World News | U.S. Announces Prioritization of Work Permits for Certain Categories of International Students

WASHINGTON, March 7 (PTI) — The U.S. announced on Monday that it will prioritize work authorization applications for certain categories of international students, which could bring large numbers of people to the U.S. to study STEM (science, science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is prioritizing OPT (Optional Practical Training) applications for international students in STEM fields or their extensions. Expedited processing will begin on March 6, a media report said, adding that for some other categories it will begin on April 3.

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“In addition to the convenience of filing online, the availability of expedited processing for certain F-1 students will simplify the immigration experience for a large number of international students,” said USCIS Commissioner Ur M Jaddou.

“Continually expanding online applications is a priority for USCIS as we continue to improve operational efficiency and increase access to the immigration system for stakeholders, applicants, petitioners, requesters and those we serve,” He said.

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Ajay Bhutoria, a community leader for fair immigration policy, welcomed USCIS’ announcement to expand expedited processing to include certain F-1 students seeking OPT and STEM OPT extensions.

A new online application process for Form I-907, Requesting Expedited Processing Services, is now available to F-1 students seeking employment authorization for the above categories.

“This is good news for foreign students awaiting OPT approval. The USCIS announcement is expected to be a welcome aid to F-1 students seeking employment authorization in the United States,” Bhutoria told PTI.

“USCIS will now accept Form I-907 petitions filed on paper or online for certain F-1 students with pending Form I-765. This includes those petitions based on pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT and 24-month extension of OPT for STEM students,” he said.

Bhutoria pointed out that starting April 3, USCIS will also accept new I-765 and I-907 submissions at the same time. Bhutoria said that the new process is expected to simplify the OPT approval process and provide greater convenience for F-1 students.

These new measures will help F-1 students obtain employment authorization more quickly, allowing them to contribute to the U.S. economy and society, he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)