The mission of the Office of International Services is to provide services to enhance and facilitate the stay of international staff and students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
OIS serves as the liaison between faculty and staff and the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Labor, and other national offices and organizations. OIS advises international students and scholars on immigration issues and assist in their adjustment to the US culture and UTHSCSA community.
Office Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Closed – Saturday and Sunday and all Official UTHSCSA Holidays
Current Bulletins:
May 2008
TN Nonimmigrant Period of Stay Extension
A proposed rule set forth by the Department of Homeland Security would allow for an increase in the maximum allowable period of admission for TN non-immigrants (and their dependents, TD non-immigrants) from one year to three years. In addition, for eligible TN non-immigrants (and their dependents, TD non-immigrants), extension of stay increments would also be changed from one year to three years.
The rationale for this change is to remove administrative requirements on TN non-immigrants and U.S. employers, thus making the TN classification more attractive to eligible professionals and their U.S. employers.
TN non-immigrants are Canadian or Mexican citizens who work in specific professions and are allowed temporary entry into the U.S. to engage in business activities at a professional level as established by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Korean Visa Waiver Program
This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Korea had been granted status in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). As long as all requirements are met, Korean Nationals may soon be able to travel visa-free to the U.S.
The VWP, established in 1986, promotes better relations with U.S. allies by eliminating unnecessary barriers to travel, thus stimulating the tourism industry and permitting the U.S. Department of Sate to focus consular resources elsewhere. The VWP enables nationals of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
Participating countries must provide evidence that they meet explicit compliances such as governments providing reciprocal visa-free travel for U.S. citizens and issuing standard secure machine-readable passports, a history of a low nonimmigrant refusal rate, etc.
Countries already participating the VWP include: Andora, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.
Guidance on H-1B Specialty Occupation Licensure Requirements
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated the Adjudicator’s Field Manual on acceptance and adjudication of H-1B petitions for specialty occupations when a professional license that is required cannot be acquired because of regulations mandating the possession of a valid immigration document. USICS has decided that in such situations, it will allow temporary approval of the petition given all other requirements are met. This approval does not authorize the beneficiary to practice his/her profession without the license, but instead is means to facilitate all rules and regulations.
Adjudicators have been instructed to approve an H-1B petition for one-year if a state of local license to engage in the profession is required and the appropriate licensing authority will not grant the license without the proof of H-1B status. The beneficiary must demonstrate that he or she has filed the licensing application. Furthermore, the beneficiary must prove that he/she is fully qualified to receive the license.
Any request for an extension of stay on behalf of a beneficiary who has been granted H-1B status under this authorization must show that the applicant has obtained the license or the petition will be denied.
Biometrics for Re-Entry Permits and Refugee Travel
Revisions on the Application for Travel Document (From I-131) has been issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These instructions require applicants who are between the ages of 14 and 79 applying for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents to provide biometrics at USCIS Application Support Cents before departing the United States. Applicants must pay an $80 fee or submit a fee waive request with sufficient documentation. However, the $305 I-131 application fee cannot be waived.
WHITI-Compliant Document Required for Travel Into the U.S.
Travelers will be required to present a passport or other approved document specifying citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the U.S. beginning June 1, 2009. This rule will apply to citizens of the U.S., Canada, and Bermuda, who were previously exempt. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated the final rule was released more than a year in advance to give the public plenty of time to obtain the WHTI-compliant documents needed to enter or re-enter the U.S. on or after June 1, 2009. DHS will institute special provisions allowing school or other organized groups of children ages 18 or under who are U.S. or Canadian citizens to enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship alone.
New Medical Exam Form, I-693
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Service Center Operations announced that on May 1, 2008, the new Medical Exam Form, I-693 will go into effect with the CDC’s exam changes. The previous edition of the form will be accepted as long as the civil surgeon/health department’s signature is dated before May 1, 2008. An additional grace period of 30 days is under review. This would expand the date the old form would be accepted until June 1, 2008. After that time, the Agency would send a request for evidence to the applicant for the correct version of the I-693 should the old edition of the form be submitted.
April 2008
USCIS Modifies Application for Employment Authorization
Previous Versions of Form I-765 Accepted until July 9, 2008
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised Form I-765 which now includes additional eligibility codes.
Homeland Security has changed because of the final rule regarding Optional Practical Training (OPT) published on April 8, 2008 in the Federal Register.
USCIS will accept the July 30, 2007 edition of the form through July 8, 2008. USCIS will only accept the revised for on July 9th, 2008, and will reject all previous editions of the form.
The main purpose of Form I-765 is to allow certain aliens in the United States to request employment authorization and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
USCIS to Allow F-1 Students Opportunity to Request Change of Status
The change of status allows qualifying F-1 students, qualified to be beneficiaries of approved H-1B petitions, to cover the gap between the expiration of the student’s F-1 status and the H-1B employment start date of October 1. To obtain the automatic extension, a student must be the beneficiary of an H-1B petition filed for the next fiscal year (with October 1 employment start date) and have requested a change of status.
To request a change of status in lieu of consular notification, petitioners (or authorized representatives) should send an e-mail with the request to the USCIS service center where their petition is pending within 30 days of the issuance of the receipt notice.
The request should include the receipt number and both the petitioner’s and beneficiary’s name, date of birth, I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) number, and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVP) number. Please do not contact the service center about requesting a change of status until after receiving the receipt notice.
E-mail addresses for requesting change of status are:
VermontService Center
Premium Processing cases: VSCPPCAPGAP.Vscppcapgap@dhs.gov
Non-Premium cases: VSCNONPPCAPGAP@Vscnonppcapgap.dhs.gov
CaliforniaService Center
Premium Processing cases: CSC.ppcapgap@dhs.gov
Non-Premium cases: CSC.nonppcapgap@dhs.gov
Note: If an F-1 student, who is the beneficiary of a selected 2009 H-1B petition, has a pending request to change to a status other than H-1B but now wants to file under the process outlined above, he or she should withdraw the previously filed change in accordance with the established regulations.
F-1 OPT Extended to 29 Months
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released its new regulations regarding F-1 Optical Practical Training (OPT). This new rule makes students who received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in certain STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) disciplines and who are employed by an institution enrolled in the E-Verify program, operated by USCSIS in partnership with the Social Security Administration, eligible for a one-time 17-month extension of post-completion OPT. This would allow for a total of 29 months of OPT, if eligible. This new rule allows for students seeking post-completion OPT to apply for one 12-month period, and then again later for an addition 17-month period. Students can apply for the first 12-month OPT up to 90 days prior to the program completion date and must complete this period within 14-months following the completion of study. The 17-month extension must be applied for in a “timely manner” before the expiration of the first OPT period. The new rule also states that during the initial 12-month OPT, no student may be unemployed for more than 90 days collectively. If a STEM student receives the 17-month extension, the unemployment limit is raised to an aggregate of no more than 120 days over the entire 29-month period. While on OPT, students are required to report any change in their name and address to OIS. In addition, any changes in the name or address of their employers or any interruptions in employment must also be reported.
USCIS Releases Projected Naturalization Processing Times
For Local Offices
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released projected processing times for offices to complete applications for citizenship from individuals who filed during the summer of 2007.
USCIS has received almost double the normal naturalization applications with 1.4 million so far this year. To adjudicate the additional cases, USCIS is hiring and training hundreds of immigration officers. The agency is also conducting naturalization interviews on weekends, which are after normal business hours and in additional locations.
The following will provide a sense of processing time for an application, giving no complicating factors:
Dallas, TX 13.7 months
El Paso, TX 14.2 months
San Antonio, TX 9.8 months
Cases may take longer if issues arise. They may include:
- an applicant has been asked to submit additional information and their case is pending until they comply, or
- an applicant fails the naturalization test and has 60 days to prepare before they are retested, or
- the FBI name check is still in progress.
Bulletins Archive
