‘We’re not here to steal jobs’ — immigration agency’s delays jeopardize international students’ legal status

Ji Hyun came to the United States from South Korea to pursue her dream of becoming an intensive care unit nurse.

Now, she is one of many international students whose job prospects and legal immigration status are threatened by monthslong processing delays in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services facilities.

Ji Hyun graduated from nursing school in December and secured a job offer to work in the intensive care unit of a Georgia hospital. On Nov. 4, she mailed out an application for Optional Practical Training, a 12-month program that...