Posted by: KnockKnock November 3, 2007
Login in to Rate this Post:
0 
? 
?
I am a student on an F1 Visa, attending a college here at Indiana. Recently my international student advisor got into fraud case for unnecessarily charging international student for paperworks that doesn't even exist and charging for unnecessary fees.
Well the drama doesn't end there cause because of his false advise now I am in trouble and the new person in charge is saying I have lost my F1 status and I have to leave the country within 15 days.
I came to this college 2 years ago, and was working in the college around 25 hrs per week during semester. The college was fine with it for a year. Then they send me a letter from human resources that I am not supposed to work more than 20 hrs. I went to the Human resources, and talked to the "immigration specialist", and he told me it's not a big deal and the information doesn't go out of the college so I don't have to worry about it. So I continued with my work and it was going oke...
During the Summer, I started working in the college for more than 40 hours. I assumed it would be oke, and if not I would be warned. But nothing happened for 2 month and so I didn't cared about it. Later, I was told I was violating the rules. So I quit my hours. But then my International Advisor charged me $100 to put me back in status (which he asked my in cash or cheque). Not knowing the rules and regulation, I paid him the $100 cash. and when I asked for the receipt, he told me I would get it later. But according to him I was back on status. In the mean time I got a offer for internship and got accepted. HE again (wrongly) charged me $100 for the CPT paper work, which was supposed to be free. So now since I had a work with the company, I was employed for 40 hrs. Now just to make things clear, I went and told my advisor that I am working 40 hrs in the company and if it is possible to work around 4 to 5 hours in college too. He told me he did my paperwork and it should be oke. Since he said it's oke I worked in the company and in the college both and my total hours per week was 45.
Summer was over and the college started and as I am in my final year. I only have 3 classes to graduate. Out of which I can only take 2 class this semester (cause of pre-requist requirement). My CPT is approved till end of this month. Now as I had enough time with only 2 classes to take. I was still working in the company for 40 hrs and worked around 10 to 12hrs in the college per week (on weekends). I was under the impression that I was taking a reduced course load (which is another story, cause I just came to know that we can take reduced course load only during final semester not the final year), and as I was on my CPT. It's oke to work more than 40 hrs, and as I had told my International advisor he seemed to be fine with it. My advisor told me unless the college doesn't have problem paying me overtime I should be fine with it.
Couple days ago they gave me a shock of my life, when they told me I am off status and they would send my paper work for deportation/reinstatment?
I told them it was not my fault as I was advised wrongly and since it's the middle of semester I will not be able to take 2 more class (for nothing, cause I don't even need them), as I am taking only 2 class this semester. They told me I am not able to work Anywhere, no college no company ( which is another problem, cause then I will have a hard time paying my bills ) for another 4 to 5 months.
It seems completely not fair, cause I made them aware of my working situation, and I was not given any warning/final warning. I was cheated for money which went to my advisor pocket. I was advised wrongly and now I can't work, take classes I don't need and get stressed out till I hear what the Immigration decides...
I am clueless with any options I have. I have been a hard working student with a GPA of 3.75, and now seems like all the hard work I put comes to nothing, but the laws that's dumb, not to understand the situation.
Recenetly I was reading the rules that the DSO should follow regarding on-campus employment. And to my knowledge our DSO didn't follow ANY rules. No proper counselling was given to us regarding work, they they not inform our supervisor regrading work authorization or hours we can work, they did not keep record our working hours, i was never told it would lead us to being off-status, etc..etc....
I blieve a part of the tuition I pay goes to the DSO, so that he/she can give us proper guidance and do his job. But he didn't, and now because of that I am in trouble. Can I file a lawsuit against the college. Cause seems like the college is trying to save their ***, by hiding the whole situation.
What is the process to hire a lawyer? Also I won't be able to spent too much on lawyer as my financial situation is not good...
Any help would be really appreciated.
Well the drama doesn't end there cause because of his false advise now I am in trouble and the new person in charge is saying I have lost my F1 status and I have to leave the country within 15 days.
I came to this college 2 years ago, and was working in the college around 25 hrs per week during semester. The college was fine with it for a year. Then they send me a letter from human resources that I am not supposed to work more than 20 hrs. I went to the Human resources, and talked to the "immigration specialist", and he told me it's not a big deal and the information doesn't go out of the college so I don't have to worry about it. So I continued with my work and it was going oke...
During the Summer, I started working in the college for more than 40 hours. I assumed it would be oke, and if not I would be warned. But nothing happened for 2 month and so I didn't cared about it. Later, I was told I was violating the rules. So I quit my hours. But then my International Advisor charged me $100 to put me back in status (which he asked my in cash or cheque). Not knowing the rules and regulation, I paid him the $100 cash. and when I asked for the receipt, he told me I would get it later. But according to him I was back on status. In the mean time I got a offer for internship and got accepted. HE again (wrongly) charged me $100 for the CPT paper work, which was supposed to be free. So now since I had a work with the company, I was employed for 40 hrs. Now just to make things clear, I went and told my advisor that I am working 40 hrs in the company and if it is possible to work around 4 to 5 hours in college too. He told me he did my paperwork and it should be oke. Since he said it's oke I worked in the company and in the college both and my total hours per week was 45.
Summer was over and the college started and as I am in my final year. I only have 3 classes to graduate. Out of which I can only take 2 class this semester (cause of pre-requist requirement). My CPT is approved till end of this month. Now as I had enough time with only 2 classes to take. I was still working in the company for 40 hrs and worked around 10 to 12hrs in the college per week (on weekends). I was under the impression that I was taking a reduced course load (which is another story, cause I just came to know that we can take reduced course load only during final semester not the final year), and as I was on my CPT. It's oke to work more than 40 hrs, and as I had told my International advisor he seemed to be fine with it. My advisor told me unless the college doesn't have problem paying me overtime I should be fine with it.
Couple days ago they gave me a shock of my life, when they told me I am off status and they would send my paper work for deportation/reinstatment?
I told them it was not my fault as I was advised wrongly and since it's the middle of semester I will not be able to take 2 more class (for nothing, cause I don't even need them), as I am taking only 2 class this semester. They told me I am not able to work Anywhere, no college no company ( which is another problem, cause then I will have a hard time paying my bills ) for another 4 to 5 months.
It seems completely not fair, cause I made them aware of my working situation, and I was not given any warning/final warning. I was cheated for money which went to my advisor pocket. I was advised wrongly and now I can't work, take classes I don't need and get stressed out till I hear what the Immigration decides...
I am clueless with any options I have. I have been a hard working student with a GPA of 3.75, and now seems like all the hard work I put comes to nothing, but the laws that's dumb, not to understand the situation.
Recenetly I was reading the rules that the DSO should follow regarding on-campus employment. And to my knowledge our DSO didn't follow ANY rules. No proper counselling was given to us regarding work, they they not inform our supervisor regrading work authorization or hours we can work, they did not keep record our working hours, i was never told it would lead us to being off-status, etc..etc....
I blieve a part of the tuition I pay goes to the DSO, so that he/she can give us proper guidance and do his job. But he didn't, and now because of that I am in trouble. Can I file a lawsuit against the college. Cause seems like the college is trying to save their ***, by hiding the whole situation.
What is the process to hire a lawyer? Also I won't be able to spent too much on lawyer as my financial situation is not good...
Any help would be really appreciated.