Immigration Links
IMMIGRATION UPDATES
June 3, 2009 New
SEVP unable to accept credit card payments from certain countries
Because of the fraud issues in certain countries, SEVP is unable to accept credit card payments from certain countries at this time, including:
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Cameroon
- Kenya
If a student is from one of these countries, s/he will receive the following message:
"The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is not accepting credit card payments at this time. Please remit your payment by cashier's check, money order or Western Union transfer. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation. If you wish to continue submitting a new payment please click here."
If a student from a country other than those listed above receives this message, please contact the I-901 Helpline [314-418-8833].
April 8, 2009
OPT Cap-Gap Fact Sheet for Employers
SEVP has issued this fact sheet for F-1 students to give to their employer. It explains in detail the purpose of and the process for obtaining the H-1B cap-gap extension of OPT.
Download Fact Sheet Here (pdf)
OPT Checklist from SEVP
SEVP has issued this checklist for F-1 students applying for OPT. PLEASE NOTE: This checklist is general guidance and does not include the ISU specific requirements as listed in the OPT Application Checklist from our office. This checklist is provided for information purposes only and lists the minimum required documents required by USCIS for the OPT application.
Download SEVP's OPT Checklist Here (pdf)
November 17, 2008
On November 17, 2008, the United States expanded the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. This program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security(DHS) and enables eligible citizens or nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
Effective January 12, 2009, citizens or nationals from all VWP countries will be required to obtain an approved travel authorization via ESTA in order to be eligible to travel to the United States under the VWP.
This means that after 01/12/2009, all visitors from VWP countries coming to Idaho State University for business purposes should present evidence of having ESTA approval, or B1/B2 status for reimbursements of expenses.
Below is the FAQ link in case additional information is required.
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/about_esta/esta_faq.ctt/esta_faq.pdf