Emma is a 27-year-old Chinese national who is pregnant and living with her husband in New York. Emanuel, 23, lives in Virginia and is from Morocco. Peter, 31, moved from China in 2014. He resides in Houston, Texas.

Emma, Emanuel and Peter do not know each other, but they have one thing in common: Their international student immigration status is in jeopardy due to processing time delays in facilities overseen by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

At their request, VOA is only using pseudonyms.

These delays are affecting their ability to accept job offers because some employers are asking to see the receipt notice from their Optional Practical Training (OPT) application, which allows them to temporarily work in the country for up to a year in the field they studied.

The receipt notice is usually sent within weeks after initial intake at USCIS lockbox facilities. It is also the initial stage that takes place before any immigration petition can be reviewed and adjudicated by USCIS officers. Without it, the immigration agency is not able to find the applicant’s name or petition in their computerized record system.

“I'm just so stressed every day,” Emma told VOA. She graduated in 2020 with a master’s degree in engineering from New York University and sent her OPT application in October.

Ninety days before graduation, foreign students in the United States on F-1 visas can apply for the OPT.

“I felt relieved when I got a job offer. But because I don't even have a receipt number, and my employer doesn't really know what is going on, I just don't know how long I'm able to hold the offer,” she said.

VOA interviewed more than 10 students in the same situation and had access to chat rooms where hundreds more described reports of receipt notice delays at a Dallas USCIS lockbox facility. Because of their pending cases with USCIS, students requested that they remain anonymous or use pseudonyms.

Students with degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) and who have been previously approved for OPT may be eligible for a 24-month extension if they meet all requirements.

Those applying for extensions must file for work authorization within 90 days of the end of the first OPT.

According to Jessica Behm, an immigration lawyer in New York, if a student can continue working with the same employer, that person has a 180-day grace period and can work with an expired authorization card and an approved I-20 while waiting for his or her case to be adjudicated. The I-20 is a document issued by a U.S. government-approved institution showing the student has been admitted to a full-time study program and demonstrated sufficient financial resources to remain in the United States.

First-time applicants

But first-time OPT applicants like Emma, Peter, and Emanuel never had a work authorization card and do not have grace periods.

Peter, a post-doctoral student at Texas A&M University, said his application was delivered to the Dallas lockbox on October 28. He has not received a receipt notice.

“I just finished my PhD a few weeks back. I'm actually working on renewable energy, and I just got a job in Houston. … My employer is fully aware of what's going on. I'm very transparent with them,” he said.

Depending on where an international student temporarily resides in the U.S., his or her OPT application is sent to a lockbox facility in Phoenix, Arizona, or in Dallas, Texas.

Increase in applications

In fiscal 2020, USCIS lockbox facilities processed more than 9.5 million applications.

Diane Rish, associate director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told VOA that receipt notice delays are also impacting applicants across a range of visa categories.

Rish said the “uptick” in filings is likely due to an influx of adjustment of status applications and cases filed before a USCIS fee rule for applications was set to go into effect on October 2, 2020. A federal judge blocked the guideline, and the government dropped an appeal of the decision.

For international students, the number of applicants who have been affected by delays remains unclear.

Behm said one of her recommendations is for students to use certified mail so they get a firm receipt that the application was delivered to a lockbox in a timely manner.

In an email to VOA, a USCIS spokesperson said the setback in responses is due to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic and a recent increase in requests for immigration benefits.

On January 8, USCIS announced that federal workers are working extra hours and that the agency is “redistributing its workload in order to minimize delays.”

“USCIS is actively determining appropriate methods to minimize those delays while prioritizing the health and safety of the agency’s lockbox workforce,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Bourke said in a statement.

The immigration agency recommended that applicants submit forms online and create an online account to check the status of a case.

“Or attach a Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, to obtain receipt confirmation by email and/or text to help decrease relevant processing times,” Bourke said.

Peter said he filed the G-1145 form, but “I would only receive an e-notification when the lockbox enters my (OPT) case into the system.”

USCIS did not say what could happen to students who do not receive receipt notices in time to accept job offers.

For Peter, a gay Muslim, going back to China would mean hiding his religion and his sexuality.

“I've told my family not to disclose their religious beliefs. … For me, if I go home, I will have to hide multiple identities, like my sexuality and my religious beliefs, and that's really bad,” he said.

Failure to present a receipt notice also affects a student's ability to renew a driver's license in some U.S. states.

“That's another layer of complicating the overall situation. Many DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) locations will not renew your driver's license without receipt notices. So, it's a separate issue from work eligibility,” Behm said.

Emanuel, who studied business administration at Northern Virginia Community College, applied for OPT to get some work experience before transferring to George Mason University in Virginia.

Emanuel said the situation has caused stress and anxiety, but because his family has paid for his education, he would like to leave the U.S. with some work experience.

According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the organization is aware of the delays at the lockboxes and they are in contact with the USCIS ombudsman.

Students said they have reached out to members of the U.S Congress, along with the USCIS Ombudsman’s Office, and even started a petition regarding problems at the Dallas lockbox in Texas.

“We understand that there are delays, but at the same time, we need a word from someone. … My plans were to receive my bachelor's degree and from there, make a decision (to stay or go back to Morocco), which is probably 100% now I’d like to go back (home),” Emanuel said.

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.

Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.

Read the full story here. (December 2024)

Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health reaches out to international students by detailing the international student experience at the school.

Learn more about housing, life in Boston and more here.

China issued its first national action plan to build a "strong education nation" by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a "strong country."

The plan, issued Sunday by the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, aims to establish a "high quality education system" with accessibility and quality "among the best in the world."

The announcement was made after data on Friday showed China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.

High childcare and education costs have been a key factor for many young Chinese opting out of having children, at a time when many face uncertainty over their job prospects amid sluggish economic growth.

"By 2035, an education power will be built," the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that China would explore gradually expanding the scope of free education, increase "high-quality" undergraduate enrolment, expand postgraduate education, and raise the proportion of doctoral students.

The plan aims to promote "healthy growth and all-round development of students," making sure primary and secondary school students have at least two hours of physical activity daily, to effectively control the myopia, or nearsightedness, and obesity rates.

"Popularizing" mental health education and establishing a national student mental health monitoring and early warning system would also be implemented, it said.

It also aims to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas to improve the operating conditions of small-scale rural schools and improve the care system for children with disabilities and those belonging to agricultural migrant populations.

The plan also aims to steadily increase the supply of kindergarten places and the accessibility of preschool education.

The Open Notebook, a site focusing on educating journalists who cover science, has complied a list of U.S. graduate program financial aid information for international students.

Read it here.