Applying For Nonimmigrant Academic Student Status Just Got Easier

USCIS recently announced a new policy that favors foreign nationals who are applying to change their nonimmigrant status to F-1 (Academic Student) while in the United States. The new policy eliminates the requirement of filing separate applications to extend the foreign national's current nonimmigrant status while the application to change nonimmigrant status is pending.

Under the old policy, these applicants were required to "bridge the gap" and continuously apply for extensions of status to ensure that they would maintain lawful status while they waited for their change of status application to be approved. Due to backlogs, these applicants often have to wait over one year for the change of status application to be approved. Given that the process is lengthy and required multiple filings, applicants often chose to process the F-1 visa application at a consulate or embassy abroad because the decision was generally rendered more quickly abroad.