On August 19, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it no longer recognizes the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency. The loss of recognition means that colleges and universities solely accredited by ACICS are no longer accredited institutions for purposes of certain immigration programs.
ACICS’s loss of recognition primarily affects two immigration-related student programs, including English language study programs and F-1 students applying for 24-month science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) optional practical training extensions.
For F-1 students in English language study programs, regulations require the programs to be accredited under the Accreditation of English Language Training Programs Act. If the program was solely accredited by ACICS, the program may no longer comply with regulations.
For F-1 students seeking the 24-month STEM OPT extension, regulations require them to use a degree from an accredited, Student and Exchange Visitor Program certified school, and the school must be accredited at the time of the application. SEVP will provide guidance to affected students in notification letters if their schools’ certification is withdrawn. However, students enrolled at an ACICS-accredited school should contact their DSOs immediately to better understand if and how the loss of recognized accreditation will affect their status and/or immigration benefits applications.
The loss of recognition means that colleges and universities solely accredited by ACICS are no longer accredited institutions and any degrees conferred by those schools on or after August 19, 2022, will no longer qualify as a U.S. degree in terms of qualifying for the H-1B advanced degree exemption (also known as the master’s cap) or the H-1B beneficiary requirements. For beneficiaries who hold affected degrees, the loss of recognition also affects those I-140 petitions filed under the advanced degree and professional classifications where the beneficiary’s educational credentials must be a U.S. degree or foreign equivalent degree. Note that a degree conferred by impacted colleges and universities before August 19, 2022, while the college or university was accredited, is generally considered to be a degree from an accredited institution, and can be used to qualify.