ICE to begin conducting STEM OPT site visits

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has reportedly begun conducting site visits of employers of F-1 international students who are working under the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

ICE has maintained the authority to conduct such visits since 2016, when regulations were issued governing the OPT extension for STEM students. U.S. companies that employ F-1 students on STEM-OPT should ensure that they have a standard procedure in place to handle a possible site visit.

BAL has created an FAQ to answer common questions about STEM OPT site visits and how employers should prepare for them. Read the FAQ here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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