Visa Services Operating Status Update from DOS

Last Updated: April 6, 2021

Release Date 

04/12/2021

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online if they are filing under one of these categories:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19.

Visas for Domestic Employees of B, E, F, H, I, J, L, O, P, and Q Visa Holders and U.S. Citizens Temporarily Assigned To The United States (B-1)

On February 28, 2013, USCIS will disable the alternative legacy online filing channel for Form I-539 and offer customers the option to: 

• File online with USCIS ELIS, or 
• File a paper application by mail.

Following the launch of our paperless electronic immigration system, USCIS ELIS, we offered customers three ways to file the Form I-539. Since then, USCIS has improved USCIS ELIS and consolidated its filing methods.

Published by: The Times of India  - Date: April 28, 2021

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

Rajiv S. Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com told TOI, “Business entities make plans based on consistency and predictability – not being able to rely on the availability of professional workers was not conducive to business nor to non-citizen workers.”

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: April 28, 2021 

Synopsis

New or Initial F and M students who were not previously enrolled in a program of study on March 9, 2020, will not be able to enter the United States as a nonimmigrant student for the 2021-22 academic year if their course of study is 100 percent online.

For more on this article please see the attachment below.