PLEASE NOTE: The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its COVID19 guidance on May 11, 2023, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health 
Emergency on May 11, 2023. As a result, all related statements, guidance and FAQs 
previously released by SEVP also terminated on May 11, 2023, and this content may 
be outdated. Learn more.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is working closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal, state and local agencies to facilitate a speedy, whole-of-government response in confronting the coronavirus (COVID-19), keeping everyone safe, and helping detect and slow the spread of the virus.

Updated ICE Guidance

In an effort to provide organized information, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has worked with ICE Office of Public Affairs to reorganize SEVP’s information on the ICE Guidance page to ensure that all SEVP stakeholders have the latest news and updates on COVID-19. Newly added features of this page include:

• SEVP COVID-19 Guidance Documents in one central place
• Time-Stamped FAQs

New Frequently Asked Questions

Due to the volume of questions received, answers to FAQs from SEVP stakeholders on the impact of COVID-19 on SEVP-certified schools and F and M students are documented in a PDF document on the ICE Guidance page. Common questions answered in the document include:

• Due to COVID-19, what is the requirement for students in Initial status who have already arrived in the United States?
• Does SEVP have any guidance for students who have been asked to move out of their university housing?
• Can students in transfer status who were supposed to start their program this spring but are unable to enter the United States defer their enrollment to summer or fall? Or, must they apply for an initial Form I-20? 

This list is regularly updated – please note the timestamp of the most recent document update.

New COVID-19 Resources Page

Visit the new Study in the States COVID-19 Resources page for information on and links to COVID-19 resources, including ICE guidance, Study in the States blog posts and resources from government partners.

SEVP continues to actively monitor COVID-19 and will provide up-to-date information with all stakeholders. Due to the fluid nature of this situation, please continue to reference ICE.gov/COVID19 for the latest news and updates.