By: ISSS As of Friday, March 20, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended Premium Processing for all H-1B petitions. This temporary suspension of premium processing service is being implemented due to the COVID-19 epidemic. As many of you know, premium processing is a way to expedite USCIS processing of petitions and results…
By: ISSS On February 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will begin implementing the “public charge rule”. The implementation of this rule will require ISSS to list information on form I-129 that was not previously required. Background Under…
By: ISSS Beware of Scams There have been reports of fraudulent emails and phone calls from people pretending to be a government official, such as someone from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), CBP (Customs and Border Protection), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), a U.S. Consulate, or other government agencies. It…
By: ISSS If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN) but are receiving U.S. sourced income such as a non-service fellowship, scholarship, or grant, then you may need an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for tax purposes. The ITIN is a U.S. taxpayer identification number, issued by the Internal Revenue Service, (IRS). It…
By: ISSS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is adjusting the fee to request premium processing for I-129 (H-1B) and I-140 (Permanent Residence) cases starting on November 29, 2019. The premium processing fee will increase to $1,440 from the current fee of $1,410. Premium processing is an optional service which allows petitioners to…
By: ISSS Effective October 1, 2019, the Office of the Provost has approved assessing a “rush fee” for all H-1B cases that are initiated with ISSS with an employment start date that is two months (60 days) or less from the date of case submission. Penn will also assess a rush fee for J-1…
By: ISSS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently been conducting site visits at work locations to check compliance with STEM OPT regulations. Although ICE has long had the authority to make site visits for STEM OPT training, reports of site visits were very limited in the past. Lately, there have been reports from employers…
By: ISSS The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced changes to the I-901 SEVIS Fee charged by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The fee increase applies to international students, exchange visitors and SEVP-certified schools and will take effect June 24, 2019. These fees apply only to new international students or visitors…
By: ISSS On Friday, May 3, a federal district court judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, ordering immigration officials to temporarily cease enforcement of the August 9, 2018 policy memorandum entitled “Accrual of Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M Nonimmigrants.” This memorandum expanded the ways that unlawful presence is calculated for F, M, or…
By: ISSS TIPS TO PREPARE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL For F & J International Students and Scholars. You must have a valid travel signature from ISSS. If you need a new signature, complete the travel signature eform in iPenn https://www.ipenn.oip.upenn.edu/ Check the F-1 or J-1 entry visa in your passport. (except Canadian/Bermudian citizens) If your visa…