Source: http://globalworkers.org/visas/f-1
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 13:40:58+00:00

Document:
The F-1 nonimmigrant visa allows foreign individuals to study in the United States; work is allowed on-campus part-time, and off-campus in only certain situations requiring government approval.
The F-1 nonimmigrant visa is for foreign students to study “at an established college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program in the United States.”1 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. State Department oversee the F-1 visa program. Schools apply for designation to be able to enroll foreign students, and once they enroll, schools are responsible for updating all pertinent information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a data base administered by DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement which tracks foreign students.2 The DHS’s Customs and Border Patrol oversees every admission to the U.S. at the border and other ports of entry.
Indeed, the F-1 visa has come to be widely recognized as another temporary work program for jobs ranging from low-wage retail clerks to skilled information technology positions. F-1 students are allowed to work off-campus when they show economic hardship or through practical training programs. Some students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields may stay and work in the United States for more than two years after graduation. Students working post-graduation do so only with authorization from DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The U.S. Department of Labor does not regulate the program at all despite its affects on U.S. labor markets. DHS spends considerable resources tracking foreign students, and their enforcement efforts center on finding and removing foreign students who violate the terms of their visa. There is a gap, however, in achieving justice for the students who fall victim to predatory schools that recruit them, charge exorbitant fees, and upon enrollment, immediately farm them out in low-wage jobs that double as curricular training programs. When the U.S. government discovers these visa mill schemes, the schools and officials are punished, and the students simply deported.
While DHS and the U.S. State Department reveal the number of F-1 students, neither agency regularly releases information about F-1 students who work. A non-governmental organization, the Institute of International Education, annually estimates the number of participants in post-graduation work programs based on an extensive surveys, and that number alone has tripled in the span of a decade, from 22,745 participants in 2002 to 85,157 in 2012.
There is no limit to the number of F visas that may be issued annually.
2. SEVIS is a computer database designed to track information about students and exchange visitors, which include workers with a J-1 visa. See 22 C.F.R. Part 62, Subpart F.
3. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(5)(i). F-1 students who attend public high schools are restricted to an aggregate of 12 months of study.
6. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(3); 9 FAM 41.54 N21.
7. 9 FAM 41.54 N21.1 a.
8. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(15)(i); 9 FAM 41.61 N13.3.
10. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(15)(ii)(B).
11. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(15)(ii)(C).
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. State Department are in charge of administering the F-1 student visa program. Within DHS, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is the primary agency which manages both the schools and the students. Foreign individuals who want to study in the United States must apply to and be accepted at a school that is authorized by the SEVP to enroll international students. After the student receives an official statement of eligibility from the school, he or she will need to pay an online fee, and then apply for the visa abroad. During the visa application process, the student will have to show that they have paid all necessary immigration fees, have sufficient funds to pay for their tuition and living expenses, and intend to return home after their studies are complete. Obtaining the visa does not guarantee admission to the United States. DHS’s U.S. Customs and Border Patrol makes that decision on an individualized basis when the F-1 visa holder presents for admission at the U.S. border or port of entry.
Several employment options are available for F-1 students. Work always requires approval from the school and off-campus work requires approval from DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Throughout the student’s stay in the U.S., the school is responsible for updating SEVIS with the student’s address changes, academic progress and employment status. Students who graduate may apply for a visa extension to complete the next degree level.
Schools in the United States must seek official designation to enroll F-1 students.12 DHS has established a number of different criteria for approval, the most basic of which is the requirement that “it is a bona fide school.” DHS conducts site visits to ensure that schools are legitimate.13 As of July 2013, DHS has authorized 9,522 schools to sponsor F-1 students.14 Most of these colleges and universities go to great lengths to ensure compliance with the F-1 program, educating students with copious amounts of regulatory data and providing a steady stream of F-1 student updates to DHS’ SEVIS database.
Foreign individuals must apply to and be accepted for enrollment at a school that has been approved to enroll international students. Through SEVIS, school administrators generate Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students, certifying an applicant’s eligibility for student or exchange visitor status. The school sends the Form I-20 to the student. With that form, the student applies for the visa at the U.S. consulate or embassy abroad.20 In addition to this form, students need to have proof that the student has paid the SEVIS fee, statements showing sufficient funds to pay tuition, room and board, preparation for the course of study, and proof of the applicant’s present intent to leave the U.S. at the conclusion of their studies. A student also must be proficient in English or be enrolled in classes leading to English proficiency.21 If an applicant fails to meet the criteria, the visa will be denied.22 There is a higher refusal rate than with other nonimmigrant visas that authorize work. Since 2008, the State Department’s adjusted refusal rate for F-1 visas has met or neared 20%.23 Even so, the majority of F-1 visa applications are granted.
An F-1 student is expected to maintain possession of the initial Form I-20 bearing the admission number, and any subsequent copies that the school issues when changes are made or employment is authorized.24 Replacement copies are equally valid, however.
F-1 students are required to pay a $200 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee to DHS.25 Students use Form I-901, Fee Remittance for Certain Nonimmigrants, to pay the SEVIS fee.26 At the visa interview, Consular officers verify SEVIS fee payment through the system. It is generally a one-time fee as long as the nonimmigrant maintains F-1 status.27 A new fee is not required if the student transfers to a different school, extends their stay or leaves the U.S. temporarily and reenters.
12. 8 C.F.R. § 214.3 (setting forth requirements for DHS certification for schools).
13. 8 C.F.R. § 214.3(h)(3).
14. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, SEVP, SEVIS General Summary Quarterly Review (July 3, 2013), available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/by-the-numbers.pdf. The number of authorized schools is published quarterly.
15. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G).
16. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Decision by SEVP Director, Full Course of Study: California Community Colleges Crisis, (Nov. 12, 2009), available at http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/regxii/ca_cc_sevpannouncement.pdf.
22. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(1)(i)(a); 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b).
23. U.S. Department of State, Nonimmigrant Visa Statistics, NIV Workload by Category, 2006-2012, available at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/statistics/nivstats/nivstats_4582.html (last visited June 2013).
24. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(2).
25. 8 C.F.R. § 214.13(a)(1); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, SEVP, I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, available at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/ (last visited June 2013).
26. 8 C.F.R. § 214.13(g).
27. 8 C.F.R. § 214.13(e). Generally, status is maintained from the time of obtaining the visa through the time when the student completes the academic program, which can include Optional Practical Training (OPT), or when the student stops going to school, changes immigration status, or departs the United States for an extended period of time.
28. 8 U.S.C. §1225; 8 C.F.R. Part 235, Inspection of Persons Applying for Admission; see also Austin T. Fragomen, Jr., Alfred J. Del Rey, Jr., and Sam Bernsen, Immigration Law and Business § 2:11 (2010) (“The issuance of a nonimmigrant visa gives the alien permission to apply for admission to the United States at a port of entry…The visa does not assure an alien that he or she will be admitted to the United States, however; it merely indicates that a consular officer has found the alien eligible for temporary admission to the United States and not inadmissible under § 212(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C.A. § 1182(a).”).
Once the F-1 student is admitted to the U.S., there are several options for working. Upon arrival, all foreign students may work on-campus at the school they are attending for up to 20 hours per week, without limitation. Off-campus work up to 20 hours a week is only allowed after students complete one year of school in the U.S., as long as the job is related to their field of study. All work requires school approval. There are two types of off-campus work while the F-1 student is in school: curricular practical training (CPT) and optional practical training (OPT). CPT is in conjunction with coursework and does not need approval from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). OPT is separate from course work and does require USCIS approval. After the F-1 student graduates, OPT is the only way to work lawfully in the U.S. After graduation, full-time OPT work is allowed for up to 12 months. If the job is in a STEM field, USCIS may approve an additional 17 months for OPT work, making the total work time 29 months.
Students are allowed to work on-campus if it is “educationally affiliated” with the school or “directly provide services for students.”29 Students may only work up to 20 hours per week when school is in session, and full-time during breaks and vacation.30 Students must obtain permission from their school and apply for and receive a social security number before starting work.
The employment authorization document (EAD) to work off-campus may be granted in one-year intervals up to the expected date of completion of the student's current course of study.40 An off-campus EAD may be renewed if the student is maintaining status and good academic standing.41 A student may work for any employer with the EAD. In other words, unlike temporary nonimmigrant work visas such as the H, J and L subcategories, the EAD is not tied to a particular employer. An F-1 student may not continue to work off campus after graduation even if the EAD has not yet expired.
Generally, F-1 visas are valid for the temporary period defined as the “time during which an F-1 student is pursuing a full course of study” at an approved school or is in a practical training program.79 The duration of authorized OPT work depends on the F-1 graduate’s field of study, and may last up to 29 months. However, there is another 6 month extension for OPT workers whose employers file paperwork necessary to convert them to H-1B workers.80 This extension is called the “cap-gap” because F-1 students may remain in OPT jobs while waiting for USDOL and USCIS to process their employer’s H-1B application, without being forced to leave the United States.81 F-1 students in OPT jobs who do not work for an employer willing to hire them as H-1B workers do not get extra time. When their OPT period expires they must leave the country within 60 days.
Students who work in OPT jobs may work for multiple employers, work for hire, be a self-employed business owner, or work through an agency or consulting firm.82 Little information is published about to what extent F-1 graduates change employers during their OPT programs. However, if F-1 workers are depending on their current employer to sponsor them for H-1B status upon the expiration of the 29 month OPT period, they may lack the practical ability to change jobs.
Employers do not have to pay employment taxes on F-1 student workers’ wages – which can be up to 8% – because they are exempt from this requirement.85 F-1 students who work will usually pay state and federal income taxes, depending on whether they are categorized for tax purposes as either non-resident aliens or resident aliens. A non-resident alien is only taxed on income earned in the U.S., while a resident alien pays tax on income earned both inside and outside the U.S. The Internal Revenue Service publishes guidance for foreign workers because federal tax rules are complicated and depend on each individual situation.
F-1 students may not work at any location where there is a strike or other labor dispute involving a work stoppage of workers. In these situations, “employment authorization, whether or not part of an academic program, is automatically suspended” when the U.S. Department of Labor certifies that workers in the same “occupation as F-1 students are striking at the place of employment.” Employers are prohibited from transferring F-1 students working at other facilities to the facility where the work stoppage is occurring.
29. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(i).
30. 9 FAM 41.61 N13.1.
31. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(i).
32. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Module 4: Employment and Practical Training, available at http://www.ice.gov/exec/sevp/Module4.htm.
33. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(i).
34. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Module 4: Employment and Practical Training, available at http://www.ice.gov/exec/sevp/Module4.htm. DHS advises schools to have students “obtain a letter from the prospective employer concerning the nature of the job and the number of work hours.” However, neither the employers, students, nor the schools are required to show that U.S. workers will not actually be displaced by the foreign-student workers.
35. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(C).
37. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(ii) and (iii).
38. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(D)(F)(1).
39. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(D)(F)(2).
41. Id. The employment authorization is automatically terminated whenever the student fails to maintain status.
42. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(A).
48. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i).
51. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Module 4: Employment and Practical Training, available at http://www.ice.gov/exec/sevp/Module4.htm.
52. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i) (“Students who have received one year or more of full time curricular practical training are ineligible for post-completion academic training.”).
56. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Module 4: Employment and Practical Training, available at http://www.ice.gov/exec/sevp/Module4.htm.
57. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i).
59. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A).
61. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(1).
62. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A)(1), (2).
63. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A)(3).
64. Id., 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C).
65. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B).
66. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i), (ii) (“The DSO must update the student's SEVIS record with the DSO's recommendation for OPT before the student can apply to USCIS for employment authorization. The DSO will indicate in SEVIS whether the employment is to be full-time or part-time, and note in SEVIS the start and end date of employment.”).
67. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i)(A), (B).
69. 8 C.F.R. § 214.1(f)(11)(iii).
70. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i)(D) (“Employment authorization will begin on the date requested or the date the employment authorization is adjudicated, whichever is later.”).
71. 8 C.F.R. § 214.1(f)(11)(iii)(B), (C).
72. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C).
73. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, STEM-Designated Degree Program List, 2011 Revised List, available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stem-list-2011.pdf.
74. 9 FAM 41.61 N13.5-1.
75. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A).
76. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(11)(i)(C) (“If a student timely and properly files an application for a 17-month OPT extension, but the Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document, currently in the student's possession, expires prior to the decision on the student's application for 17-month OPT extension, the student's Form I-766 is extended automatically.”). See also U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, SEVP Policy Guidance: 0801-2, at 11-12 (Apr. 25, 2008) available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/opt_policy_guidance_04062009.pdf.
78. R. Wasem, Congressional Research Service, U.S. Immigration Policy on Temporary Admissions, at 29 (Feb. 28, 2011), available at http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/158526.pdf.
79. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(5)(l); 9 FAM 41.61 N10.
80. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(5)(iv); 9 FAM 41.61 N13.5-2.
82. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, SEVP Policy Guidance: 0801-2, at 17, (Apr. 25, 2008) available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/opt_policy_guidance_04062009.pdf.
85. 26 U.S.C. § 3121(b)(19)(FICA exemption) and 26 U.S.C. § 3306(c)(19) (FUTA exemption); see also Internal Revenue Service, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities, 2011, available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p515.pdf.
Both the Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintain data about F-1 students. The number of new F-1 visas has risen over the last decade; in 2012, there were close to 500,000. The amount of individuals in “active F-1 status” time hovers around 800,000 at any given time. F-1 students come to the U.S. from all over the world, but over 70% come from Asian nations. China is the largest sending country for F-1 students, followed by South Korea, Saudi Arabia, India and Japan. Even though the U.S. government possesses detailed information on F-1 students, including their age, gender, country of origin, whether they are working, and where, complete data is not publicly available. The Institute of International Education maintains an extensive database on F-1 students, including information on their employment. That data shows that the number of F-1 students who work in optional practical training programs has increased by 274% over the past decade, to an estimated 85,157 workers, who are mostly from India and China.
A. Number of F-1 Students in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) does not have any role in the administration of the F-1 visa program. As such, USDOL neither collects nor maintains data regarding the number of F-1 students that are working in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Department of State, FY 1997-2012 NIV Detail Table, available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/statistics/nivstats/nivstats_4582.html(June 2013).
The Department of Homeland Security has two agencies involved in managing the F-1 program and thus, two sets of numbers. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) maintains the database tracking foreign students while they are in the United States. At the border or port of entry, the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) interviews individuals who have received F-1 visas, decides whether to grant their admission.
ICE publishes SEVIS quarterly reports showing the number of individuals in active F-1 status. During the quarter ending in March 2013, there were 937,033 active F-1 and M-1 students in the United States.
Asian countries account for 72% of all F-1 visas issued, with Europe a distant second.
China is the largest sending country for F-1 students with 189,402 visas issued in 2012.93 South Korea, Saudi Arabia, India and Japan round out the top five sending countries for F-1 students, as accounted for by visas issued. The leading country from Europe is Germany, and in the Americas, both Brazil and Mexico are in the top ten. While the top ten sending countries for F-1 workers have remained somewhat stable over time, the number of Chinese students has increased by over 200% in the five years since 2008.
Canada is likely one of the largest sending countries as well. Because Canadian F-1 students do not obtain a visa from the Department of State, they are not counted in the data set. The rest of the top five sending countries as measured by admissions in 2012 were also in the top ten for visas issued.
Quarterly SEVIS reports show the top countries of citizenship of active F-1 academic and M-1 vocational students. The F-1 and M-1 numbers are not disaggregated. Nonetheless, the inclusion of M-1 numbers does not change the overall make-up of the top sending countries for foreign students. As of June 2013, the four most recent calendar quarters show China, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia and Canada as the most common nationalities for active students.
DHS publishes information about the destination states of nonimmigrants based on information gathered when F-1 workers are admitted at the border.94 The five states with the largest flow of F-1 students are New York, Texas, California, Michigan and Massachusetts.
SEVIS quarterly reports published by ICE show that California, New York, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania are the top five states measured by the number of schools authorized to enroll foreign students under the F-1 academic and M-1 vocational visa programs.
Students with F-1 visas who work in the U.S. are certainly the most tracked and observed visa holders but perhaps among the least studied nonimmigrant workers. SEVIS tracks “non-immigrants from the moment they are accepted at a U.S. institution, through the completion of their program” and provides real-time information to the U.S. government.95 However, ICE only publishes the numbers of active foreign students, their fields of study and nationality. The quarterly SEVIS reports do not mention any F-1 student employment statistics or employment-related demographic information.
While USCIS has information regarding the number of F-1 students who submit I-765s, for whom they plan to work, and how many EADs are ultimately approved and denied, this information is not regularly published either. However, through a Freedom of Information Act request, journalists received this information regarding OPT from USCIS and have posted a searchable database of OPT employment online.
A non-governmental organization, the Institute of International Education (IIE), annually estimates the number of F-1 student workers with OPT programs, based on its Open Doors survey of U.S. colleges and universities. While this information from IIE provides a very helpful snapshot of the scope and growth of the OPT program, it is just an estimate and does not all schools that have students enrolled in F-1 programs.
According to IIE, the number of OPT students has almost quadrupled in the span of a decade, jumping from 22,745 participants in 2002 to 85,157 in 2012.98 Since 2010, the top five sending countries for OPT workers are India, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada.
88. U.S. State Department, FY 1997-2012 NIV Detail Table, available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/statistics/nivstats/nivstats_4582.html (last visited June 2013).
89. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nonimmigrant Admissions by Class of Admission and Country of Citizenship: Fiscal Year 2012 (Supplemental Table 1), available at http://www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics-2012-nonimmigrant-adm.... (September 2013). One single individual may be counted many times over in this total count because each admission is counted.
91. Telephone and email correspondence with Office of Immigration Statistics employees, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2011, 2013).
93. U.S. State Department, FY 1997-2012 NIV Detail Table.
94. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 Only) by Class of Admission and State or Territory of Destination: Fiscal Year 2012, available at http://www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics-2012-nonimmigrant-adm... (last visited September 2013).
95. Victor Cerda, DHS, ICE, Tracking International Students in Higher Education: A Progress Report, at 5, Testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, (Mar. 17, 2005), available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/library/speeches/cerda031705.pdf (last visited June 2013).
96. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Congressional Response Report: Compliance with Employment Evidence Requirements for F-1 Students, No. A-08-06-16075, p. 4 (July 2006), available at http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/A-08-06-16075.pdf.
97. Id. at p. A-1.
98. Institute of International Education, International Students by Academic Level, 1979-2012, Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (2012), available at http://www.iie.org/opendoors (last visited June 2013).
F-1 program regulations do not contain any significant worker protection rules. There is no specific wage to be paid, no work guarantee and no special remedies for students who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. The lack of regulatory rights for F-1 students may be due in part to the fact that work should be secondary to academics. Like any workers, though, F-1 students are protected by other federal or state employment statutes or common law rights that may apply, including but not limited to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, and state wage and hour and discrimination laws. Whether specific statutes or common law rights apply to any given worker will depend on the facts of each particular situation.
Given the lack of regulatory rights for F-1 workers, it is not surprising that there is not much of an enforcement scheme. While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security closely monitors the status and movements of F-1 students, the primary enforcement focus is to investigate student violators and prosecute visa fraud. Because there is no specific role for the U.S. Department of Labor in the application process, its enforcement authority with regard to F-1 is almost nonexistent. If there is any sort of discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may be able to pursue the case. State agencies customarily will have the authority to enforce any state laws that apply. To the extent that there is an employment contract or applicable federal or state statute allowing a private lawsuit, F-1 workers may enforce their rights in court, just like any other U.S. worker.
Because DHS’s overwhelmingly proportions its time and resources on investigating F-1 students in violation of their visa requirements, little effort is made to ensure that F-1 students who work are not being exploited on the job. While DHS regularly publishes its successes in deporting student status violators, there is simply not much information out there regarding F-1 student worker abuse. Several DHS enforcement actions have surrounded sham schools that charge foreign individuals money to enroll in school, help them get F-1 visas, approve work, and then never require attendance at classes. While each enforcement action has been slightly different, in many of these cases, school officials are indicted, sentenced to jail time, and forced to pay penalties to the U.S. government, but the student victims just get deported.
F-1 student workers themselves do not have the authority to enforce the scant F-1 regulations in court. However, to the extent that there is an enforceable employment contract, applicable federal or state statute, or common law claim, an F-1 student worker may file a lawsuit to enforce their rights and have their day in court in just like any other U.S. worker.
F-1 students have similar access to counsel issues as other groups of nonimmigrant workers in that lawyers may not be as willing to take their cases. However, because F-1 students are permitted to stay in the U.S. for the duration of their studies, their access to counsel issues are not as serious as their more temporary, transient counterparts in other visa programs such as H-2A, H-2B, and J-1.
106. 45 C.F.R. Part 1611 (Financial Eligibility) and Part 1626 (Restrictions on Legal Assistance to Aliens).
107. See, e.g., Legal Services Corporation Program Letter 05-2 (Oct. 6, 2005), available at http://www.lsc.gov/sites/default/files/Grants/pdfs/Progltr05-2.pdf.
Issues involved with the F-1 program involve the effect of student employment on U.S. workers and the fact that there are no remedies for students who are victims of visa fraud perpetrated by sham schools. Because there are no wage requirements for F-1 students who work and there is no labor market test, it creates a situation where overt discrimination against U.S. workers is possible. There have not been many studies of workers’ rights abuses in the F-1 program.
The F-1 program regulations contain few protections for U.S. workers. Regarding on-campus work, F-1 students may not displace U.S. workers.108 However, no federal agency is accountable to ensure this prohibition is enforced. The only other U.S. worker protections is that employment authorization for any F-1 students ceases whenever there is a labor dispute involving a work stoppage or strike at the same workplace.109 Even so, employers who hire F-1 students do not have to adhere to any labor market tests, wage standards or U.S. worker recruitment efforts.110 Economists have raised many concerns with the effect of OPT employment on U.S. labor market, including suppressing wages and even contributing to U.S. unemployment rates.
108. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(i).
109. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(14).
110. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, SEVP Policy Guidance: 0801-2, at 17 (Apr. 25, 2008) (suggesting that students may work as volunteers or unpaid interns, within legal limits), available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/opt_policy_guidance_04062009.pdf.
119. 8 C.F.R. § 214.3(j).
120. Agog Overseas, Work Study Visa, available at http://agogoverseas.com/USA/work-study-visa.html.
121. Compare 20 C.F.R. § 655.731(c)(9)(ii) (H-1B workers); 20 C.F.R. § 655.135(j) (H-2A workers); 20 C.F.R. § 655.22(j) (H-2B workers); and 22 C.F.R. § 62.32(l)(1)(iii) (while J-1 Summer Work Travel recruiters are now required to reveal the amount of recruitment fees, the State Department regulatory framework does not limit the fee amounts).
122. U.S. Department of State, ICE, SEVP Fact Sheet: Documents Accepted in Lieu of Accreditation, (May 10, 2006) available at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/In_lieu_of_accreditation_fs.pdf.

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 § 3121
 § 3306
 § 214
 § 214
 § 214
 § 655
 § 655
 § 655
 § 62