TIPS: May 17, 2006

1. TIPS: May 17, 2006 Visa and Immigration Related Issues John Pearson Bechtel International Center icenter.stanford.edu

2. Some handouts • Fall 2005 student stats • Some data comparisons • What we have to report to SEVIS • Advice to students on staying in status

3. Overview of Last Year’s Meeting • What visas we work with • F-1 (international student visa) • J-1 (international scholar/student visa) • H-1(temporary worker visa) • Permanent Residence (PR or “green card”) • Family visas • F-2 • J-2 • H-4 • Visa Issues • Entering the U.S. • 60 Plus Federal Regulations passed since September 11, 2001 • Social Security Issues • SEVIS Reporting

4. S e n d s S e n d s S e n d s S e n d s I - 2 0 o r a p p l i c - a c c e p t - e n r o l l - D s - 2 0 1 9 a t i o n a n c e m e n t I I n n t t e e r r n n a a t t i i o o n n a a l l P e n n S t u d e n t P e n n S t u d e n t P e n n S t u d e n t P e n n S t u d e n t S S t t u u d d e e n n t t C o n f i r m . d e p o s i t A p p l i e s f o r v i s a I s s u e s R e p o r t s S t u d e n t V i s a c h a n g e s U S E m b a s s y / U S E m b a s s y / r e g i s t e r s i n s t a t u s U S A P e n n I N S U S A P e n n I N S C o n s u l a t e C o n s u l a t e f o r c l a s s e s u s S t u d e n t e n t e r s Our World Before 9/11 Requirements: • Application and Acceptance at Stanford • Stanford issues 1-20/DS-2019 • US Visa Application (could vary from 3 weeks to 6 months) • Entry to USA • Begin classes at Stanford T H E P R E - S E V I S S Y S T E M T H E P R E - S E V I S S Y S T E M Stanford Stanford Stanford i n g p a p e r f o r m s

5. Our World After 9/11 • SEVIS increases workload • Navigating two branches of government • Technical difficulties of national SEVIS database • SEVIS fee • Visa process (appointment delays, security screening) Stanford prints I-20/DS 2019 and sends I20/DS2019 issued SU SU SU SEVIS Benefits Accurate data on international students SU

6. Federal Regulatory Changes • As of 9/11, there have been nearly 60 proposed or implemented regulations and policies that affect international students and scholars including: • The Patriot Act (SEVIS) • State Department Cables on admission of foreign students • Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act • Homeland Security Act • Special Registration of nationals of selected countries • Changes to eligibility requirements for F-1 students to apply for Social Security Numbers • Changes to the process of applying for permanent labor applications for faculty and researchers • New changes currently in Congress

7. How does I-Center comply with changing Federal Regulations? Regular and ongoing communications with • Department of Homeland Security • Department of State • Social Security Administration • Congressional offices • District, local and national immigration offices • Government relations and Office of General Counsel on campus • NAFSA and other peer organizations/ colleagues around the country

8. I-Center Service Goals • Ensure we do all we can to keep international students and scholars in legal immigration status • Enable international students/scholars and their families assume responsibility to maintain legal immigration status at status at all times • Provide student/scholar services in an efficient, proactive, and timely manner • Provide schools/departments timely and efficient services and periodic updates of changing regulations • Promote international opportunities throughout the Stanford community

9. What Has Changed? • SEVIS • Number of alerts: From September 1 2005- May 5, 2006 : 13,208 or approx. 1600 alerts per month. • Whether the student enrolls, or fails to enroll • Change of name or address • Academic program and changes to the program • Graduation prior to end date on I-20 • Academic or disciplinary actions due to criminal conviction • Whether the student drops below a full course of study without university authorization • Termination date and reason • Employment authorization - pre and post completion • Information of any student who fails to maintain status or complete program • Quarterly enrollment confirmation on 2800 F-1 students • Number of individuals in SEVIS: As of Monday May 8, Stanford had 3223 F-1 records in SEVIS (active and initial) and 479 dependents. Stanford also had 2117 active J students, scholars and dependents. Total : 5819 • Number of 1-20s expiring in June: 531 Students with 1-20s expiring in next 45 days • Internal Audit of SEVIS • Consequence of Error • The necessity for professional advising • The responsibility of the individual to maintain their own status • The viewing of data by numerous federal agencies both in the present and in the future

10. What has changed? • Visa Issues • 120 day window to apply before program start date • J-1 Professors and Research Scholars 5 Year Rule---but………. • Visa Condor • Visa Mantis • Overview of the process • DOS cables for students/scholars and immigrant intent • Security Checks. http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/pachron.htm for information on security checks

11. What has changed? • Service Centers • Bi-specialization • Old software

12. What has changed • Permanent Employment Visas • PERM: Program Electronic Review Management • Visa Regression

13. Most Common Way to Get an Employment-Based Green Card Adjustment of Status in US (USCIS) Labor Certification (DOL) I-140 Immigrant Visa Petition (USCIS) Consular Processing Overseas (DOS)

14. What has changed? • Congressional and Administration Interest • Real ID Act May 2005 • H.R. 4437 December 2005 • President’s Meeting January 2006 • Senate Interest

15. So how is Bechtel responding? • New and wonderful staff • Responsibility for removing of F-1 enrollment holds • Slow Move to paperless • More formal appointment systems • More surveys and analysis of data • Move to using Peoplesoft/PASS for J-1 • More information sessions around campus • Ongoing review of Web site