IInterns at Bioconn

ATI offers an all-expenses paid trip to India for its Fellows, who also get a stipend from the company.

IInterns at Bioconn the first year of the ATI programme, four Stanford students interned at two companies, Planetasia, an Internet technologies and services company, and Kshema Technologies, a software solutions company.

"I plan to come back to India in a few years so I wanted to experience the corporate environment here," says Minal Mehta, a 1999 ATI Fellow who interned at Planetasia.

ATI fellows

Stanford has instituted the Stanford Asia Technology Initiative, a programme that seeks to foster entrepreneurship by offering students a chance to work in a real world venture in Asia. The Stanford ATI programme offers placements in Bangalore, Tokyo and Shanghai.

This year, four Stanford ATI fellows -- Sujey is one of them -- interned with Bangalore-based companies like TCS, Biocon and Infosys.

Kapil Vishwananthan, a Stanford alumnus who helped start the ATI programme, says Bangalore was added to the Asian hotspots list in 1999.

The USCIS,

The USCIS, which has received three times more applications than the quota, will now select applicants through a random selection process. It will first conduct the selection for 'advanced degree' exemption petitions; those who do not make that cut will get a second shot, as part of the random selection process for the 65,000 visas.

To be eligible for an OPT extension,

To be eligible for an OPT extension, an F-1 non-immigrant student must:
~ Currently be participating in a 12-month period of approved post-completion OPT
~ Have successfully completed a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) included in the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List from a college or university certified by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitor Program
~ Be working for a US employer in a job directly related to the student's major area of study
~ Be working for, or have accepted employment with, an employer enrolled in the US Citizenship and Immigration Services' E-Verify programme
~ Properly maintain F-1 status

students graduating in spring

Prior to the extension, students graduating in spring could not apply for the H1-B visa, as applications were closed April 7. They do not have the facility of remaining in the US and applying next year either, because by then the OPT's 12-month deadline would have passed.

The 17-month extension allows US employers to hire spring graduates and keep them in America until their H-1B visas become effective. The new rule also automatically extends the period of stay and work authorisation for all F-1 students with pending H-1B petitions. The rule will also implement certain programme changes, including allowing students to apply for OPT within 60 days of graduation

Additional 17 months to students

"This rule will enable businesses to attract and retain highly skilled foreign workers, giving US companies a competitive advantage in the world economy," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

"By extending the training period by an additional 17 months to students who are employed by businesses enrolled in E-Verify, we are further ensuring a legal workforce in the US and aiding good corporate citizens."

The extension is available only to F-1 students

The extension is available only to F-1 students with a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), who are employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify programme.

E-Verify is a free, Internet-based system operated in partnership with the Social Security Administration, which helps employers determine the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees.

The OPT

The OPT -- a temporary employment authorisation that gives F-1 students an opportunity to get practical work experience -- at present has a limit of 12 months; the extension is being hailed as a victory, however small, for companies including Microsoft and Oracle which had complained of the non-availability of H1-B visas. Compete America, a coalition of corporations, research institutions and trade associations, has welcomed the extension.

The House Education

The House Education & Labor committee recently unanimously passed the College Affordability & Opportunity Act (a.k.a. HEA Reauthorization) onto the House floor. We are expecting a vote on it very soon.

But as we wind down towards the holidays, Congress is out of DC and in your neighborhood! Your Representatives will be in-district until the 3rd of December. This gives you a perfect chance to meet with your Representatives face-to-face. Schedule in-district lobby visits and tell them how YOU are directly affected by the issues. Most legislators don't get the chance to hear students' stories directly so take advantage of this time.

USSA has been there advocating

USSA has been there advocating for students every step of the way. At every hearing, committee meeting, back-room negotiation and late night debates we were there making sure the student voice was heard and your presence was felt. So much so that, last night on the floor of the Senate, Congressional leaders thanked USSA and students across the country for our work!
Our work is not done, with a national election that has seen the highest voter turn-out of young people in decades, we have the opportunity to win more victories for students than ever before.
In fact, this week at USSA's 61st National Student Congress, students will come together to discuss and strategize for the coming year. We must unify our vision for higher education and set the tone for a new Presidential Administration

This is an incredible

This is an incredible moment for young Americans. This primary season, young voters are turning out in record numbers, doubling, tripling and quadrupling records set in 2004 & 2006. This progress is the result of the United States Student Association, fellow youth organizations, and the very hard work students are doing on their campus to engage the student body in the civic process.