August Announcements from ISSS

GLOBAL SPARTAN WELCOME: FALL 2019

ISSS is excited to welcome new incoming international students for the Fall 2019 semester!

All new international students must attend a special Global Spartan Welcome program with International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS).

The Global Spartan Welcome is designed just for international students, and covers immigration and cultural topics to help prepare new international students for their transition to university life in the U.S.

Please click here for more information about GSW.

#GlobalSpartan

General Reminders & Updates

Protracted Processing Times for EAD Cards

Currently, the average waiting time for an OPT application approval is 4 weeks to 5 months. Please continue monitoring your case status online account, and you may also want to submit a case inquiry or reach out to USCIS at 1-800-375-5283. Here is an article from Forbes magazine regarding USCIS delays/policy changes.

Unfortunately, as longer waiting times for EAD cards are currently a national trend, there is nothing ISSS can do to facilitate an expedition of processing. Calling, emailing, or coming in for in-person advising will not be effective.

New & Updated Forms

ISSS has recently updated and created the following forms for your convenience & ease:

RCL Form (Reduced Course Load form)
Post-Completion OPT application form
NEW concurrent enrollment form (now separate from the RCL form)
CPT Application Form

STEM-Extension Reporting

Consistent submission of your 6-month employment validation reports as well as your 12-month annual evaluation and 24-month final evaluation will maintain your status while on STEM-extension OPT. Students who fail to validate their employment in a timely manner may incur a status violation (termination).

Health Insurance Enrollment Requirement

Please ensure that you have signed up for SJSU health insurance for the fall 2019 semester. For instructions on how to enroll, please visit the health insurance section of our website. A hold will be placed on your student record, preventing you from enrolling in courses until you register for health insurance.

New Processing Timelines for CPT & Post-Completion OPT

ISSS will now be able to process CPT & post-completion OPT applications within 7 business days. Our previous estimated processing time for CPT & post-OPT applications was 1 to 15 business days. The 1 to 15 business day processing timeline will continue to apply to other applications that you may submit to ISSS, including the STEM-Extension OPT application.

Important Dates

August 16: Last possible workday for summer 2019 CPT authorizations
August 17: First possible OPT start date for summer 2019 grads
August 19: First possible workday for fall 2019 CPT authorizations
August 21: First day of instruction
September 3: Last day to drop a course without incurring a "W"
September 9: First day to submit fall 2019 post-OPT application to ISSS
September 10: Last day to submit Fall 2019 RCL (add course deadline)
October 10: CPT application submission deadline for fall 2019

#TalkToUs

SAN JOSE STATE WEEKS OF WELCOME

TRAVEL DOCUMENT REMINDER

Get your documents ready!

If you are currently abroad and planning to return to the U.S. to continue your program of study at SJSU or resume your OPT/STEM Extension employment, you will be subject to a customs and immigration inspection performed by Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers at a U.S. port of entry. During the immigration inspection, CBP officers will ask you to answer questions and present documents to determine your admissibility to the U.S.

Be sure to carry these documents with you and be prepared to answer questions from a CBP officer.

CBP officers also have the right to look through any electronic devices you may be carrying with you. More information on this can be found here.

More information on the legal authority of CBP can be found on their website. It is always important to know your rights as an F-1 visa holder. If you encounter any problems at the port of entry, please reach out to the ISSS office as soon as you are able.