating access to well-qualified workers, most with graduate degrees.
Source: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/COVID19_FAQs.pdf
Also useful: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/stem-opt-hub
Effective May 11, 2023, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, following the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency
Students in the following fields will be able to obtain STEM OPT extensions for 24 months: