Effective November 17,2008, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the republic of Korea, and the Slovak Republic are amended to the list of Visa Waiver Program countries.
DHS Notice on mandatory use of ESTA by VWP entrants
November 17, 2008

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will raise fees for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System(SEVIS), effective October 27,2008. The fee for international students will be $200. The fee for exchange visitors will be $180. The SEVIS fee must be paid prior to a visa issuance or a change of status. For more information on the SEVIS fee, please visit:www.fmjfee.com
October 27, 2008

The State Department has issued information and questions and answers on the criteria and procedures for applying for the FREE Diversity Visa Lottery. Please click herefor more information.

Note: Not all nationalities are eligible to apply. All applicants must be filed electronically, directly through the State Department's website
October 1, 2008

Illinois will not enforce its new law prohibiting the use of the E-Verify employment eligibility verification program until June 15, 2008 at the earliest. The law was to go into effect on January 1, 2008, but Illinois has continuously agreed to delay its implementation while issues in a federal lawsuit are resolved. Employers operating in Illinois may continue to enroll in and use the E-Verify program in the near term, but other provisions of Illinois's E-Verify law are in effect.
For more information please click here
April 23, 2008

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it has received more than enough H-1B petitions to meet the standard H-1B cap and the pool of 20,000 H-1B numbers for holders of U.S. advanced degrees. The agency will use computerized lotteries to select the petitions that will be processed to completion. It could take several weeks or more for the government to run the lotteries and issue filing receipts for the cases selected.
For more information please click here
April 9, 2008

Effective April 8, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security revised its regulations on extending F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) time in limited circumstances. The new rule will extend OPT work authorization for two groups of individuals.
17-month post-completion OPT extension for certain STEM grads

Recipients of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields eligible for a one-time 17 month extension of OPT for a total eligibility of up to 29 months).

To be eligible for the extension, a student must:

* Currently be participating in a 12-month period of approved post completion OPT. You can not apply for all 29 months at once;

* Have successfully completed a degree in STEM fields*

* Be working for a US employer in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study

* Be working for, or accepted employment with, an employer enrolled in US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ E-Verify program. E-Verify is a free internet-based system operated in partnership with the Social Security Administration that helps employers to determine the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees. Please check with your Human Resources department to see if they participate;

* Maintain F-1 status. Please note that these new regulations also state that a student pursuing regular post-completion OPT can only be unemployed for a total of 90 days during those 12 months in order to be maintaining status; and

* Must apply in advance of your current OPT expiration. Employment authorization is automatically extended while a timely-filed 17-month OPT EAD is pending.

*Business, Law, Design, Architecture, Public Administration, Psychology are not considered STEM fields. The following IIT majors should fall within the STEM fields: AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, APPLIED MATHEMATICS, ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING, BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, BIOLOGY, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, CIVIL ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, COMPUTER ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT, MECHANICAL & AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, MOLECULAR BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING, MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, NETWORK ENGINEERING, PHYSICS, COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS, POWER ENGINEERING, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING, VLSI AND MICROELECTRONICS

If your major is not listed here, please contact the International Center to see if you are eligible.

The application for the 17 month extension will be similar to your initial OPT application and the International Center will post the necessary forms labeled “OPT 17 month extension” on our website as soon as possible. An appointment is required for this purpose. Students with an approved 17-month OPT extension have additional reporting obligations which will be discussed during your appointment. Compliance with these reporting requirements is required to maintain F-1 status.

H-1B cap-gap extension of duration of status and work authorization until October 1

If your employer has filed a change of status H-1B petition to start October 1st and you receive a case number, then you will automatically be considered in a valid F-1 status until that date and be legally authorized to work until that date. A new OPT card is not required for this period of time. This is to assist students whose OPT expires in advance of the October 1st date.

Please note that this rule does not apply to those students who submitted an H-1B petition for Consular processing (only change of status applications). Please also note that you can no longer work if your H-1B petition is terminated, denied or revoked. This automatic extension is available to all students on OPT, not just STEM grads. To qualify for the automatic extension, a student must:

* Be the beneficiary of a timely filled and pending H-1B petition and change of status request for an October 1 start date; and

* Maintain valid F-1 status (as listed above)

Change in deadline to apply for OPT

Immigration will now allow you to apply for OPT during your 60-day grace period after you complete your degree. Previously, Immigration required you to apply for OPT prior to the end of the term. This is effective immediately.

For detailed information on the OPT extension rules and procedures, please look for the International Center’s web site which will be posted soon. The interim final rule and additional information is available at www.dhs.govApril 9th, 2008

1.Seeking on-campus employment or employment under CPT, you can not apply for a Social Security number more than 30 days in advance of the scheduled employment start date.
2. Seeking employment under OPT, you can not apply for a Social Security number until the dates on the EAD are valid.
For more information please click here
December 18, 2007

The Department of State (DOS) has issued application instructions for the 2009 Diversity Immigrant Program (DV-2009) green card lottery. The lottery will enable 50,000 randomly chosen people to obtain permanent residence in the United States. Applicants must have at least a high school education (or its equivalent) or two years of qualifying work experience. Applicants who are selected in the lottery will be eligible to become permanent residents during Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009). here: 

The Department of State (DOS) has announced that the application period for the 2009 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2009) green card lottery will begin at 12:00pm EDT (GMT –4) on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 and will end at 12:00pm EST (GMT –5) on Sunday, December 2, 2007. Applications not submitted during this period will not be accepted. The lottery will enable 50,000 randomly chosen people to obtain permanent residence in the United States. Applicants who are selected will be eligible to become permanent residents during Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009).here: 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is slated to publish a final rule in the May 30, 2007 edition of the Federal Register that will significantly increase filing fees for applications, petitions and biometric services. The new fees will apply to all petitions and applications filed on or after July 30, 2007. The final rule is substantially the same as the proposed rule published by the USCIS in February 2007. The USCIS expects that the revenue from the increased fees will cut processing times for I-90s, I-140s, I-485s and N-400s by September 2007 and will lead to a 20 percent reduction in average processing times for all petitions and applications by September 2008. For more information please click here: 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today provided updated statistics concerning the number of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 H-1B filings received on April 2 and 3, 2007. As of April 9, 2007, the agency had received approximately 119,193 cases against the standard H-1B cap. In addition, approximately 12,989 cases were received against the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 pool of 20,000 H-1B numbers for holders of advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Therefore, the cap of 20,000 for these exempt cases remains open. For more information please click here: 

The USCIS announced that the H-1B quota for Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008) has been met. The quota was met in one day.

The final receipt date for the Fiscal Year 2008 H-1B quota is Monday, April 2nd, 2007. Petitions received on April 2nd and April 3rd will be subject to a random selection process. Petitions received after this date will be returned and not processed by the USCIS. For more information click here: 

The Department of State has implemented a new regulation affecting J-1 visa holders in the Research Scholar and Professor categories. Effective Friday, November 17, 2006, those in the above mentioned categories are allowed to remain in the US for up to 5 years continuously (previously 3 years).

The Department of State has also implemented a new ?24-month bar? which states that an Exchange Visitor in the US in the Research Scholar or Professor category is barred from the US for 24 months after completing the 5 years or their program, if the duration is shorter. Please note that this regulation is not retroactive. This is separate from the 2 year home residency requirement which some are also subject. .

Please be aware of fraudulent emails concerning the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery. Individuals who are selected by the official lottery are notified by regular U.S. mail from the US. State Department, not via email. The official notifications will be mailed to successful applicants between May 2007 and July 2007. These notices will not ask for funds to be sent beforehand.

The 2008 Diversity Visas are chosen through a randomly computer-generated lottery. The application period began at 12:00pm EST on October 4, 2006 and will end at 12:00pm EST on December 3, 2006. Again, the notices will be sent by regular mail, not by email, and no money will be requested at that time..

The Department of State's 2008 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery will begin at noon on October 4, 2006.

Persons seeking to enter the lottery program must register online at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov.

The USCIS announced that the H-1B quota for Fiscal Year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) has been met for the Master's or Higher Grads.

The final receipt date for this H-1B quota is July 26th. Petitions subject to the H-1B quota received prior to this date will be processed by the USCIS. Petitions received on July 26th will be subject to a random selection process. Petitions received after this date will be returned and not processed by the USCIS. For more information click here: http://www.nafsa.org/_/Document/_/fy_2007_h-1b_cap_of_20_000.pdf.

The USCIS announced that the H-1B quota for Fiscal Year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) has been met. The quota was met in less than two months.

The final receipt date for the Fiscal Year 2007 H-1B quota is Friday, May 26th. Petitions subject to the H-1B quota received prior to this date will be processed by the USCIS. Petitions received on May 26th will be subject to a random selection process. Petitions received after this date will be returned and not processed by the USCIS. For more information click here: http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/newsrels/FY07H1BCap_060106PR.pdf.

The following website will give you useful information about how many H petitions have been already approved or pending in a given fiscal year. For more information please visit here

The state of Illinois will now permit those without Social Security numbers to receive a Temporary Visitors Driver's License (TVDL). Please note that the TVDL will indicate that it is not valid for identification purposes. In order to be eligible for this, please follow these procedures.

Step 1: Visit the Social Security office (77 W. Jackson) to obtain Form L-676 (Letter of Ineligibility for Social Security Number). In order to receive this letter, you may need to apply in order to be rejected.
Step 2: Visit the nearest Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services Temporary Visitors Driver's License Facility (5301 W. Lexington) and provide acceptable identification documentation (see below).
Step 3: Take and pass the Drivers Services standard written, vision and driving exams.

Location : Chicago West
5301 W. Lexington
Chicago, IL 60644
www.cyberdriveillinois.com for further information

Possible Acceptable identification documentation (one of each category)

Category 1: Written signature
1. I-94 card with valid passport
2. I-797 (Change of status approval)
3. I-766 (Employment Authorization Card-EAD)

Category 2: Social Security Number
1. Form L-676 (Social Security Administration Ineligibility letter)

Category 3: Residency
1. Utility bill
2. Postmarked US Mail addressed to applicant
3. Lease/Dorm agreement

Beginning October 13, 2004, F-1 students who apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) will need to provide employment authorization (EAD or CPT) or proof of a job offer securing on-campus employment in addition to what is currently required. Because of this new regulation, we strongly encourage you to apply for your SSN prior to October 13th as the requirements are fewer and simpler. To learn more about this new rule, please click here

Please remember that in order to apply for your Social Security Number, you will need to bring the Social Security letter from our office, your passport, I-94 card, and I-20 to the Social Security office. The nearest Social Security office is located at 77 W. Jackson.