Dear Future Student

Greetings from the Office of International Affairs at The Ohio State University. Although the university still has to decide whether classes will be taken in-person during autumn 2020, the Office of International Affairs will conduct international student orientation and mandatory immigration check-in virtually.

Over the next few months we will send you weekly emails to help you plan for beginning your academic journey at Ohio State. The emails will also be archived online.

In the meantime, please explore our website, and you are always welcome to email us at iss@osu.edu.

The university has a COVID-19 transition task force which is deciding on on-campus operations in coordination with city, state and federal guidance. The current tentative goal is to have an announcement of plans for the autumn semester by mid-June.

In the event that classes will be conducted in person, international students can only enter the United States a maximum of 30 days prior to the reporting date on your Initial Form I-20 or DS-2019. We recommend that you arrive at least 2-3 weeks before classes start on Tuesday, August 25. Please continue to monitor information and updates on travel restrictions.

If classes are offered only online for autumn semester, be aware that due to U.S. governmental restrictions on online coursework for international students, new students who would be entering the United States on an initial F-1 or J-1 SEVIS record would not be permitted to travel to the United States to take classes.

In this case you could take coursework online in your home country, but could not travel to Columbus from your home country. Students in this situation would need to work with the university to receive an updated I-20 with a deferred start date for spring semester 2021. Graduate students should also monitor updates from their college for specific guidance on program requirements.

However, students transferring their SEVIS record from another U.S. school, without leaving the United States before autumn semester, would be permitted to travel domestically to Columbus and enroll full time in all online coursework.

International students are required to attend both immigration check-in and orientation to complete your enrollment requirements.

You will register for an immigration check-in virtual appointment to review your immigration documents, discuss important immigration regulations and answer any questions you may have. Appointments will be conducted via CarmenZoom, Ohio State's academic audio and web conferencing solution. Failure to complete immigration check-in can result in termination of your immigration status. Registration for immigration check-in appointments will open in early July.

Orientation will take place virtually through CarmenCanvas, Ohio State's online learning management system. You will be automatically registered for the orientation modules. The modules will be available beginning July 20 and will consist of a series of presentations and videos aimed at introducing you to Ohio State, providing important information and helping you become familiar with available resources. We will send you more information in the upcoming months. You will then have opportunity to attend virtual social and information programming in August via CarmenZoom. For help accessing CarmenCanvas, refer to the Get Started Guide.

Keep in mind that your college may also host its own separate orientation. Please monitor your email for details and instructions regarding your program orientation.

If you have problems accessing CarmenCanvas or CarmenZoom, contact the OCIO Help Desk at ServiceDesk@osu.edu or call 614-688-4357 (HELP).

Some international students may be required to take the online ESL Composition Placement Test.

Look for an email from the ESL Composition Program with detailed information about taking the Placement Test online prior to the semester starting. Please do not schedule an appointment to take the test until you receive the email detailing the procedure.

If you have questions about your ESL test, visit the English as a Second Language website or contact eslcomptest@osu.edu.

Join the New Ohio State International Students - 2020 Facebook group using your Ohio State email. The group will post about events happening during orientation, and you can meet and chat with your fellow new Buckeyes!

Also like the Office of International Affairs and Global Engagement's Facebook pages to stay updated on events this summer and throughout the year.

Visit our website to review information from previous emails and/or answers to frequently asked questions. If you don't find what you're looking for, contact iss@osu.edu.

• Pre-Arrival FAQ
• Global Engagement
• Office of International Affairs Facebook
• Global Engagement Facebook
• Ohio State International Affairs Twitter
• OSUGlobal Instagram