Welcome to Students With Borders' fourth edition!

Students With Borders is an e-mail newsletter, issued every other Friday, catered specifically for international students living in the United States. Expect tons of different kinds of resources, stories and news updates put together specifically for you, you beautiful F-1 visa holder with big aspirations.

For more information on the conceptualization of this newsletter, check out this Medium post!

Fortnight News

Kicking Out International Students Will Mean Fewer Entrepreneurs by Stuart Anderson (OPINION) (Forbes)

"International students may soon find themselves with no avenue even to work in the United States after graduation, let alone start a business. 'Immigration and Customs Enforcement will issue a proposed rule that comprehensively reforms the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for foreign students,' according to the law firm Berry Appleman & Leiden, commenting on the administration's announced regulatory agenda."

H-1B visa program for technology workers slows under Trump by Andy Rosen (The Boston Globe)

"US Citizenship and Immigration Services is challenging the work credentials of a much higher percentage of applicants this year than in previous periods, requiring more companies to provide documentation to prove the proposed employee both had special skills and will be paid at a fair rate."

How Difficult Is It for People From Another Country to Get a Tech Job in the US? (HuffPost)

"While it is true that there were 85000 H1 visas in 2017 that could be dedicated to such candidates, those are really far below the current demand from the industry so the chances of even opting in to one of those is very low. Just so you get an idea, the cap was reached just 4 days after the process opened. What makes it even harder is that many (most?) of those visas were given to candidates already in the US. So, it is becoming very rare to see undergrads directly coming to the US on a visa and those are concentrated in a very few large companies."

The YouTube Celebrity Taking the H-1B Fight Public by Alexis Sobel Fitts (Wired)

"On his channel, Kumar Exclusive, Kumar serves as an everyman narrator of the experience of recipients of the coveted H-1B skilled worker visa, which allows foreign workers to fill technical jobs in America. His dispatches offer both user-friendly how-tos (how to find a job, how to avoid scams, how to win at an American-style interview) and warnings (tales of abusive bosses, short-term contracts, employees faking resumes to win visas, and companies that use lies to tempt foreign workers to the West)."

Guides on Guides on Guides

This week's guide will provide general information on the United States' H-1B nonimmigrant work visa.

There are a few options for international students hoping to stay and work in the United States past their OPT end date. The most popular of these options is getting H-1B non-immigrant work visa sponsorship, which lasts three years and can be extended for another three.

What is an H-1B visa?

This visa is a specialty occupation visa — it applies to people who, according to the United Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), "wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit and ability relating to a Department of Defense (DOD) cooperative research and development project, or services as a fashion model of distinguished merit or ability."

Am I eligible for this visa?

To be considered eligible for an H-1B, you must be in a role wherein a bachelor's or higher degree or its equivalent is the minimum entry requirement.

How do I get an H-1B visa?

A US employer must be willing to sponsor you for an H-1B work visa. They file a petition on your behalf and send it to USCIS by the annual April 1st deadline.

How does USCIS process these petitions?

For the last several years, USCIS has received approximately 200,000 H-1B petitions a year. An 85,000 cap, however, is placed on H-1Bs annually, with 20,000 of those reserved for advanced-degree holders. To determine which applications it will review, USCIS runs a random selection on all petitions received in April. In other words, the H-1B is a gamble.

When do I hear back on a petition?

Those who pay $1,500 for premium processing can get an answer back on their petition within 15 days, while those who don't pay this fee may have to wait 3 to 6 months for an answer.

Fast facts from The Pew Research Center:

1. H-1B petitions for the 2014 fiscal year stood at 124,000, rising to 236,000 for fiscal year 2017. Fiscal year 2018 observed a drop for the first time in 5 years, with 199,000 petitions filed.
2. Universities and colleges, non profits and gov't research institutions are exempted from the 85,000 cap, meaning these employers can apply for an H-1B at any time of year without having petitions run through a random selection.
3. More than half of all H-1Bs have gone to Indian nationals from fiscal years 2001 to 2015.
4. In the 2013 fiscal year, most H-1B approvals went to employees in California, NJ, and TX.
5. In the 2011 fiscal year, 64% of H-1B requests were for occupations in science, tech, engineering and math.

What do international students think about the H-1B?

Students With Borders asked four international students at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism what they thought about the H-1B visa. Here's what they said.For more information on the H-1B visa, check out USCIS guidelines here.

Student Spotlight

Each week, the Student Spotlight section will feature writing published by a current or former international student. This week, we're featuring a piece by Friday Yu, former international student from China and a graduate of Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

This piece was featured in last week's Fortnight News section, but deserves to be highlighted again given the focus of this newsletter. In this compelling opinion piece for the NYT, Yu, who is a University of Oxford law graduate and a Stanford MBA grad, describes the challenges she faced while training to obtain an H-1B visa.

Is Anyone Good Enough for an H-1B Visa? by Frida Yu (The New York Times)

"America is losing many very skilled workers because of its anti-immigrant sentiment, and while this is a disappointing blow to me and my classmates, it will also be a blow to the United States' competitiveness in the global economy."

Q&A
Question: How do I know which companies sponsor H-1Bs?

Answer: To get a good sense of which companies attempt to sponsor for H-1Bs and for which roles, a good resource to use is the US Department of Labor's Labor Condition Application (LCA) registry, which is available via this link. Use this tool to search different companies' history of filing LCAs. They describe the role being sponsored as well as the salary range for that company role, and because they are a required component of each H-1B petition, they are a good indication of H-1B sponsorship attempt.

Have any questions relating to the international student experience and immigration? Submit them here and an answer will appear in the next edition's Q&A!

Stay Tuned for SWB's Next Edition
We're going on hiatus for the holidays, but our next edition is going out on January 20th!

Welcome to Students With Borders' third edition!

Students With Borders is an e-mail newsletter, issued every other Friday, catered specifically for international students living in the United States. Expect tons of different kinds of resources, stories and news updates put together specifically for you, you beautiful F-1 visa holder with big aspirations.

For more information on the conceptualization of this newsletter, check out this Medium post!

Fortnight News

New foreign student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities doubled since Great Recession by Neil G. Ruiz and Jynnah Radford (The Pew Research Center)

"Nearly 364,000 foreign students with F-1 visas were newly enrolled at a U.S. college or university in 2016, double the number at the outset of the Great Recession, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained through a public records request."

// And...a recent development from the last year:

Number of foreign students coming to US colleges drops by Laura Krantz (The Boston Globe)

"The price of Saudi Arabian oil has plummeted. Brazil is recovering from recession. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has spooked young people across the globe. These are just a few factors that led to a historic drop in the number of new foreign college students who came to study in the United States last year, the first decline in a decade, according to a study released this month."

Is Anyone Good Enough for an H-1B Visa? by Friday Yu (OPINION) (The New York Times)

"America is losing many very skilled workers because of its anti-immigrant sentiment, and while this is a disappointing blow to me and my classmates, it will also be a blow to the United States' competitiveness in the global economy."

If US had today's H-1B fight in the past, we'd never have gotten Elon Musk, says Roger McNamee by Sara Salinas (CNBC)

"McNamee said the proposed immigration reform — which he says is likely to exacerbate the 'mismatch of skills' and the downward trend in start-up formation — is 'one of those things that leaves me scratching my head.' If the debate were raging decades ago, when Musk was entering the U.S., Silicon Valley might be missing its 'P.T. Barnum of this day,' McNamee said."

Guides on Guides on Guides

This week's guide will provide general information about Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, is a form of work authorization that allows international students to engage in paid or unpaid internships during the course of their studies.

Am I eligible for CPT?

Per ICE regulations, only F-1 students who have completed 1-year of full-time study at a U.S. institution of higher education are eligible for CPT work authorization, except for some graduate students, depending on their curriculum.

The "Curricular" in "Curricular Practical Training" means you can't intern somewhere under CPT if it's not a part of your curriculum. In other words, you can only get CPT authorization if your curriculum allows you to register for an internship elective and if an internship course is a required component of your course curriculum. AKA: you'll have to register for an internship course after getting an offer from an employer. Only once you have registered for that course will your DSO be able to issue CPT authorization and re-issue a new I-20 document reflecting their endorsement for CPT.

Where can I intern under CPT?

The internship has to be directly related to your studies and approved by a department head. For example, you can't get CPT authorization to be an editorial intern at a TV production company if you're majoring in engineering. Not that you'd want to —lol— but be it'd hard to argue how that would help you train to become a better engineer. That said, there is leeway if you can prove that the internship will complement your studies in a useful way.

How many hours, weekly, can I intern under CPT?

As an F-1 student, you can engage in part-time CPT for up to 20 hours a week while school is in session or full-time CPT for more than 20 hours a week while school isn't in session (during a summer session, for example). Though, remember, if you engage in more than 12 months of full-time CPT during the course of your studies, you will be ineligible for Optional Practical Training! Don't risk it if you want that OPT!

Can I work under CPT and on-campus at the same time?

Yes, per ICE regulations, you could work up to 20 hours under part-time CPT and up to 20 hours on-campus.

Student Spotlight
Each week, the Student Spotlight section will feature writing published by an international student.

This week, we're featuring a piece by Viktoria Muench, an international student from Germany who is currently pursuing a master's degree in social journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. In the piece below, Muench writes an open letter to President Trump, pleading the cause of the hopeful immigrant.

Dear Mr. President, I Swear I Won't Hurt Your Country by Viktoria Muench (Medium)

"We are not bad people. We don't want any harm. We just want a chance. I have a feeling that this is what your grandfather hoped for when he left Germany as a teenager in 1885."

Give Viktoria some loooove on social by following her on Twitter at @viktoriamuench and on Medium at @ViktoriaIsabelM

Q&A

Q: For international student journalists hoping to remain in the country after school, what's another visa option besides the H-1B work visa?

A: That's a really good question! Besides the H-1B, another popular option foreign journalists go for is the O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa.

Like the H-1B, an O-1 visa lasts three years, can be extended another three and can only be sponsored by an employer. According to USCIS (United Sates Citizenship and Immigration Services), the O-1 nonimmigrant visa is "for the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements."

To qualify for an O-1, you will have to demonstrate your achievements in a specific field in various ways. Letters of recommendation, clips from news articles written about you and your work, as well as any published works of yours, will strengthen the application. For more info, check out this USCIS page!

Have any questions relating to the international student experience and immigration? Submit them here and an answer will appear in the next edition's Q&A!

Stay Tuned for Next Week's Edition
Going out on December 15th!

Welcome to Students With Borders' second edition!

Students With Borders is an e-mail newsletter, issued every other Friday, catered specifically for international students living in the United States. Expect tons of different kinds of resources, stories and news updates put together specifically for you, you beautiful F-1 visa holder with big aspirations.

For more information on the conceptualization of this newsletter, check out this Medium post!

Fortnight News

Congress Is Moving to Clamp Down on Companies That Use H-1B Visa Workers by Natasha Bach (Fortune)

"Introduced in January by Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa, the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act seeks to make it more difficult for "H-1B dependent" companies to obtain work permits. On Wednesday morning, the bill passed the House Judiciary Committee, which is just the first of many steps to becoming law."

Diversity Visa Lottery: Inside the Program That Admitted a Terror Suspect by Miriam Jordan (The NY Times)

"It is indeed a little like hitting a lottery. Some years, the program has attracted nearly 15 million applications, but no more than 50,000 visas may be awarded."

A note from SWB: The US diversity visa is still accepting entries until Wednesday, November 22nd. Those interested in testing their luck should visit this page to learn about entry requirements and eligibility.

The Relax, Everyone: International Students Aren't Fleeing The U.S. (Opinion) by Salvatore Babones (Forbes)

"Look beyond the headlines, and you'll find that most of the drop was due to a decline in students enrolled in non-degree intensive English classes -- hardly the bread and butter of major universities."

The Disappearing American Grad Student by Nick Wingfield (The NY Times)

"There are two very different pictures of the students roaming the hallways and labs at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. At the undergraduate level, 80 percent are United States residents. At the graduate level, the number is reversed: About 80 percent hail from India, China, Korea, Turkey and other foreign countries."

Guides on Guides on Guides

This week's guide will provide general information about on-campus employment.

Because F-1 students, except for some graduate students, are generally not permitted to work off-campus during their first year studying in the US, understanding how on-campus employment works is crucial for most students who want and/or need a source of income during their first year of school.

According US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), all F-1 student visa holders are eligible to work on-campus at the institution in which they are enrolled. The on-campus work may also take place "at an educationally affiliated (associated with the school's established curriculum or part of contractually funded research projects at the postgraduate level) off-campus location."

Note: Work that is technically located in the campus area but doesn't serve students of that campus does not qualify as on-campus employment.

How many hours can I work on-campus?

While school is in session, an international student can work on-campus part-time up to 20 hours a week. Under very special circumstances, however, a designated school official (DSO) from your school's office of international students may request a suspension of this restriction if you can provide substantial evidence of financial necessity. When school is not in session, however, F-1 students can work full-time. Many international students work full-time over the summer as orientation leaders or admissions ambassadors, for example.

When can I start working on-campus?

Technically, you could start up to a month before your program starts. That said, it may be a challenge for many students to secure an on-campus job prior to their program start date.

Do I need a Social Security number to work on-campus?

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), you are not required to obtain a Social Security number prior to the start of your employment. That said, your employer will require you to obtain one eventually so they can report your wages to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is generally recommended to get a social security number as soon as possible after employment. For more information on obtaining a social security number, talk to your DSO and/or review SSA's guidelines for international students here.

Student Spotlight
Each week, the Student Spotlight section will feature writing published by an international student.

This week, we're throwing it back to a 2014 piece written by Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, a former international student from Thailand. In the piece linked below, Vongkiatkajorn discusses the challenges many international studentsface when trying to gain professional experience.

The U.S. is the Land of Opportunity, But Not So Much for International Students by Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn (Mic)

"I could feel my stomach sinking. I tried my best to hold onto my chances: I reiterated my interest in the position and asked if there was any other information I could provide about my qualifications, but my interviewer had no other questions. For her, there was no point in talking further. My visa status had already ended my candidacy."

Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn is an assistant editor for audience and breaking news at Mother Jones magazine, based in San Francisco. Her work has been published in VICE News, The Guardian, The Bangkok Post, Voices of New York, DNAinfo.com, and City Limits. Before joining Mother Jones, she completed a master's degree at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

Note: Kanyakrit is currently on an H-1B visa (!) and has kindly offered to provide her contact information to those of you who may have questions! She can be reached at yu.vongkiatkajorn@gmail.com (We know, she's amazing for offering. Thank you, Kanyakrit!)

Also, give her some loooove on Twitter by following her at: @yukvon.

Q&A
Question: Is it possible for an international student to freelance, intern or work part time either during winter break or during the spring semester? (Submitted via Hearken on Nov 1st.)

Answer: This is a big question with many answers — it all depends. During a regular semester (like this upcoming spring), you are only allowed to work under certain conditions. You could work part-time (for up to 20 hours) under a form of work authorization called 'Curricular Practical Training' (CPT), IF an internship is required as part of your program. You may also work on-campus for up to 20 hours (see above).

While school isn't in session, though (in many cases, during the summer), you may be allowed to work full-time (whether that's under CPT or simply on-campus). You may also choose to do full-time work under pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). As for freelancing for US companies while you're studying here, it is unfortunately not allowed under the provisions of your student visa. More detailed answers pertaining to specific situations, however, can usually be addressed by contacting the international students office at your school!

Have any questions relating to the international student experience and immigration? Submit them here and an answer will appear in the next edition's Q&A!

Stay Tuned for Next Week's Edition
Going out on December 1st!

Welcome to Students With Borders' first edition!

Students With Borders is an e-mail newsletter catered specifically for international students living in the United States. Expect tons of different kinds of resources, stories and news updates put together specifically for you, you beautiful F-1 visa holder with big aspirations.

In case you're wondering if 'Students With Borders' is a 'Doctors Without Borders' subsidiary — it's not, lol. The 'borders' in the newsletter's name is a reference to the many hurdles international students face when attempting to navigate the US immigration process. Hurdles like knowing what CPT is or how to get it. Hurdles like not knowing when to apply for your OPT or if you're eligible for a STEM extension. If these terms don't mean anything to you, you're in the right place!

Students With Borders will be issued every other Friday, starting today (November 3rd). For more information on the conceptualization of this newsletter, check out this Medium post!

Fortnight News

New York truck attack: Trump calls for end of green card lottery (BBC)
"US President Donald Trump has called for the green card lottery to be scrapped, saying it allowed the New York truck attack suspect into the US."

Green card lottery website down since Wednesday, causing worry among entrants by Allan Wernick (NY Daily News)

"Due to the technical problems, the U.S. Department of State announced it is closing the DV-2019 lottery until this Wednesday at noon. It will reopen then and run until Wednesday, Nov. 22, at noon."

Are International Students Next On The Menu? by Stuart Anderson (Forbes)

"After ending legal protections for young immigrants, snubbing immigrant entrepreneurs and posturing against H-1B spouses, will the Trump administration place work authorization for international students next on the menu?"

India reiterates concern to US over H1-B visa issue (The Economic Times)

"India on Tuesday reiterated its concern to the US over the latest bid to introduce stricter norms for issuance of H1-B visas which are largely availed by Indian IT firms.

The Indian concerns were conveyed during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and a US Congressional delegation from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology."

USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Some Categories of Applicants Seeking H-1B Visas (USCIS)

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing [on September 18] for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year year (FY) 2018 cap. The FY 2018 cap has been set at 65,000 visas. Premium processing has also resumed for the annual 20,000 additional petitions that are set aside to hire workers with a U.S. master's degree or higher educational degree."

Guides on Guides on Guides

This week's guide will provide general information on Optional Practical Training, a form of work authorization you've probably (hopefully) heard about as an international student.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is another popular form of work authorization amongst international students. Optional Practical Training allows international students to work somewhere and gain experience in their field of study without it having to be an internship as part of a specific curriculum. In addition, students may engage in pre-completion (before program end date) or post-completion OPT (after program end date).

Who is eligible for OPT?

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), undergraduate and graduate students who have completed at least one year of full-time study in the U.S. are eligible for OPT work authorization.

How long can my OPT authorization last?

International students are generally only eligible for 12 months of OPT work authorization, unless they are able to extend it under certain circumstances. Time spent working under pre-completion OPT does count towards the 12 month allotment, however. If, for instance, I spent 3 months working full-time under pre-completion OPT during the summer after junior year, I would only be allowed to work for 9 months of post-completion OPT after my graduation date. If, however, I spent 3 months working part-time during my final semester, the time deducted from my total OPT allotment would be taken off at half the rate.

Am I eligible for an OPT extension?

If your program falls under one of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) categories, you may apply for a 24-month OPT extension, meaning you may be eligible for a total of 3 years of OPT.

If you're unsure if your program qualifies as STEM, ask a department head or an advisor at your school's office for international students. It may be useful to review ICE's list of STEM designated degrees. In some cases, you may ask your department head to obtain STEM designation for your particular program, if you believe it qualifies.

Note: You may only be employed by an E-Verify company during your 24-month extension. Per the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), being an E-Verify participant company simply means that the company is enrolled in this Internet-based program that determines the eligibility of employees to work in the United States. If your employer or recruiter is unsure if the company is part of the E-Verify program, they can learn more about it here.

How many hours a week can I work on OPT?

Under pre-completion OPT, students can engage in OPT up to 20 hours a week while school is in session, and full-time when school isn't in session.

How do I apply for OPT?

Applying for OPT is a fairly straightforward process, but one that can be stressful if your employment start date is imminent. To apply for OPT, students must meet with their DSO, who will instruct them to file a Form I-765, which comes with a filing fee of $410, per USCIS. Generally, OPT applications are submitted up to 90 days before the intended start date, but recommended submission times may vary depending on whether your program qualifies as STEM.

For more detailed information on the OPT application process, review USCIS guidelines here.

Student Spotlight

Each week, the Student Spotlight section will feature writing published by an international student.

This week, I'm featuring Sandhya Ramachandran, an alumna of Boston University and the creator of Aliens With Visas, a podcast dedicated to serving international students!

In the piece linked below, Ramachandran discusses ways to prepare to stay in the country after your course of study.

5 Things To Know Before Talking To An Immigration Attorney by Sandhya Ramachandran (Aliens With Visas)

"It's not emblazoned on education abroad flyers or university websites so let me tell you: as an international student there is an impending appointment with a local attorney that's part of the experience. A time will come when you have to speak to one, if you desire to continue working and living in the USA. In less structured fields like the arts, it is doubly imperative to seek legal counsel asap in order to make any progress towards those goals."

You can follow Ramachandran on Twitter @sandepantz.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have any questions relating to the international student experience and immigration? Submit them here and an answer will appear in the next edition's FAQ!

Stay Tuned for Next Week's Edition
Going out on November 17th!