Are you an international student and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas? Are you concerned about the new visa rules?
As a GTA at the University of Kansas, you are a unit member of the Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition, a worker’s union formed in 1995 to advocate for our rights in the workplace. We are part of a larger of a larger union, the American Federation of Teachers, who has joined four colleges in a lawsuit to stop the implementation of new rules that will hurt international grad students and teachers. The new rules create a cruel game of “gotcha” where those on F-1 or J-1 visas could be deported and face multiyear bans from returning to the United States for minor violations of their complicated visa rules.
GTAC is committed to standing in solidarity with our workers who face additional barriers to a safe and secure workplace; please contact us if you are concerned that you may be impacted by these new rules or other threats related to immigration law so that we can connect you with our legal specialists in our Human Right Department at our national AFT headquarters.
In Solidarity,
Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition, AFT Local 6403
Frequently Asked Questions
Who will be impacted by this new visa policy?
This new policy affects international students who hold F-1, J-1, or M-1 visas.
What does the policy change?
The new rules create a cruel game of “gotcha” where we could be deported and face multiyear bans from returning to the United States for minor violations of complicated visa rules. These new rules do not require us to do anything differently, but they do impose a harsher penalty if we break any of the current requirements. Whereas before if we made a mistake, we would receive notice and have a hearing before our status would change and we would begin accruing any “unlawful presence,” now the “unlawful presence” will begin to accrue from the moment of the mistake.
What kinds of actions or inactions can trigger this new policy?
Any type of mistake can trigger this, including but not limited to a failure to update the designated school officer regarding a change to our information, including a change in address; working more than 20 hours per week on campus during a semester; having less than a full course load without obtaining an approved reduced course load first from International Student & Scholar Services; switching to a new research program without prior authorization; working at another location besides the primary site of activity; and not maintaining insurance throughout the duration of the J-1 exchange visitor program.
What are the consequences of this new policy change?
The consequence of accruing “unlawful presence” is a three year or ten year ban from traveling to the United States.
What are we doing about this new policy?
Our workers union, the American Federation of Teachers, is challenging these rules in federal court because we believe the rules were not issued properly and that they are unfair.
If we have questions or concerns, what can we do?
GTAC has made a commitment to our workers who face additional barriers to a safe and secure workplace at the University of Kansas; please let us know if you may be impacted by the new rules or other threats related to immigration law so that we can connect you with our legal specialists at AFT, or if you would like to be kept updated on this lawsuit.
If we have questions or concerns, what can we do?
Please contact Rose Welch by email at rwelch@aftks.org or by telephone at 785-640-4640 with any questions or concerns, or if you would like to be kept updated on this lawsuit.