USCIS Announces Policy Change to F-1 Student Visas

On July 20, 2021, USCIS announced a policy change regarding F-1 student visas. Individuals who have applied for a change of status (COS) to an F-1 student visa will no longer need to apply to change or extend their nonimmigrant status while their F-1 COS application is pending to avoid a “gap” in their status. As of 2017, USCIS had required applicants to maintain their nonimmigrant status up to 30 days before the listed program start date on their applications. But, because of USCIS’s backlog of cases, a COS to F-1 was taking up to 10-18 months, so it was challenging for applicants to align the start dates of their programs with the adjudication of their COS to F-1 applications and many applicants were forced to file changes or extensions of their nonimmigrant status in order to avoid a “gap” in their status. This change of policy will relieve a burden on F-1 student visa applicants and be more time and cost efficient for USCIS.