USCIS针对Lockbox延迟OPT的临时规定

由于lockbox延迟，2020年10月1日至2021年5月1日提交的OPT申请可以享有如下的temporary flexibilities
1. 12个月OPT从批准时间算起，之前签发的不足12个月的OPT可以申请correction
2. Reject之后只要在2021年5月31日前refile USCIS都会处理并且申请人不需要从学校取得新的I-20
3. 签名问题USCIS不会reject而会发RFE

原文：https://www.uscis.gov/news/alert ... -form-i-765-for-opt

USCIS Extends Flexibilities to Certain Applicants Filing Form I-765 for OPT
Release Date
02/26/2021
USCIS today announced flexibilities for certain foreign students affected by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. These flexibilities apply only to applications received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive.

USCIS has experienced delays at certain lockboxes in issuing receipt notices for Form I-765 for optional practical training (OPT) for F-1 students. These delays are a result of COVID-19 restrictions, a dramatic increase in filings of certain benefit requests, postal service volume and delays, and other external factors. While we have made progress in addressing the problem, we are extending the following flexibilities to assist certain applicants for OPT impacted by the delays.

14-month OPT Period Flexibilities

. Waral dи,F-1 students may participate in up to 12 months of post-completion OPT, which must be completed within 14 months from the end of their program. Due to the delays at the lockbox, some applicants may only be eligible for a shortened period of OPT within that 14-month period. To allow F-1 students to complete the full period of requested OPT (up to 12 months), USCIS will allow the 14-month period to commence from the date of approval of the Form I-765 for applications for post-completion OPT.

Beginning today, USCIS will approve applications for post-completion OPT with validity dates reflecting the same amount of time originally recommended by the designated school official (DSO) from their school on the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.

F-1 students requesting post-completion OPT who receive an approval of Form I-765 for less than the full amount of OPT time requested (not to exceed 12 months) due to the requirement that the OPT be completed within 14 months of the program end date may request a correction of the EAD due to USCIS error. USCIS will issue a corrected EAD with a new end date, as requested, to cover the full amount of OPT time recommended in the original application.

Refiling Following Rejection

Applicants for OPT must file the Form I-765 during certain timeframes. However, we recognize that due to the lockbox delays, some applicants who timely filed Form I-765 for OPT and whose applications were later rejected are unable to timely refile within the required application timeframes.

.1point3acresUSCIS will accept a refiled Form I-765 for OPT and STEM OPT as filed on the original filing date if:

The original, timely filed application was received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive; and
USCIS subsequently rejected it.
Refiled applications must be received by May 31, 2021, for USCIS to treat the application as though filed on the original received date.

Applicants refiling a Form I-765 for OPT or STEM OPT do not need to obtain a new Form I-20 with an updated OPT recommendation from the DSO, as long as they originally submitted an application for post-completion OPT within 30 days of the DSO’s recommendation or an application for STEM OPT within 60 days of the DSO’s recommendation as required by the regulations.

Applicants refiling an application should include a copy of the rejection notice to facilitate review of the case.

Missing or Deficient Signatures

Applications with missing or deficient signatures are generally rejected at the lockbox. This policy remains unchanged. However, if the lockbox accepts a Form I-765 application for OPT or STEM OPT with a missing or deficient signature, USCIS will issue a Request for Evidence rather than deny the application, to give the applicant the opportunity to respond and provide the necessary signature or correct the deficiency. We encourage applicants filing Form I-765 to review the form instructions on our website to ensure their application is complete before filing it.

Last Reviewed/Updated:
02/26/2021

widen 发表于 2021-02-27 09:03:56
您好！请问有办法可以联系到这位Robert Cohen律师吗？我也想成为一个志愿者可以吗～感谢！

😂请问你也是opt被delay的同学吗？是的话请直接联系我。如果愿意帮忙的话可以关注我们推特，以及寻找媒体帮我们发声。
志愿者都是此次opt delay的受害者，之前组织联系了律师，以及作为named原告file了case，是我们志愿者聚起来去找的律师～并不是律师找的我们lol

感谢楼主总结，借楼回复一下诉讼进展：

感谢所有朋友的支持和帮助，来更新一下诉讼进展：
诉讼取得初步成果，USCIS于今天发表声明: USCIS Extends Flexibilities to Certain Applicants Filing Form I-765 for OPT
诉讼仍在继续，下周律师将和政府着重讨论解决OPT processing time过长的问题。
集体诉讼于02/16/2021 file到Ohio法院

还有两个重要的网站，可以查看Lawsuit进展：
Robert Cohen律师做的网站：OPT CLASS ACTION，用以向公众提供更新。
诉讼志愿者小组自己做的网站：OPT Action Logs，记录了志愿者小组每一次的行动，Lawsuit进程，OPT延误的FAQ等。

感谢Robert Cohen律师和所有付出努力的小伙伴🙏🙏🙏

USCIS还算做了一件人事

补充内容 (2021-2-28 05:23):
幸好Biden在台上，新的USCIS老大。要是Trump在台上，估计就没这个好事了

原本在看機票了和海運了...

感谢组织诉讼的小伙伴，造福大家了！！

感谢组织和参与诉讼的同学，辛苦你们了！！！

感谢！！！

给所有参与诉讼的小伙伴点个赞

不知道是否有理解误差。如果材料出错被deny的话，在收到材料之后寄回不变，但是排队还能在原来的位置，而不是从头再来，是这个意思吗...? 就如果出错了的话不会像之前那样花时间...?

想知道这个reject可以refile是只针对OPT还是也包括STEM OPT？

感谢组织和参加诉讼的同学们，造福大家！