Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched the first phase of its Electronic Immigration System, known as USCIS ELIS. The system has been created to enable immigration benefit seekers and legal representatives to create an account to file for benefits online.
Who is eligible to file online?
In this first phase, individuals can establish a USCIS ELIS account and apply online to extend or change their non-immigrant status for certain visa types, or file Form I-539. Eligible individuals include foreign citizens who have traveled to the US temporarily to study, conduct business, receive medical treatment, or visit on vacation. You can use USCIS ELIS to extend your status if you are a B-1, B-2, F-1, M-1 or M-2; change your status if want to become a B-1, B-2, F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2, M-1 or M-2; or reinstate your status if you were a F-1 or M-1.
If you are a student on F-1 visa...
Students on F-1 visa may have a date-specific visa, which means there is a completion date and a start date to their course of study. These students are eligible to file and extend their status on USCIS ELIS.
If you are a student and admitted for duration of status, then you should contact your Designated School Official (DSO) to extend your student status. Your I-94 will give the end date as D/S, in which case you cannot change your status on USCIS ELIS.
If you are a student on an M-1 visa, you cannot change your status to an F-1 visa.
If you want to reinstate status, and you were an F-1 or M-1 visa holder, then both you and your spouse can reinstate status on USCIS ELIS, provided you are not subject to any immigration bars and have not overstayed your visa. In other words, you can only reinstate your status if you meet the F-1 criteria for eligibility status under the applicable sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Why use USCIS ELIS?
According to USCIS, this online account will allow you to interact with USCIS; receive email and text notifications; obtain information in real-time; submit electronic evidence; use a US credit card; be represented by an attorney or accredited representative; be assisted by an online setup assistant; and obtain real-time case status information.
To create an account: Log onto http://www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis, enter your email, choose a password, answer personal identity questions, and obtain a secure pin number.
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