Judge Rules STEM OPT Program Lawful

Feb 1, 2021 | Nonimmigrant Visas

On January 28, 2021, a U.S. district court judge issued a summary judgment order finding that the STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students) program is a valid exercise of authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This means that both the 12-month OPT and STEM OPT extension programs are lawful.

The plaintiff, Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, has appealed.

Details:

Subscribe to the WR Immigration Newsletters

Start the RFP Process

Join the Corporate Benchmarking Roundtable

Request an Attorney Consultation

Related Posts:

Expansion of Interview Waiver Eligibility

Briefing: Secretary Pompeo, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. Previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 12 months were eligible for...

Good News: USCIS Announces Plans to Ease Work Authorization Process for Certain E, L, and H-4 Spouses

Following the settlement agreement in Shergill, et al. v. Mayorkas, USCIS issued policy alert (“Policy”), clarifying details of Employment Authorization for Certain H-4, E, and L Nonimmigrant Dependent Spouses. It addresses recent massive delays in adjudication of employment authorizations documents (EAD) because of USCIS backlogs, resulting in detrimental impact on...