Greetings from UAW 5810’s International Scholars Working Group!
Share your experience with the USCIS to promote better processes
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is requesting input from the public on how it can reduce administrative and other barriers within its regulations and policies. As international scholars, many of us have interacted with USCIS, e.g. to apply for (STEM-)OPT, submit a request for Employment Authorization Documentation for a spouse, or when applying for permanent residency. We encourage you to submit a comment describing your personal experiences with the USCIS and how they could be improved; as an international scholar who has directly engaged with the USCIS, your feedback is valuable. You can submit a comment very easily online! We wrote step-by-step instructions, and some ideas for what to write about. Comments are due Wednesday May 19 at 9PM PT.
Advocating for Immigration Reform: get involved!
With a new administration in the White House, workers have a chance to make a difference in visa and immigration policy. Together with the UAW Western States Immigration Work Group, we’ve put together this platform for policy changes.
If you would like to help advocate for a better visa and immigration system in the US, please fill out this form. Organizers will provide you with the training and support you’ll need to help advocate for international scholar rights!
Working from abroad
Throughout the pandemic, UAW 5810 members have been organizing to ensure the rights of Postdocs and ARs are protected while working from abroad. Through collective action, grievances, and Unfair Labor Practice charges, UAW 5810 members pushed UC to fairly treat researchers unable to return to the US. Even with UC re-starting broad-scale in-person work and instruction, Postdocs and ARs residing abroad face travel restrictions, visa delays, and scarcity of vaccines in their home countries. If you have received instructions from your department to report in-person that might be unreasonable or unfair, please get in contact: internationalscholars@uaw5810.org.
In solidarity,
On behalf of UAW 5810’s International Scholars Working Group and UAW Western States Immigration Workgroup,
Charlie Smith, Assistant Project Scientist, UC Irvine
Mehmet Doǧan, Postdoc, UC Berkeley
Carmen Falcone, Postdoc, UC Davis