USCIS: Change of Status for applicants to F-1 Students

On July 20, 2021, the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced their new policy that allows individuals who have applied for a change of status (COS) from B1/B2 to F-1 to no longer have to submit the subsequent applications. Before this new policy, applicants were required to maintain a status of 30 days before the start day of their program, which meant that they had to be extra cautious of violations. Examples of violations include staying past the expiration date of the status grace period and “engaging in employment, including on-campus employment.” The new policy fills in the gap and cuts down the workload and the cost for the applicants and for the government. As adjustments are being made, revisions to the I-539 are still occurring to reflect the new policy. If you have any questions in regards to this change or questions regarding B1/B2 visas or F-1 student visas please contact Pikes Peak Immigration to schedule a consultation.