USCIS to Begin Issuing I-751 and I-829 Receipt Notices with 24 Month Validity Period

This week, USCIS announced that starting on September 4, 2021, filing receipts issued for properly filed I-751 petitions and I-829 petitions requesting removal of conditions on residence will now indicate that the petitioner’s status is extended for 24 months, rather than the previous 18 months .

USCIS also indicated that it will be issuing updated receipt notices to petitions filed prior to September 4, 2021, that remain pending so that these individuals can also benefit from the 24 extension of conditional permanent resident status. The agency, however, has not provided a timeline for when individuals can expect to start receiving these.

USCIS has indicated that the extension from 18 to 24 months is to accommodate extended processing times for these petitions, which the agency indicates have increased over the last year.

DHS Releases Final STEM OPT Rule

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an advance draft of its final STEM OPT rule today, March 9, 2016, which will permit certain foreign students with degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields to extend their Optional Practical Training (OPT) period by 24 months.  The will go into effect on May 10, 2016,  just in time to meet the date on which the District Court’s May 10th vacatur of the prior rule will occur and avoid a gap between the regulations, which could have had a significant impact on STEM students and employers. DHS released its preview copy of the final rule this morning and the official version of the rule is set to be published in the Federal Register on Friday, March 11, 2016.

We have provided an outline of the major provisions of the new rule, which also contains additional requirements and obligations for STEM OPT students and employers.

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