International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

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The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office is committed to assisting international students, faculty and scholars in accomplishing their academic, personal and professional objectives through advising, providing immigration services, promoting cross-cultural opportunities and offering specific programs and services to our international population.

The mission of International Student and Scholar Services is to facilitate compliance with federal regulations that govern the immigration status of international students, faculty and scholars at Stevens, enhancing their experience while facilitating their academic and cultural pursuits.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates for Stevens International Students

As per Stevens Institute of Technology's announcement on December 10th, 2020, ISSS is offering virtual services and assistance during this time. In place of telephone operations for front desk assistance for general inquiries, ISSS is using Zoom Monday - Friday from 9 AM – 12 PM and from 1 PM - 5 PM. For students who wish to speak with an advisor, ISSS offers Advising Hours. Links for the Zoom Front Desk and Virtual Advising Hours, including times and dates, can be found on ISSS Virtual Assistance page. Requests for I-20s will be sent via email (where permitted) or via mailing services upon request. ISSS continues to utilize email assistance Monday through Friday 9 AM – 5 PM; for Immigration Questions and Concerns use [email protected] and for Application Submission use [email protected].

For additional information visit the Virtual Assistance page or access below the Zoom Front Desk Assistant and the Virtual Advising Hours Calendar.

ENTER ZOOM FRONT DESK ASSISTANCE HERE REQUEST A TIME SLOT FOR VIRTUAL ADVISING HOURS

Please note additional reminders & updates below:

ISSS COVID-19 SCAM ALERTS J-1 COVID-19 REMINDERS & UPDATES

Summer 2021 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Continuing Undergraduate and Graduate Students Incoming (Initial) Graduate Students Incoming (Initial) Undergraduate Students

FAQs: Continuing Undergraduate & Graduate Students

Stevens had previously made the determination that the summer semester would operate in a hybrid format, StevensFlex, offering a significant number of courses in the hybrid format. At this time, Stevens is anticipating a return to in-person courses for the fall semester. Therefore, students are expected to return to the U.S. for the fall semester to continue to engage in their coursework.

For students that began their studies in person at Stevens in Spring 2021 semester or earlier, summer is a regular vacation period. Continuing students are permitted to take classes over the summer, either online or in hybrid format. Since summer is not a required term for continuing students, even students taking a full-time course load for the summer will not be able to count summer enrollment for OPT/CPT one academic year eligibility.

SEVP has not released official guidance for the summer 2021 or fall 2021 semesters. When SEVP releases official guidance, we will update all students.

For students that began their studies in person at Stevens in Spring 2021 semester or earlier, summer is a regular vacation period. Students are permitted to take classes over the summer, either online or in hybrid format. Since summer is not a required term for continuing students, even students taking a full-time course load for the summer will not be able to count summer enrollment for OPT/CPT one academic year eligibility.
An AEW can “reset” the clock for being enrolled in two semesters upon return to continue your studies. This is because once you decide to return to continue your studies in person, you will come back on a new initial I-20. In order to qualify for OPT or CPT, you need to complete 2 semesters on the new SEVIS record. For example, you decide over the summer to take an AEW for the fall 2021 semester and return to the U.S. to resume studies in spring 2022, you will have only completed one semester on the new record and will not be eligible do a CPT experience in summer 2022. Since fall 2022 would be the second semester, you still would not qualify for CPT. You would be permitted to apply for OPT in the fall 2022 semester, your second semester of enrollment on the new SEVIS record.

IMPORTANT: If you only have 9 or less credits remaining in your degree program, then when you return to Stevens, you will not be eligible for OPT, since you only need one more semester to complete your program and you will have not met the 2 semester requirement for OPT recommendation.
If you take the AEW, then you will need to contact us at least 60 days prior to the start of the semester in which you wish to return so we can start the I-20 process. In order to be issued a new I-20, please follow the instructions on the I-20 Request Form (Type of I-20 You Are Requesting: Returning from a Leave of Absence). You will have to submit financial documentation again that shows that you can continue for another year. If you have less than one year remaining, you will only need to show funding for that one semester.

You will need to pay the SEVIS fee again. To determine if you need a new visa, visit this webpage.

To see how this impacts your OPT and CPT, please see the question, “How does taking an Authorized Early Withdrawal (AEW) affect my OPT and CPT?”

PLEASE NOTE: At this time, SEVP has not addressed whether, due to COVID-19, students can “reactivate” their previous SEVIS record to allow students to return on their previous SEVIS record. If this is possible, then students may still be eligible for OPT and CPT upon return to campus in a future term, since the two-semester clock will not reset. Since there has been no guidance on this and no decision has been made, students must operate and make decisions based on the current AEW rules which state that students outside the U.S. for more than 5 months must return on a new initial I-20 record.
ISSS is still waiting on guidance from DHS regarding fall accommodations due to COVID-19. However, at this time Stevens is anticipating a return to in-person courses for the fall semester. Therefore, students are expected to return to the U.S. for the fall semester to continue to engage in their coursework. Any student not able to return may need to take an Authorized Early Withdrawal. Once we have updated guidance from DHS and confirmed plans for the fall semester, ISSS will be able to better advise students who may not be able to return.
Students will need to submit a Reduced Course Load (RCL) form by the add/drop period if you have less than a full-time course load to complete. ISSS does not review these forms until after the add/drop period.

Under normal circumstances, students that have one class to complete in their final semester had to enroll in the on-campus section of that course. With the expectation that Stevens will be operating in a more in-person basis this fall, students should enroll in an on-campus course for the fall.
With the expectation that Stevens will be operating in a more in-person basis this fall, students should enroll in an on-campus course for the fall. Students that decide they want to remain home, may need to take an Authorized Early Withdrawal so ISSS can close your SEVIS record. This would only impact your SEVIS record, not your ability to finish your degree at home. Students that need to take an Authorized Early Withdrawal will not be able to apply for OPT. Once we have updated guidance from DHS and confirmed plans for the fall semester, ISSS will be able to better advise students who may not be able to return.
All continuing international students that were in F-1 status in March 2020 can engage in their studies in a complete online format for the summer 2021 semester without impacting their immigration record. Students will still need to register for the minimum number of credits (9 credits for graduate, 12 for undergraduate) in order to maintain their F-1 status and allow ISSS to keep your SEVIS record active for the summer 2021 semester.

If summer is your final semester and you have less than a full-time course load remaining (9 credits for graduate, 12 for undergraduate). You will need to submit a Reduced Course Load (RCL) form.

Students completing their studies in summer 2021 that are not currently in the U.S. will need to enter the U.S. prior to the last day of the summer term, August 25, in order to apply for OPT.

Students that wish to complete their degree in the summer but were not in F-1 status in March 2020 must take a minimum of one hybrid course in order to comply with DHS regulations.

FAQs: Incoming (Initial) Graduate Students

It is important to note that the DHS’ recent guidance only concerns international students who will be entering the United States in F-1 student status for their studies. These rules do not apply to international students who will be taking classes from outside of the United States.

Please make sure you confirm your intention to arrive in person for the Summer 2021 semester with Graduate Admissions. Once this has been updated, ISSS will issue a new Form I-20 with the updated start date. This updated I-20 will be sent to your personal email address provided on admission application. Carefully review your Form I-20 and ensure that the information reflected is correct. Remember to print your Form I-20 and then sign and date the I-20 on the bottom of the first page.
Students that are starting their in-person studies during the summer 2021 semester in the hybrid format, are required to enroll in a full-time course load (9 credits for graduates, 12 credits for undergraduates). Since students beginning in the summer semester are required to enroll full-time, they will meet the requirements of counting the summer 2021 semester in the U.S. toward their OPT and CPT eligibility. Students that begin their studies in the summer 2021 semester will be eligible for OPT/CPT in the spring 2022 semester.
Students who select the option to begin their studies in summer 2021 semester, but are not able to do so, can continue courses remotely from their home country, but F-1 status will not begin until you enter the U.S. to begin classes in the following semester (fall 2021). You will be issued a new I-20 with a future term start date. Please note, in some cases updated financial documentation may be requested to issue an I-20 for the new term.

To see how this impacts your OPT and CPT, please see the question, “How does starting my courses online affect my OPT and CPT?”
An incoming international student who has not secured a valid visa or does not enter the U.S. is not subject to U.S. immigration law and thus may take a full set of online classes while residing abroad. Students will be reissued a new I-20 for a future semester in order to enter the U.S. for that intended semester. Please note, in some cases updated financial documentation may be requested to issue an I-20 for the new term.

To see how this impacts your OPT and CPT, please see the question, “How does starting my courses online affect my OPT and CPT?”
As U.S Federal Regulations have not been changed, you must begin your program at Stevens within 5 months of completing your program of study at your current school, or within 5 months of ending your authorized post-OPT period or within 5 months of your transfer release date, whichever is earlier.

If you are not able to defer or delay your start date to the fall 2021 semester (August 30, 2021) because it does not met the 5 month requirement, you need to report to Stevens in person by May 20, 2021 and maintain your full-time enrollment by enrolling in a full courseload as required for F-1 students.

If you decide that you do not want to take any courses in the summer 2021, then you will be eligible only for an “Initial” I-20 Form for a future semester, unless end of your current program or transfer release date within 5 months of the start date of the next semester start date. This means that if you are in the U.S. and do not want to take any courses for the summer 2021 semester, you will need to depart the U.S. Your transfer I-20 will be invalid, and you will be issued a new initial I-20 for a future semester. Please note, in some cases updated financial documentation may be requested to issue an I-20 for the new term.

To see how this impacts your OPT and CPT, please see the question, “How does starting my courses online affect my OPT and CPT?”
Current guidance pertaining to F-1 students permit transfer students to engage in online classes if they were in F-1 status in March 2020 and

They are and will continue to be in the U.S.

Enroll full-time (at least 9 credits for graduate students)

Immigration Check-in procedures are completed by the initial session date listed on the I-20 with a U.S. Residence address and contact information.

Transfer students that wish to begin their program at Stevens completely online this summer, but do not wish to remain in the U.S. will need to depart the U.S. and their current SEVIS record will be terminated. An “initial” I-20 will need to be issued to return to the U.S. for the next available semester. Please note, in some cases updated financial documentation may be requested to issue an I-20 for the new term.
If you decide that you want to take all your courses online for summer 2021 while outside of the U.S., then you will be eligible only for an “Initial” I-20 Form for a future term, unless the end of your current program or transfer release date is within 5 months of the start date of the next term. This means that if you will need to remain outside the U.S. to take the online courses for the spring semester. Your transfer I-20 will be invalid, and you will be issued a new initial I-20 for a future semester. If you have an unexpired F-1 visa in your possession, you may attempt to enter the U.S. using the valid F-1 visa along with the new I-20s.

To see how this impacts your OPT and CPT, please see the question, “How does starting my courses online affect my OPT and CPT?”
Per the F-1 regulations, an F-1 student must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis in Stevens for one full academic year (two consecutive semesters) to be eligible for CPT and OPT. For example, you decided to start your degree online in the summer 2021 semester and come to the U.S. to begin studies in fall 2021. You will have only completed one semester in F-1 status in the US and will not be eligible to do a CPT until summer 2022. However, the F-1 regulations state that exceptions to the one academic year requirements are provided for students enrolled in graduate studies that require immediate participation in CPT such as Stevens Co-Op program and special academic experiential learning program. You would be permitted to apply for OPT in the spring 2022 semester, if you have completed your degree requirements at that time, as that would be your second semester of enrollment.

Transfer students beginning this summer 2021 semester who will remain in the U.S. engaging in online or hybrid courses will be in F-1 status and the summer 2021 semester will count toward OPT/CPT.

Contact ISSS

Email Assistance: [email protected]

Application Submission: [email protected]

New and Recently Admitted International Students: [email protected]

Meet Our Staff

Lauren Berlamino, Assistant Director
School of Business

Nicole Burlinson, International Services & Program Assistant

Katerina Holubova, Advisor
Computer Science

Alyssa Morga, Data Manager

Karine Nanagoulian, Senior Advisor

Nilyufer Namazova, Advisor
Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, Physics

Tina Song, Coordinator

Brittany Then, Advisor
School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE), College of Arts and Letters (CAL), Mechanical Engineering

Jean Lee, Director
Employment Based Petitions: O-1, H-1B, TN, Legal Permanent Resident (This applies only to employment at Stevens. Inquiries concerning petitions filed by employers other than Stevens should be directed to the employer filing the petition)

Announcements

Virtual Front Desk & Advising…

ISSS is now offering Front Desk Assistance and Advising Hours via Zoom.

Learn More

COVID-19 Specific SCAM Alert

During this time, it is important to not fall victim to COVID-19 related scam calls.

Learn More

Travel Advisory Alert

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the travel ban for nationals from North Korea, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Venezuela, which has been in effect since December…

Important Scam Alert

Please be aware and cautious of “scam calls.” A scam call is a malicious call with the intention of illegally acquiring money or personal information from you…

ISSS Processing Time

Due to an increasingly large volume of applications, the ISSS current processing time for all F-1 and J-1 applications is at least 10 business days

USCIS Policy Memorandum

On May 10, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum...