Director's Corner

SEVP End-of-Year Reminders

As we come to the close of another calendar year, the pandemic continues to affect regular school operations across the country. We encourage you to continue consulting the SEVP COVID-19 FAQ page for updates from the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and the most recent information about the pandemic’s impact on international students. We are monitoring developments around the new COVID-19 variant and will provide notification of any potential impacts to current SEVP operations.

With both the holiday season and end-of-semester finals coming up, it can be a busy time of year; I want to share a few things to keep in mind as we head into 2022. If students plan to travel for the winter break, please share this resource page with guidance and reminders about traveling as an international student to ensure smooth reentry to the United States. The U.S. Department of State also provides the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 travel restrictions and requirements for those entering the U.S.

I also want to share a few new reminders and resources from SEVP. In November, SEVP published guidance to allow for the use of electronic signatures and transmission of the Form I-20, “Certification of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” Please refer to the published guidance for more details about our new policy. In addition, please remember to ensure that F-1 students applying for optional practical training (OPT) authorization with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) do so in the correct time window. USCIS provides additional information about the application process, in addition to the resources available on Study in the States. Lastly, the annual verification period for designated school officials is now open! Please remember to complete your annual verification before the deadline on March 2, 2022.

For the most-up-to date information and resources from SEVP, remember to visit the Study in the States website. Also, be sure to follow SEVP’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for the latest news impacting the international education community.

Finally, I want to thank you all for your hard work over the last 12 months. Despite the abnormal year we’ve experienced, your dedication and resolve through it all have been much appreciated. From all of us here at the SEVP, we wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Respectfully,

Rachel Canty