July 22, 2021
USCIS Announces Applicants for Change of Status to F-1 Student No Longer Need to Submit Subsequent Applications to “Bridge the Gap”
Dear Stakeholder,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that applicants seeking a change of status to F-1 (student status) no longer need to apply to change or extend their initial nonimmigrant status to prevent a gap in status while their initial F-1 change of status application is pending.
Under the new policy, USCIS said it will grant the change of status to F-1 effective the day an applicant’s Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status is approved. F-1 students are no longer required to “bridge the gap” by continuously applying for and obtaining status all the way up to 30 days before their academic program start date, while their initial F-1 change of status application is pending. USCIS is in the process of revising the Form I-539 instructions to reflect these changes.
The CIS Ombudsman has recommended this policy change to USCIS through leadership discussions and informal recommendations. As such, our office commends USCIS for taking this step to reduce workload redundancies and minimize costs and other barriers that impede access to immigration benefits for international students.
More Information
Visit the USCIS Changing to a Nonimmigrant F or M Student Status webpage for more information.
The CIS Ombudsman is dedicated to assisting individuals and employers seeking to resolve problems with USCIS whenever possible. For more information on our office, please visit our website.
Please complete the CIS Ombudsman Customer Satisfaction Survey. We appreciate your feedback.
Helpful Resources
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.
This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security · www.dhs.gov · 202-282-8000