SEVP's January 4, 2021 Broadcast Message 2101-01 state that, "Institutions are certified with the understanding that they will maintain a relationship with their students throughout the educational experience, to include any OPT, to ensure that SEVIS records are properly maintained and updated."

Sudan was removed from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism on December 14, 2020. In addition to clearing the way for political and financial normalization, the rescission of Sudan's State Sponsors of Terrorism designation means that its citizens will once again be eligible for certain immigration benefits like automatic revalidation of visas after travel to contiguous territory.

NAFSA has updated its compilation of immigration-related items in the Fall 2020 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which appears to have been published at some point in December, 2020.

On December 4, 2020, a U.S. District Court ruling ordered DHS to restore the full DACA program including "accepting first-time requests for consideration of deferred action under DACA, renewal requests, and advance parole requests, based on the terms of the DACA program prior to September 5, 2017."

Read the multi-stakeholder comment letter submitted by the Compete America Coalition and co-signed by NAFSA and other organizations. "Compete America joined 127 other multi-sector organizations in sending a letter to DHS expressing concerns with the unusually short 30-day comment period for the H-1B lottery prioritization NPRM issued on November 2, 2020."

On December 1, 2020, a U.S. District Court set aside Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security interim final rules that impacts the H-1B specialty occupation category. The court found that the agencies did not have just cause to promulgate the October 8, 2020 rules without notice and comment.

Read NAFSA's recommendations to the Biden-Harris administration for key administrative and congressional actions that will create a more welcoming environment for international students and scholars and ensure the global competence of our college graduates through study abroad.

On November 18, 2020, the Department of State (DOS) issued Guidance Directive 2020-01 - Confucius Institutes, which supersedes prior guidance on the relationship of college and university J-1 exchange programs to Confucius Institutes and associated activities at K-12 schools and universities.

On October 22, 2020, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO, Dr. Esther Brimmer, submitted a comment on behalf of NAFSA urging the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw its proposal to eliminate duration of status.

ICE announced recent OPT enforcement actions in a press release and press conference. Read about it and NAFSA's initial response on the NAFSA web site.