Adviser's Manual 360 News Feed

The Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) notified NAFSA that the legacy Permanent Online System will be decommissioned as of December 1, 2024 and OFLC will stop accepting new document uploads as of 7:00 PM EST on November 30, 2024. OFLC encourages users to download now all the documents they need from the legacy system, so there is time to address any challenges they may experience while trying to access their documents. See NAFSA's DOL PERM Modernization page for background on the shift from the legacy PERM system to FLAG.

USCIS announced it will conduct a second round of random selections of H-1B registrations already received during the initial H-1B cap registration period, in order to meet the FY 2025 regular cap allocation. They will not conduct a second selection for the advanced degree exemption as enough registrations were already selected to meet the master's cap.

DHS added one new field in the latest revision to the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, effective July 23, 2024. The field is Environmental/Natural Resource Economics (CIP Code 03.0204). Also, a reminder that this year's annual deadline for submitting proposed updates to the STEM OPT list is August 1, 2024.

On July 22, 2024, SEVP published a notice in the Federal Register extending Special Student Relief eligibility for F-1 students from Somalia until March 17, 2026.

NAFSA updated its page on STEM-specific policy guidance for National Interest Waivers with a link to a new article - Bolstering STEM Talent with the National Interest Waiver: How a 2022 update streamlines the green card process, by Jonathan Grode, Barbara Leen, Amy Nice, and Joshua Rolf.

On July 8, 2024, the Spring 2024 regulatory agenda was published. Highlights include a Department of State plan to update J-1 reinstatement and 212(e) waiver regulations and a Department of Homeland Security plan to codify and clarify existing SEVP school certification requirements for English Language Training Program accreditation.

On July 10, 2024, SEVP published a notice in the Federal Register extending Special Student Relief eligibility for F-1 students from Yemen until March 3, 2026.

On July 1, 2024, SEVP published a notice in the Federal Register extending Special Student Relief eligibility for F-1 students from Haiti until February 3, 2026.

On June 27, 2024, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced on Study in the States a new process to submit Form I-515A documentation via email to SEVP rather than mailing that documentation.

On June 18, 2024, President Biden announced two "new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy." Both the Department of State and Homeland Security have begun issuing statements and guidance on the implementation of the new actions. DOS and DHS will decide these narrowly tailored benefits on a case-by-case basis. Neither of the benefits can be sought until the agencies publish finalized instructions.