USCIS TO CENTRALIZE FILING & ADJUDICATION FOR CERTAIN WAIVERS OF INADMISSIBILITY IN THE US

Beginning on June 4, 2012, individuals abroad who have applied for certain visas and have been found inadmissible by a U.S. Consular Officer, will be able to mail request to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility directly to a USCIS Lockbox facilities. This change affects where individuals abroad who have been found inadmissible for an immigrant visa or a non-immigrant visa K or V visa. Currently, applicants experience processing time from one-month to more than one year depending on their location. The change affects filings for forms I-601, I-212, I-290B. The change is separate and distinct from the provisional waiver proposal published on March 30, 20121. http://www.uscis.gov/

IMMIGRATION AND POLICY: STEEM DESIGNATED DEGREE PROGRAM

IMMIGRATION AND POLICY: STEEM DESIGNATED DEGREE PROGRAM: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded the list of STEM -- science, technology, engineering, and math --designated-degree pr...

STEEM DESIGNATED DEGREE PROGRAM

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded the list of STEM -- science, technology, engineering, and math --designated-degree program list that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an optional practical training (OPT) extension. The new courses which are now included to the list of STEEM are: pharmaceutical sciences, econometrics, and quantitative economics.

Under the OPT program, international students who graduate from colleges and universities in the United States are able to remain in the United States and receive training through work experience for up to 12 months.

Students who graduate from a STEM-designated degree program can remain in the United States for an additional 17 months on an OPT STEM extension.  List of the STEM-designated programs are available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stem-list.pdf.