The government’s assault on F-1 foreign students continues. I’ve written before about the many immigration policy changes affecting foreign students applying to study in the U.S, or already here. These changes have led to significantly fewer foreign students in the U.S. which many – including me – consider a loss for for American society and the economy, and for the students and universities impacted.
In September 2019, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued policy guidance requiring students and schools to document a direct relationship between the student’s major field of study and the work the student does on pre-completion Optional Practical Training or OPT, standard post-completion OPT, and STEM OPT (STEM OPT allows students on OPT to work in the U.S. longer if their major is one specified as an approved Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) major.
All practical training must relate to the student’s major, not a minor. A breach would be considered a status violation which can lead to problems in maintaining, extending, or changing status from student to another category. F-1 students must provide a written “description of how their practical training opportunity relates to their major area of study, which the Designated School Official (DSO) must review and retain.” The DSO must review the explanation provided by the student, and “must make a determination of whether there is a direct relationship between the job and the major area of study.” DSOs advise and oversee students’ compliance with immigration requirements. They’re not academic advisors so this is causing alarm for DSOs and their schools who are unsure how they will perform these new duties.
Students need to be constantly aware of all the new rules affecting them, and seek DSO and legal advice to prevent problems.
