Biometrics requests for OPT/STEM OPT?

Biometrics requests for OPT/STEM OPT?

An international student who applied for the OPT program left comments on SEVIS SAVVY Instagram (@sevissavvy) regarding the biometric services appointment. For readers who are not familiar with biometrics, USCIS requires scheduling biometric services appointments to provide fingerprints, photographs, and/or signatures for certain types of immigration benefits such as Green Card (permanent residency).

In most cases, OPT applicants are not subject to schedule biometric services appointments. But what if you received the I-797C OPT receipt notice and it says you are required to schedule the biometric service appointment? This post will give you a practical guide as to request cancellation of any biometric appointment requests. If you have received Form I-797C with biometric services requests, read this post carefully and follow the guideline to resolve the issue.

After you file your application, petition, or request, we will schedule your biometric services appointment at a local application support center (ASC) if you need to provide your fingerprints, photograph, and/or signature. We have the general authority to require and collect biometrics from any applicant, petitioner, sponsor, beneficiary, or other individual residing in the United States for any immigration and naturalization benefit. See 8 CFR 103.2 (b)(9).

Your appointment notice (Form I-797C, Notice of Action) will include the date, time, and location for your ASC appointment. The biometrics you provide during your ASC appointment allow us to confirm your identity and run required background and security checks. 

Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment

Disclaimer: SEVIS SAVVY delivers information based on the visa/immigration regulations and this is no legal advice by any means. Since institutional policies may vary, getting confirmation from your international student advisor will be helpful to ensure that you comply with institutional policies and processes.

Contents


Case study scenario

Q: I just received a mail from USCIS and it says that I need to do biometrics at the end of this month for my OPT. Why do I need biometrics for my OPT?


The answer based on the regulation

OPT students who are told to schedule the biometric service appointment can reach out to their DSOs (a.k.a. International Student advisors) asking for assistance. Then, DSOs can reach out to the Potomac Service Center and request the cancellation of any biometrics appointment requests on behalf of the student. Please note that students cannot directly reach out to the Potomac Service Center. All the requests should go through DSOs.

In the email subject line, it is recommended to include the student’s first and last name along with the I-797 receipt number (Refer to this article to learn how to check the reference number). The email to Potomac Service Center should include the following information:

  • Student last name
  • Student first name
  • Student date of birth
  • I-797 Receipt number (Refer to this article to learn how to check the reference number)
  • The address used for OPT application (U.S. mailing address that you wrote on Form I-765)
  • Description of case & request to Potomac

Therefore, when you reach out to your DSOs, make sure you include above information so that he or she can easily draft the email and send it out to Potomac Service Center.

This post offers a step-by-step guide to cancel the biometric service appointment request and information that needs to be included in the email. Again, the request to Potomac Service Center should be sent by DSO. Therefore, reaching out to your DSO is the first step and when you do so, make sure to include the required information.

All the case study cases regarding the OPT can be found on the Case Study page. All OPT regulations, news, and updates can be found on CPT/OPT page.

Be Savvies

Related Posts

J-1 exchange students? Apply for Academic Training for internships
J-1 签证

作为 J-1 交换生赴美实习?学术培训了解一下

交换生是指短期来美国学习和体验不同文化的学生。与获得学位(例如学士学位、硕士学位或博士学位)的攻读学位的学生不同,交换生不会从美国院校获得学位,而是从其本国大学获得学位。在签证方面,攻读学位的学生通常获得F-1学生签证,而非攻读学位(交换)的学生则获得J-1学生签证。但交换生有可能获得 F-1 签证。我为什么要谈论签证?这是因为 F-1 和 J-1 签证持有者都必须知道,根据移民法规,未经授权,他们不得在校外工作。因此,为了在校外公司实习,您应该根据您的签证类型申请不同的就业授权计划。例如,F-1学生应申请并获得批准用于在校期间实习的CPT和毕业后在校外工作的Post-completion OPT。对于 J-1 学生,有一个名为学术培训的项目,通过学术培训项目,交换生可以在校外工作。然而,学术培训规则不如 F-1 学生项目明确,因此大多数 J-1 交换生不会利用该项目。因此,如果您想充分利用在美国的留学经历,请仔细阅读本文,看看您是否符合资格。通过阅读本文,您将能够了解以下内容: (1) Purpose. The primary purpose of academic training is to permit a student, other than a student intern described in paragraph (i) of this section, to participate in an academic training program during his or her studies, without

Read More »
Academic disqualification
F-1 签证

取消学术资格、停学、留校察看和签证

大多数美国学院和大学都有适用于包括国际学生在内的所有学生的学术要求。例如,如果学生 GPA 成绩低于 2.0(满分 4.0),则根据下一学期的机构政策,他或她可能会被留校察看 (AP)。 AP 学生会被分配 AP 顾问,帮助他们提高 GPA。 如果学生的 GPA 没有提高或者学生没有成功完成 AP 流程,学生可能会被取消学业资格或收到学业停课通知。除非学生是故意不学习,否则没有学生愿意收到取消学业资格、停学、留校察看的通知,因为这意味着低 GPA 和没有奖学金等。 然而,对于国际学生来说,处于学术留校察看或被取消学术资格尤其是一件大事,因为他们的非移民身份(学生签证)可能会受到影响。由于国际学生留在美国的目的是学习,因此当他们因学术取消资格/停学和留校察看而无法注册课程时,他们可能不得不离开美国。 因此,这篇文章将探讨学术取消资格、停学和留校察看对国际学生签证状态的影响。经常被问到的问题,例如“美国领事官员会知道我被取消资格吗?”、“我应该怎么做才能取消留学查看的处分?” “我需要离开美国吗?”或“我怎样才能留在美国?”也将被讨论。 目录 留校察看 正如我上面简要提到的,通常会对学生进行学术留校察看,以避免学生离被取消学术资格而被停学更近了。从这个意义上说,大多数学生将能够在即将到来的入学中继续全日制入学。只要国际学生能够注册下一学期的全日制课程,此时学生签证或 SEVIS 记录(I-20 表)就不会受到影响。 话虽这么说,AP 学生应该尽力在下学期摆脱 AP 身份,以免被学校停学或失去身份。同样,处于 AP 状态的学生可能需要更多时间来满足毕业要求,这可能导致无法在 I-20 表格上注明的课程结束日期按时毕业。 在这种情况下,学生没有资格申请延期,因此他们必须返回自己的祖国完成课程。要了解有关“身份失效”的结果的更多信息,请单击以下相关文章: 相关文章:国际学生注意不要“身份失效” 如果你的学校阻止 AP 学生注册全日制课程,你应该与你所在大学的 DSO 沟通,看看你应该做什么,因为从技术上讲,除非你有资格获得减少课程量,否则你将失去身份。 我们鼓励想了解一些学习和写作技巧的国际学生查看以下文章: 相关文章1:全A学习指南:国际学生赴美留学相关文章2:抄袭?所有国际学生都应该知道的写作服务 停学/取消学术资格 现在让我们看一下与学业暂停或取消资格相关的移民法规。 一些院校为学术不合格并因此收到停课通知的学生提供上诉的机会。因此,如果您在学术上被取消资格,在做出最终决定之前,请务必检查您的学院或大学是否允许不合格的学生提出上诉。 如果您的学院或大学不为不合格的学生提供上诉机会,或者您的上诉被拒绝,那么您的签证身份就失效了,因为您不再是 I-20 签发的学院/大学的学生。

Read More »
F-1 to O-1 visa pathway after OPT/STEM OPT
F-1 비자의 모든 것

F-1 유학생 비자에서 OPT/STEM OPT, O-1 비자 까지 잘 이어지려면?

O-1 비자는 다음 분야에서 “뛰어난 능력 extraordinary ability“을 보유한 (미국 입장)외국인이 미국에 체류하며 최대 3년까지 근무할 수 있도록 허용하며, 연장 횟수에 제한 없이 1년 단위로 연장이 가능합니다. 이 뿐 아니라, O-1B 비자는 예술가도 미국에 체류하며 근무할 수 있도록 허가해 주는 비자로, 예술 분야의 예시는 다음과 같습니다: 개인이 “뛰어난 능력 extraordinary

Read More »