Get Out of Day-1 CPT Now

The Department of Homeland Security has finalized its regulation to eliminate Duration of Status (D/S) for final review and clearance. Above-all, the noose around Day-1 CPT will be cinched. Here's what you need to know: THE RULE New oversight on student visa programs—especially those offering Day 1 CPT—by requiring stronger proof that employment is truly integral to the academic program--and NOT primarily a workaround for work authorization. Schools will be penalized if their programs appear designed mainly to enable employment rather than education. Certainly it will shut down programs that don’t meet stricter academic legitimacy standards. To me, this means most of them. SPECIFICALLY: → No re-enrolling at the same or lower educational level in F-1. The "second master's to restart CPT" strategy is explicitly prohibited. → Grace period drops from 60 to 30 days after program completion. → The 4-year clock includes time already spent in F-1. Many students are closer to the wall than they think. → Unlawful presence now accrues automatically the day your fixed date expires — triggering potential 3 and 10-year bars. UOSHOT: Thousands of F-1 students annually who use Day-1 CPT programs to work legally full-time — and the employers who depend on them — will need a different path. Years ago, I dsicussed the shaky ground of Day-1 CPT programs. Too many law firms started recommending "cap-exempt H-1B Fellowships" as an alternative for companies to use when they want to retain top talent who lost the H-1B lottery. He's not worked for a while, but a new strategy will definitely be needed.