If you have visited the OISS lately, you might have seen how busy the office is. Although the staff tries to provide prompt service, many students have had to wait for a longer period than they wanted to see an adviser. It's just a busy season. At this time of the year, graduating students are applying for optional practical training or seeking information about school transfer procedures. Some continuing students have found summer internships and need to complete the curricular practical training procedure with an OISS adviser.
Internships are more and more popular, and considered more and more important for students' careers.
So, more foreign students than usual are securing internships and then applying for curricular practical training. Immigration law and procedures are increasingly complex and confusing. More students are using e-mail to send their questions to OISS advisers. With e-mail, it often takes students less time to ask a question than it would in person, while the amount of time an adviser needs to answer it may be increased. This leaves the advisers busier.