Under a newDepartment of Homeland Securityrule, some international students at the University may be eligible to work and remain in the United States for a longer time post-graduation.
With the new regulation that will go into effect May 10, international students who have a degree in designated science, technology, engineering and math related fields may pursue a F1 Optional Practical Training visa for up to 24 months, Assistant Director for International Students at the Davis International Center MladenkaTomasevic said.This extends the current 17-month STEM OPT visa limit.
International students comprise around 12 percent of undergraduate student body and about 40 percent of the graduate student body. In2014 - 15 academic year, about 56 percent of the graduate students in engineering program and 41 percent in natural science programs came from abroad.
Tomasevic also noted that under the new rule, students will be responsible for supplying more documentation to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The regulation also increased the number of allowed unemployment days to an aggregate of 150 days. This number was previously 90 days, according to a USCIS press release.
Furthermore, employers are now required to devise training plans for OPT seekers at the time of application and provide follow-up evaluation reports regularly during the applicant’s employment, according to the Center’s website.
The Center is still reviewing and analyzing the implications of the change, Tomasevic said. She could not comment on whether the extension has tangible impacts on pursuing permanent residency. The Center will put together a website in mid-April with more information, she said.
Vibhaalakshmi Sivaraman ’17, a computer science major, said that as someone intending to apply to graduate school, her plans haven’t changed dramatically since the rule change.
However, she noted that the extension is a big plus, especially for international students intending to pursue summer internships. Sivaraman said that summer internships are currently factored into OPT extension, which shortens the potential employment time for students after graduation.
“It opens up more opportunities only in the sense that you can stay in the US for longer,” she said.
She added that she believes that the impact of this regulation change rests with employers.
Sivaraman noted that she also heard that the rule may have excluded certain majors that were previously designated as a STEM major. Additionally, the USCIS designation of STEM might pose logistical difficulties for some students, she said.
“ORFE majors going into Wall Street have no problem while econ students going into Wall Street may have serious problems,” she said.
Sergiy Popovych GS, a second year Ph.D. student in the computer science department, explained that with the new rule, students have some increased flexibility in pursuing employment. An OPT status grants more benefits than the standard F1 visa, he said, adding that unlike the F1 visa, applicants can renew their OPT status while in the US.
“The impact of the extension is not huge but it’s still nice,” he added.
According to Popovych, with the except of applicants from China and India, there is currently a lottery system for getting a H-1B work visa. Having a longer OPT allows for an increased number of chances to apply for the lottery.
Tomasevic noted that some graduates have been able to transfer to a H-1B visa after exhausting their OPT stay. An H-1B visa is a prerequisite to applying for a work-based green card, according to USCIS.
Popovych further noted that he believes limiting the extension to STEM graduates is the right thing to do.
“There are many more international students in STEM and America is fully qualified to have its own humanities students. For STEM students, America is perhaps a bit lacking,” he said.
USCIS did not respond to a request for comment.Read More
‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ at Princeton
Daily Princetonian StaffPrinceton students began a sit-in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country.
Princeton students began a sit-in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country.
‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ launches at Princeton, students arrested
Annie Rupertus and Miriam WaldvogelPrinceton students erected a tent encampment in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country. Princeton Public Safety has issued it’s first warning to protesters, and at least two student arrest has been made.
Princeton students erected a tent encampment in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country. Princeton Public Safety has issued it’s first warning to protesters, and at least two student arrest has been made.
In preemptive move, U. says encampment protestors will likely be arrested and barred from campus
Miriam WaldvogelStudents participating in an encampment on campus will be arrested and “immediately” barred from University grounds, Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun wrote in an email to undergraduates on Wednesday morning. The move serves as an unprecedented pre-emptive response to the growing trend of pro-Palestinian encampments that have gripped peer institutions.
Students participating in an encampment on campus will be arrested and “immediately” barred from University grounds, Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun wrote in an email to undergraduates on Wednesday morning. The move serves as an unprecedented pre-emptive response to the growing trend of pro-Palestinian encampments that have gripped peer institutions.
