In This Issue:
PIER Chair Announcements
Other
PIER Announcements
PIER CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dear PIER Members,
Happy New Year from the PIER Board! We look forward to the potential a new year
brings to everyone. We wish everyone a
healthy and prosperous year. We will
have several open positions for the 2016-2017 PIER Board and hope you will
consider volunteering to be on the PIER Board. If you would like to learn more,
please email piergroupsd@gmail.com.
STEM OPT Update from
NAFSA
As we start 2016, I am sure on the mind of many DSO’s is the
proposed STEM OPT rule. NAFSA keeps schools up to date on their website here.
Here is a summary of recent actions in December and January from NAFSA. On
December 22, 2015 DHS moved the WashTech court to extend the vacatur of the
current STEM OPT rule from February 12, 2016 to May 10, 2016. On January 11, 2016, the Washington Alliance
of Technology Workers (WashTech) filed a response to DHS's December 22, 2015 motion, arguing that the District Court should not
grant the extension until May 10, 2016 that DHS requested in its motion. Resource: http://www.nafsa.org/Find_Resources/Supporting_International_Students_And_Scholars/ISS_Issues/Issues/Focus_On_STEM_OPT/
USCIS I-539
Application Transfers
USCIS recently began transferring certain casework from the
Vermont Service Center (VSC) to the California Service Center (CSC) and
Nebraska Service Center (NSC) to balance workloads. The CSC will now process Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change
Nonimmigrant Status. Read more details about other USCIS applications and
their processes here
SEVP Releases
Stakeholder Issues Response Report
For those of you who attended a special meeting with SEVP
Director Lou Farrell at the 2015 NAFSA Annual Conference in Boston, SEVP
responded to many stakeholder concerns identified at this meeting. You can find the 13-page report here.
Association of
International Education Administrators (AIEA) conference
Registration closes January 21, 2016. Follow this link to
their registration site, schedule, pre-conference workshops and more.
Fulbright
International Education Administrators Program
Do you know about the Fulbright International Education
Administrators Program?
The International
Education Administrators (IEA) seminars program helps international education
professionals and senior higher education officials from the United States create
empowering connections with the societal, cultural and higher education systems
of other countries. Applications are open for France and Germany, but
the deadline to apply is very soon, February
1, 2016. Learn more http://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/fulbright-international-education-administrators-program.
PIER Meeting Future
Dates
Full meeting details and agendas are in the PIER calendar
located at the bottom of our web page.
Date: February 19, 2016
Location: University of San Diego
Time: 2:00 pm
New Professionals Workshop
Date: March 11
Location: National University -
Spectrum Business Park Campus
Time: 9:00 am
Please see details below
Date: April 8,
2016
Location:
Grossmont College
Time: 2:00 pm
Date: June 24,
2016
Location: San Diego State University
Time: 2:00 pm
OTHER PIER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Registration
Now Open for 2016 New Professional’s Workshop: Friday, March 11th,
2016
Are you a new SEVIS Designated School Official? The PIER New Professionals
Workshop is training from experienced PIER Members for new professionals
working with F-1 students. Learn best F-1 procedures and best practices to take
back to your school. This workshop is geared towards those working in the field
less than three years or new to working with F-1 students.
The New Professional’s Workshop will be held on Friday,
March 11th, 2016, from 9am-4pm at the National University Spectrum
Campus in Kearny Mesa. Registration is
now open. Please find the
workshop schedule and registration information below:
Location: National
University, Spectrum Campus (9388 Lightwave Ave, San Diego, 92123).
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00pm
Member Fee: $30.00 | Non-Member
Fee: $35.00
Payment Due Date: February
29, 2016
Late Fee/On site Fee: $5.00
Price includes breakfast,
lunch, and full workshop.
To register please go to: Registration
Form
Workshop Schedule
9:00am – 9:30am -- Check-In & On-site Registration
9:30am – 9:45am -- Welcome from PIER Chair-Elect, Eric
Abutin
9:45am – 10:00am -- The Role of the International Student
Advisor
10:00am – 10:15am -- BREAK
10:15am – 11:45am -- Basic F-1 Procedures
Part I (Basic Terms & Concepts, Overview of Regulation
and SEVIS Reporting)
11:45am -- 12:45pm -- Lunch
12:45pm – 3:00pm -- Basic F-1 Procedures
Part II (SEVIS Events, Status Updates, Status Updates and
Employment)
3:00pm – 3:15pm -- Break
3:15pm – 4:00pm -- Q&A, Best Practices
We hope you take advantage of this great opportunity and
that we will have a good turnout. May
everyone have a prosperous 2016!
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PIER Board
Chair - Kasey McCarthy, Gemological
Institute of America
Chair-Elect – Eric Abutin, National
University
Treasurer - Martha Delgadillo, EC San Diego
Membership Coordinator - LyKai Johnson
Communications Coordinator – John Akapito,
National University
