Adviser's Manual 360 News Feed

March 17, 2022. "In the recently published April Visa Bulletin, the Department of State advanced the Date for Filing (also known as the application date) applications for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status in the employment-based, second preference (EB-2) category for India from Sept. 1, 2013, to Sept. 1, 2014..." If a beneficiary chargeable to India has a priority date that falls before September 1, 2014, "USCIS encourages you to consider applying for adjustment of status in April."

NAFSA regularly updates its page on immigration information resources relevant to Ukrainian students and scholars in and outside the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated South Sudan for F-1 Special Student Relief benefits for the period March 3, 2022 through November 3, 2023. For links and background, see NAFSA's page: Special Student Relief For F-1 Students: Essential Concepts.

NAFSA joined other higher education associations in a February 28, 2022 comment letter led by the American Council on Education (ACE), on the Department of State's (DOS) proposal to sharply raise key visa and processing fees. The comment letter stressed the importance of international students and scholars to U.S. higher education and to the overall economic recovery following the pandemic, and urged DOS "to couple any increase in fees with improvements in efficiency and processing times."

USCIS updated its Form I-539 page to note that starting April 21, 2022, it will only accept the 12/08/21 edition of Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.

On February 15, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted an advance copy of a new proposed public charge rule that will confirm that DHS will not consider receipt of noncash benefits or pandemic assistance when making public charge determinations.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a very limited National Interest Exception (NIE) to the Proclamation 10294 vaccination requirement, for nonimmigrants who were physically present in Ukraine as of February 10, 2022 and are traveling to the United States with a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Nonimmigrants admitted under this NIE will still "need to attest to having made arrangements to receive a COVID-19 test within three to five days of arrival in the United States, to self-quarantine for seven days, to self-isolate in the event of a positive COVID-19 test or the development of COVID-19 symptoms, and to become fully vaccinated for COVID-19 within 60 days of arrival in the United States if intending to stay in the United States for more than 60 days." This NIE will remain in effect only until 11:59 P.M. EST, April 1, 2022.

USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou announced the agency's new mission statement, described as "a reflection of... feedback from the workforce, the priorities of the Biden Administration, and Director Jaddou's vision for an inclusive and accessible agency."

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a listening session on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, from 2 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The listening session is for stakeholders to provide feedback on the way we communicate processing times. While we are actively looking for ways to reduce processing times, the focus of the listening session will be solely on the way processing times are displayed on our website. USCIS is committed to public engagement, and sessions such as these provide us with valuable feedback as we work to improve our programs." Visit the USCIS page for registration instructions.

On February 4, 2022, NAFSA joined Scholars at Risk and 47 other higher education associations in a letter urging the Biden administration to take "immediate action to enable the safe and speedy relocation of Afghanistan’s students and scholars in the United States" The letter also includes several specific policy recommendations to support Afghan students and scholars.