As stated in the recent Important Message from the International Center, the international Center will provide updates when specific changes are announced by the U.S. Government that directly impact community members.
News
Jan 20, 2025
On December 20, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that they were issuing automatic payments to eligible people who did not claim the “Recovery Rebate Credit” on their 2021 tax returns.
Jan 9, 2025
On 12/18/2024, USCIS issued its Final Rule titled "Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F–1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers," which is scheduled to take effect on 1/17/25.
Dec 19, 2024
Scams are illegal and fraudulent schemes by criminals (scammers) who are trying to get money from you. Scammers will often impersonate actual agencies or companies and may contact you by phone, text or email. These criminals are often very convincing, so it’s important to be very careful so that you don’t lose your money or provide personal information to people who should not have it.
Dec 11, 2024
On 12/10/2024, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it is permanently extending the automatic extension period for certain EAD applicants from 180 to 540 days.
Dec 6, 2024
On 12/6/2024, the US Department of State announced that, effective 12/9/2024, it is changing the J-1 "skills list." If a country is removed from the skills list, the two-year home residency obligation is retroactively removed for individuals from that country as long as they are not also subject on a different basis, e.g. government funding or J-1 program category (Alien Physician).
Nov 27, 2024
As the new White House administration transitions into office on January 20, 2025, some of you may wonder about potential changes to policies governing U.S. visas and immigration. The International Center (IC) monitors immigration/visa policies and any proposed changes impacting the populations of international students, scholars, employees, and dependents we serve.
Sep 25, 2024
On 9/24/2024, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State announced that "[starting] no later than [12/1/2024], the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online application and mobile app will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Qatar to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 d
Sep 18, 2024
Effective 9/10/2024, USCIS began automatically extending the validity of green cards to 36 months from the expiration date on the face of the current Green Card for individuals who file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green Card. USCIS is in the process of sending out amended receipt notices for individuals with a pending Form I-90.
Apr 8, 2024
On 4/8/2024, USCIS published a new temporary final rule extending the automatic extension period for certain EAD applicants from 180 to 540 days. This rule will be effective from 4/8/2024 until 9/20/2027 and will affect extension requests filed between 10/27/2023 and 9/30/2025.