Vladimir Egorin

Hello All,

does anyone know what is the role of NAFSA regional representatives?
I am in the process of tranferring the status from H-1B to F-1,
and the case is very complicated, partially due to an error
in the paperwork that the International Office in my university
made. I've contacted NAFSA's regional rep., and he said he
can help to solve the problem with the individual cases as
long as the International Office is willing to forward him the
paperwork. My International Office said NAFSA only acts as
an institutional representative, and has refused to release
any papers. They've also refused any further help in this
matter, and have been very uncooperative in general.
Who are the International Offices reporting to?

Thanks,
--
Vladimir

Sylvia Ottemoeller

"Vladimir Egorin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > does anyone know what is the role of NAFSA regional representatives?

It is a purely advisory role.

    > I am in the process of tranferring the status from H-1B to F-1,
    > and the case is very complicated, partially due to an error
    > in the paperwork that the International Office in my university
    > made. I've contacted NAFSA's regional rep., and he said he
    > can help to solve the problem with the individual cases as
    > long as the International Office is willing to forward him the
    > paperwork. My International Office said NAFSA only acts as
    > an institutional representative, and has refused to release
    > any papers. They've also refused any further help in this
    > matter, and have been very uncooperative in general.
    > Who are the International Offices reporting to?

An international office in a university reports to a higher level of
administration, quite often someone like the Vice Chancellor for Student
Affairs. Ultimately, the reporting line goes to the Chancellor or President
of the university.

I would suggest you start working your way up the line of reporting.

Another thing you can do is to hire a good immigration attorney. You have a
right to copies of the official papers which were issued for you, and you
can probably get those by exercising your rights under various state and
federal privacy acts. Also, anything the international office did wrong can
be reported to SEVIS (part of the government), but you should be careful
about using this route.

Vladimir Egorin

On 2003-12-23, Sylvia Ottemoeller <[email protected]> wrote:
    > "Vladimir Egorin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> does anyone know what is the role of NAFSA regional representatives?
    > It is a purely advisory role.
    >> I am in the process of tranferring the status from H-1B to F-1,
    >> and the case is very complicated, partially due to an error
    >> in the paperwork that the International Office in my university
    >> made. I've contacted NAFSA's regional rep., and he said he
    >> can help to solve the problem with the individual cases as
    >> long as the International Office is willing to forward him the
    >> paperwork. My International Office said NAFSA only acts as
    >> an institutional representative, and has refused to release
    >> any papers. They've also refused any further help in this
    >> matter, and have been very uncooperative in general.
    >> Who are the International Offices reporting to?
    > An international office in a university reports to a higher level of
    > administration, quite often someone like the Vice Chancellor for Student
    > Affairs. Ultimately, the reporting line goes to the Chancellor or President
    > of the university.
    > I would suggest you start working your way up the line of reporting.
    > Another thing you can do is to hire a good immigration attorney. You have a
    > right to copies of the official papers which were issued for you, and you
    > can probably get those by exercising your rights under various state and
    > federal privacy acts. Also, anything the international office did wrong can
    > be reported to SEVIS (part of the government), but you should be careful
    > about using this route.

Sylvia,
thank you very much for the answer.
--
Vladimir

Vladimir Egorin

On 2003-12-23, Sylvia Ottemoeller <[email protected]> wrote:
    > "Vladimir Egorin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> does anyone know what is the role of NAFSA regional representatives?
    > It is a purely advisory role.
    >> I am in the process of tranferring the status from H-1B to F-1,
    >> and the case is very complicated, partially due to an error
    >> in the paperwork that the International Office in my university
    >> made. I've contacted NAFSA's regional rep., and he said he
    >> can help to solve the problem with the individual cases as
    >> long as the International Office is willing to forward him the
    >> paperwork. My International Office said NAFSA only acts as
    >> an institutional representative, and has refused to release
    >> any papers. They've also refused any further help in this
    >> matter, and have been very uncooperative in general.
    >> Who are the International Offices reporting to?
    > An international office in a university reports to a higher level of
    > administration, quite often someone like the Vice Chancellor for Student
    > Affairs. Ultimately, the reporting line goes to the Chancellor or President
    > of the university.
    > I would suggest you start working your way up the line of reporting.
    > Another thing you can do is to hire a good immigration attorney. You have a
    > right to copies of the official papers which were issued for you, and you
    > can probably get those by exercising your rights under various state and
    > federal privacy acts. Also, anything the international office did wrong can
    > be reported to SEVIS (part of the government), but you should be careful
    > about using this route.

Sylvia,
would you mind if I asked you a followup question. I have been
trying to resolve the problem with INS through a Senator's
office, and they've had some good news for me today. My first
status transfer request has been originally denied, and then
the Motion to Reconsider request has been messed up by a mistake
that the International Office made. Now the senator's aide
told me to simply resubmit all the paperwork through the
senator's office. The problem is that INS is asking for a
current I-20; and the International office has refused to issue
it because the original status transfer request has been denied
by INS. I don't really know what to do about this.
Thank you,
--
Vladimir

Sylvia Ottemoeller

"Vladimir Egorin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > On 2003-12-23, Sylvia Ottemoeller <[email protected]> wrote:

    > > "Vladimir Egorin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...

    > >> does anyone know what is the role of NAFSA regional representatives?

    > > It is a purely advisory role.

    > >> I am in the process of tranferring the status from H-1B to F-1,
    > >> and the case is very complicated, partially due to an error
    > >> in the paperwork that the International Office in my university
    > >> made. I've contacted NAFSA's regional rep., and he said he
    > >> can help to solve the problem with the individual cases as
    > >> long as the International Office is willing to forward him the
    > >> paperwork. My International Office said NAFSA only acts as
    > >> an institutional representative, and has refused to release
    > >> any papers. They've also refused any further help in this
    > >> matter, and have been very uncooperative in general.
    > >> Who are the International Offices reporting to?

    > > An international office in a university reports to a higher level of
    > > administration, quite often someone like the Vice Chancellor for Student
    > > Affairs. Ultimately, the reporting line goes to the Chancellor or
President
    > > of the university.
    > >
    > > I would suggest you start working your way up the line of reporting.
    > >
    > > Another thing you can do is to hire a good immigration attorney. You
have a
    > > right to copies of the official papers which were issued for you, and
you
    > > can probably get those by exercising your rights under various state and
    > > federal privacy acts. Also, anything the international office did wrong
can
    > > be reported to SEVIS (part of the government), but you should be careful
    > > about using this route.
    > Sylvia,
    > would you mind if I asked you a followup question. I have been
    > trying to resolve the problem with INS through a Senator's
    > office, and they've had some good news for me today. My first
    > status transfer request has been originally denied, and then
    > the Motion to Reconsider request has been messed up by a mistake
    > that the International Office made. Now the senator's aide
    > told me to simply resubmit all the paperwork through the
    > senator's office. The problem is that INS is asking for a
    > current I-20; and the International office has refused to issue
    > it because the original status transfer request has been denied
    > by INS. I don't really know what to do about this.

I think the international office (designated school official) is incorrect
in refusing to issue another I-20. All that I-20 does is certify that you
are eligible for F-1 status (that is, that you have been admitted to the
school and you have sufficient funding), it does not confer the status on
you. The decision about conferral is up to USCIS. The I-539 denial (if
that is what it was) does not prevent the issuance of another I-20. For all
the international office knows, you could have cured the reasons that caused
the original denial.

Unless there is something else going on here, like evidence of fraud, the
international office does not really have a basis to deny your request.

You should start pushing them. Hire an attorney if you can, and get all the
information together that you can, and write a letter to the Director of the
International Office. You should also include a letter of support from your
adviser in the admitting department, if you have one.

Give the Director a few days, and if there is no satifactory answer, write
and deliver a letter to that Director's boss, who is probably something like
an Assistanct Vice Chancellor. That should wake them up.

Vladimir Egorin

On 2003-12-23, Sylvia Ottemoeller <[email protected]> wrote:
    > I think the international office (designated school official) is incorrect
    > in refusing to issue another I-20. All that I-20 does is certify that you
    > are eligible for F-1 status (that is, that you have been admitted to the
    > school and you have sufficient funding), it does not confer the status on
    > you. The decision about conferral is up to USCIS. The I-539 denial (if
    > that is what it was) does not prevent the issuance of another I-20. For all
    > the international office knows, you could have cured the reasons that caused
    > the original denial.
    > Unless there is something else going on here, like evidence of fraud, the
    > international office does not really have a basis to deny your request.
    > You should start pushing them. Hire an attorney if you can, and get all the
    > information together that you can, and write a letter to the Director of the
    > International Office. You should also include a letter of support from your
    > adviser in the admitting department, if you have one.
    > Give the Director a few days, and if there is no satifactory answer, write
    > and deliver a letter to that Director's boss, who is probably something like
    > an Assistanct Vice Chancellor. That should wake them up.

Sylvia,
thank you very much, appreciate your kind help.
--
Vladimir