Summer 2020 | Weekly updates for International Students @ UC San Diego
ACTION REQUIRED: Fall 2020 Check-In & Address Reporting
WHO IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THE FALL 2020 CHECK-IN REQUEST?
If you are continuing your program this fall quarter and are currently located outside of the U.S. or will depart the U.S. before Friday, October 16, 2020, it is mandatory that you report your departure to ISPO by Friday, October 16th, 2020. You can report your departure by following these instructions:

  1. Update your address in Tritonlink with your Foreign Address where you are residing outside of the U.S.
  2. Log into iPortal (iPortal.ucsd.edu)
  3. Under Services, select the Fall 2020 Check-In request
  4. Submit your request
  5. ISPO will add remarks to your SEVIS record showing that you've departed the U.S. during the fall quarter.

Visit iTravel.ucsd.edu to learn more about the Fall 2020 Check-In request.
WHAT IF I LEAVE THE U.S. OR RETURN TO THE U.S. FOR THE FALL AFTER 10/16?
The Fall 2020 Check-In form will close on Friday, October 16th. If at any time after Friday, October 16, you depart the U.S., log into Tritonlink and update your current address to a Foreign Address where you are residing outside of the U.S. to let us know you’ve departed. ISPO will automatically add remarks regarding your departure from the U.S. Upon return to the U.S.,ensure you log into Tritonlink and update your current address to a U.S. Address.
WHAT IF I'M JUST TAKING A SHORT VACATION OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.?
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) requires that ISPO add a remark on your SEVIS record to indicate departure from the U.S. during the fall quarter. The remark added will state: “Departed the United States due to COVID-19” as this is verbatim with the guidance provided by SEVP. Note this does NOT print on your Form I-20; it is only added to your record. The guidance requires that we add this notation at any point during the fall quarter in which a student departs the U.S. We understand that this may be confusing since you may not have departed necessarily due to the impacts of COVID-19 and may only be outside of the U.S. for vacation for a short period of time. However, this is the guidance outlined for us at this time.

WHAT IF I'M TAKING A GAP QUARTER/ LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR FALL?
If you will not be enrolled for the fall term because you are taking a gap quarter/ leave of absence from the university, you do not need to submit the Fall 2020 Check-In form. If you will be taking a gap quarter / leave of absence, review ISPO’s instructions for reporting a Leave of Absence.  

WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS REMARK HAVE ON MY VISA STATUS AND TRAVEL?
The remark on your SEVIS record is in compliance with the SEVP guidance provided to institutions and should not have any negative impacts on your visa status. Please be aware that continuing students who are seeking travel and re-entry during the fall quarter may use the Travel Support Letter for continuing students located in ISPO’s iPortal Home Page (under Notifications) which explains your eligibility to maintain F-1 Status and seek reentry into the U.S. while enrolled in fully remote courses. You may print this document for use when traveling.
9/25 Department of Homeland Security:
Proposed New Rule Impacting F and J Duration of Status
On September 25, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Proposed New Rule to eliminate the current duration of status (D/S) policy for international students in F-1 and J-1 status and international researchers and scholars in J-1 status and replacing the policy with a set expiration date for authorized stay.

Under the current D/S policy, students and researchers can make approved changes to their plan without having to depart the United States or undertake a long and complicated government process to extend their status. If approved, key changes to the policy may include:

  • Limiting the period of authorized stay for F or J status (students, researchers, scholars and their dependents) to 2 to 4 years.
  • Reducing the F-1 grace period allowed to remain in the U.S. after completing a program of study from 60 to 30 days.

Please keep in mind that this is still a proposed rule. It is not in effect at this time. ISPO is monitoring the situation and working with UC-wide advocacy efforts. We will send updates via the IStudents listserv when new information becomes available. Please contact an International Student Advisor at iContact.ucsd.edu or meet via Zoom advising if you have any questions.
Graduate Students:
CPT and Employment Opportunities
GRADUATE STUDENTS EMPLOYED ON CPT DURING SUMMER 2020
 
If you are a graduate student who participated in CPT based on the Summer Cooperative Education Program, please remember to submit the Cooperative Education Report form. This is a requirement of the CPT and is due by October 1st. You can find the report in iPortal (iPortal.ucsd.edu) under Services, F-1 Post CPT Cooperative Education Internship for Graduate Students Reporting Form. For more information, please refer to our website at CPT.ucsd.edu.

Students who did CPT without registering for course for credit are REQUIRED to submit this form. Failure to submit the form will result in a hold being placed on your academic record. We look forward to reading about your employment experiences!
CAREER CENTER RESOURCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AND GRADUATE ALUMNI
 
During this distinctly unusual academic year, the Career Center wants to make sure you’re aware of our resources so that you can get support from their office for any stage of your career development. Below is some information to get you started:
 
  • Handshake is our one-stop career management system – you can use it for everything from searching for jobs and internships to scheduling individual career coaching appointments to connecting with employers, and more. To make the navigation of this system easy, our team has created a 5 minute video to guide you through Handshake and what it has to offer for our grad students; you can access it at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v7R57PFj1ISekqVzrzTjauMtq9zkNUNV/view?usp=sharing


  • Make sure to join our monthly Grad Student Lunch & Learns! October’s Lunch and Learn features tips from an employer about how to create and maintain a professional network to succeed in your career planning and job searches. Flyer below; additional events for grad students will be posted on Handshake.
 
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to gradcareers@ucsd.edu with any questions/concerns!
Planning Ahead:
Working in the U.S. After Graduation
Are you in your final quarter or final year of your program at UC San Diego? Graduation is just around the corner so it's important to plan ahead and understand what options are available to you after you complete your program of study.
 
F-1 International students may be eligible to apply for work AFTER graduation through Optional Practical Training (OPT). F-1 OPT is a type of employment authorization for F-1 students. It is an opportunity to pursue a 12-month period of work experience in your major field of study.To learn more, join ISPO's Fall 2020 OPT Group Advising Sessions happening now!
 
Fall 2020 Group Advising
  • Join our online OPT Group Advising sessions during the times posted below to ask general questions about the 3 stages of F-1 OPT Work Authorization
  • OPT Stage 1: Requesting OPT I-20 from ISPO
  • OPT Stage 2: Compiling and Mailing OPT Application to USCIS
  • OPT Stage 3: Maintaining F-1 Status while on OPT 
  • Come to these sessions after reviewing our opt.ucsd.edu website or after viewing our OPT Stage 1, 2, and 3 videos first.
  • You don’t have to wait in line to ask your questions! An ISPO advisor will be answering your questions live!
Stay Connected from Home | iPrograms and iEvents
Sign up for these programs happening now! Stay connected with ISPO and other Tritons by taking a look at our events calendar at iEvents.ucsd.edu
Triton Weeks of Welcome

We are so excited to welcome you back Tritons! Connect to opportunities and virtual events during your first weeks back “on” campus for fall quarter. Welcome Week, an annual tradition at UC San Diego, fosters Triton Spirit for both new and returning students. Take part in the fun and supportive activities, services and programs to find your place, make friends, and live the Triton Spirit!

Learn more at TWOW.ucsd.edu
English in Action (EIA)
Conversation Program

Do you want to improve your English fluency and/or learn more about American culture? Join the English-in-Action (EIA) conversation program to help you improve your conversational English language skills and exchange cultures with your conversation partner. After you fill out an application, you will be matched with a native English speaker to meet virtually with for 1.5 to 2 hours per week. Volunteers are UCSD students, staff and community members. Questions? Email Shelly at eia@ucsd.edu. 

ISPO Office Hours: Virtual Advising

While ISPO's Office (Student Center B) is closed to the public for in-person service through Summer 2020, we continue to provide all advising services through virtual Zoom advising! Visit iContact.ucsd.edu for various ways to contact an ISPO Advisor!
International Students & Programs Office | iStudents.ucsd.edu
WHY AM I RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER? All international students studying at UC San Diego are automatically subscribed to the iStudents Newsletter to ensure they receive proper immigration updates from our office. The information sent in this Newsletter is available on ISPO's website, iStudents.ucsd.edu, or may direct students to other external resources. You have the right to unsubscribe from receiving updates from our office at anytime. You can do this by emailing istudents@ucsd.edu . Note, all international students at UC San Diego are responsible for staying up to date with immigration regulations that may affect them. To learn more, visit our website at iStudents.ucsd.edu