Spring 2021 | International Students & Programs Office @ UC San Diego

Dear Incoming Triton, Welcome to UC San Diego! The International Students & Programs Office (ISPO) is here to support you as you begin your journey as a new student at UC San Diego and to help you navigate the ins and outs of your program as an international student. Please review important information below about mandatory trainings, orientation and ways to get involved at UC San Diego.

News & Updates

U.S. Department of State Responds to UC President's Advocacy Letter for International Students On April 7, 2021, UC President Michael Drake, on behalf of the 10 UC campuses, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Departments of State and Homeland Security to allow for greater flexibility so international students can arrive in the United States as soon as possible.     On May 5, the Department of State responded to the UC's advocacy letter acknowledging international students' valuable impact on U.S. campuses and communities across the nation. They specifically recognized their positive contributions to cultural exchange and understanding, as well as their impact on furthering research, knowledge and supporting U.S. diplomacy for many years. Additionally, they affirmed that international students are a priority for the Department of State.    To that end, the Department of State highlighted its latest positive efforts to allow a greater number of international students to enter the U.S. for Fall 2021 as follows:   Travel by bona fide students (F, J, and M visa holders) who were present in India, China, Iran, South Africa or Brazil - and who plan to engage in a full-time program of study that commences on or after August 1, 2021 - are no longer subject to the travel suspensions detailed in Presidential Proclamations 9984, 9992, 10143, and the proclamation of April 30.  Embassies and consulates worldwide have begun to schedule visa appointments accordingly  Expanded flexibility will remain for those renewing visas in the same classification, meaning that those renewing may be eligible for visa interview waivers  More information can be found at the travel.state.gov website    ISPO will continue to keep you apprised of our advocacy efforts for our international student population here.

Dear UC San Diego International Student Community,     We are concerned to hear about the increasing COVID-19 cases around the world, especially in India, and sincerely hope that you, and your family and friends have not been negatively impacted by the crisis. Please let us know how you are doing and whether ISPO or other campus offices can provide support for you.    Visa and Travel Information For Indian Nationals    On April 30, 2021, the Biden Administration announced the suspension of entry into the United States, as nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States until further notice. The travel restriction went into effect on Tuesday, May 4.  Prior to this, on April 26, 2021, the U.S. Consular Mission to India announced significant limitations to visa and other services due to rising COVID rates and for the safety and protection of its consular staff and customers. Any individuals traveling to or otherwise present in India who may be eligible for an exception to any imposed travel ban but will require a visa should expect significant delays in visa issuance.    We recognize that these new developments may concern our students who are planning to arrive or return to the U.S. in the future. The University of California is actively advocating to support our entire international community. We continue to encourage impacted students to contact their academic departments for admissions and academic advising guidance.   Indian Embassy and Consulate Information    We are providing information and guidance from the Indian Embassy in Washington DC:    Register with the Consulate General of India, San Francisco so they can contact you in case of emergency and distribute necessary information: https://www.cgisf.gov.in/register/ Visit the Consulate General of India, San Francisco website for the most current information : https://www.cgisf.gov.in/    Immigration and Policy Updates   For the most current updates, visit iUpdates.ucsd.edu.    Please do not hesitate to reach out to the International Students & Programs Office (istudents@ucsd.edu) if you need any future assistance and support as well.

Upcoming Pre-Arrival Webinars

Pre-Arrival Webinar: Campus Safety Tuesday, May 11 at 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) Join ISPO and our campus partners from UC San Diego Police Department, Student Legal Services, and CARE @ Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) as we discuss how we keep our Tritons safe.    Register Now

Pre-Arrival Webinar: Student Life & Getting Involved - Graduate Students Thursday, May 13 at 8:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) Join ISPO, Grad Life, and the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) as we discuss student life at UC San Diego as an international graduate student.   Register Now

Register for Upcoming Pre-Arrival Webinars: In partnership with the Graduate Division, ISPO will host a series of informative webinars this spring and summer, register now!: Student Accounts and Finances – May 20, 2021 (8:30 AM PDT) Click on the webinars above to register. All webinars will be recorded and posted at iWebinars.ucsd.edu.

Important Information for I-20/ DS-2019 Issuance

iPortal is now LIVE! International students requiring an F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the U.S. must request a Form I-20 (certificate of eligibility for non-immigrant F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (certificate of eligibility for non-immigrant J-1 exchange visitors). The I-20 or DS-2019 is required to apply for the F-1 or J-1 visa from abroad. International students who are currently in the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status and plan to transfer their SEVIS record to UC San Diego are ALSO required to submit the I-20 or DS-2019 request.  Submit your I-20 or DS-2019 through the iPortal. To access iPortal, you must first Set up password for your UCSD Personal ID (PID). Please allow at least 48 hours after accepting your admission and creating your account and password to access the iPortal.  Processing time for complete iPortal applications is 15 business days. Apply early to avoid visa delays.

I-20/DS-2019 Details Funding Requirements for I-20/DS-2019 Issuance: F-1 students must show nine months of financial support to obtain an I-20. J-1 students must show financial support for the entire duration of their program to obtain a DS-2019. Refer to this link for required funding for your program.  I-20/DS-2019 standard start dates: All students admitted for the Fall 2021 quarter should expect to receive a Fall 2021 Program Start Date (September 20, 2021) on their Form I-20 or DS-2019.   Early-start program information: Only students who have been admitted into a degree program which requires enrollment or participation in the Summer 2021 term will be eligible to apply for a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 with an earlier start date. Your department will communicate with you if you have been admitted into a program which requires an early start date. Students who are eligible can request an I-20 by submitting the NEW ADMIT: I-20 or DS-2019 Special Start Programs in iPortal. For more information regarding early start programs, visit iNewStudent.ucsd.edu.

Are you Transferring from Another U.S. University to UC San Diego? If you are currently in F-1 status at a U.S. university and plan to transfer to UC San Diego this fall, you still need to request an I-20 from ISPO! This is required in order to maintain your F-1 status, and you cannot begin classes here without it.  Transfer students have two options when requesting an I-20:  Request a SEVIS transfer (keep your current SEVIS ID)  Request a brand new I-20 (obtain a new SEVIS ID)  Want to learn more about your options? Read through the information linked above or attend our Pre-Arrival 2021: SEVIS Transfers webinar on May 6!

Applying for Your U.S. Visa

Scheduling Your Visa Interview If you are able to schedule a visa interview, after receiving your I-20/DS-2019 document you will need to complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form. You will need your SEVIS ID (number starting with “N” located at the top of your I-20/DS-2019) to complete this. In addition, J-1 students will need to provide UCSD’s J-1 Program Number. This number is: P-1-02849.    When asked for UC San Diego’s contact information for the DS-160, you may put down the following:  Contact name: Name of the advisor listed on your I-20/DS-2019 document  Contact phone: 858-534-3730  Contact email: istudents@ucsd.edu  For more information, click here.

Cancelled or Delayed U.S. Visa Appointments ISPO is aware of the delays and/or sudden cancellations of nonimmigrant visa appointments in particular regions of the world due to the public health situation caused by rising COVID-19 rates. We know how much this impacts your ability to plan for Fall 2021 and can understand the concern it must cause.   With this in mind, ISPO will continue to issue Forms I-20 (F-1) and DS-2019 (J-1) as quickly as possible to allow you to book or re-book an appointment as soon as you are able to. Our team is hard at work to ensure that these are issued promptly. In order to maintain our prompt I-20 and DS-2019 issuance pace, at this time, we are only able to facilitate expedite requests if you have a visa appointment booked for less than one month away from your iPortal date of submission.  For any questions about your visa paperwork, please contact the ISPO Pre-Arrival Team at iNewstudent@ucsd.edu.

Continuing Advocacy by University of California and Higher Education Associations On March 18, 2021, the American Council on Education and more than 40 higher education associations sent a letter to Secretary Antony Blinken and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Departments of State and Homeland Security to allow for greater flexibility so international students can arrive in the United States as soon as possible.      In addition, the UC Office of Federal Relations, in collaboration with each of the 10 UC campuses, is currently exploring avenues of engagement with the Departments of State and Homeland Security to address ongoing visa and travel restriction concerns. ISPO will provide updates about the status of these advocacy efforts when they become available so that our students can make informed decisions.

Get Involved!

You can already start getting involved at UC San Diego as an international graduate student. Check out the following opportunities.

Grad Pals Program Grad Pals matches incoming graduate students with current graduate students at UC San Diego – most commonly within their same department. This program aims to help new students settle in by giving them the opportunity to ask non-academic related questions, provide them with support during the first few weeks ,and ease their transition into graduate life at UC San Diego.  Sign Up Here!

New Student Resources

Visit the iNewStudent Website! This comprehensive site is designed just for new international students to help you understand the different steps you need to follow before you arrive! Go to iNewStudent.ucsd.edu now and click on Graduate Students.

Missed an iNewStudent Newsletter? Visit iNews.ucsd.edu! ISPO has archived our iNewStudents newsletters on our new page inews.ucsd.edu. Reference this page for all iNewStudents that were sent out this Spring!

iTriton Online Training To help guide you through the adventure ahead, we have created an online training that will map out your journey as an international student here at UC San Diego. There are 20 modules which cover various topics. We have arranged these modules in the order you may encounter them during your program. However, you can explore the modules in any order you'd like!     Newly admitted international students are required to complete the iTriton Online Training during their first quarter at UC San Diego. All new Fall 2021 students will have until October 20, 2021, to complete this REQUIRED training.*

Access iTriton Online Training now!

*Please note that the iTriton training, immigration regulations are only applicable once you enter the United States in F1/J1 status. If you are participating in fully remote learning and DO NOT enter the United States, these regulations will NOT apply to you.

New Student Zoom Advising Hours Questions about requesting your immigration documents from UC San Diego? Newly-admitted international students are able to speak to an ISPO Advisor during our designated zoom advising hours for newly-admitted students for Fall 2021.   For more information, visit iContact.ucsd.edu:   Mondays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT   Tuesdays: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT  Wednesdays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT and 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT  Thursdays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT and 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT  Friday – Sunday: NO Advising. Visit iContact.ucsd.edu for other ways to contact ISPO.

Contacting ISPO Our friendly and knowledgeable ISPO Staff are here and ready to help you!    Email: iNewStudent@ucsd.edu   Contact Form: iContact.ucsd.edu  Zoom Virtual Advising: iContact.ucsd.edu   Use the Ask Triton feature in the lower right-hand corner of ispo.ucsd.edu

Follow Us on Social Media! Congratulations New Triton! We have put together an Instagram Filter Pack to celebrate our new class of international Tritons. Try it out, tag us (@ispo.ucsd), and let everyone know you are our newest iTriton!

WHY AM I RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER? You have been identified as an F-1 or J-1 International Student. To ensure you receive important regulatory information to maintain your immigration status while studying at UC San Diego, you have been automatically added to this newsletter to receive updates. You have the right to unsubscribe from receiving updates from our office at anytime. You can do this by clicking 'Unsubscribe...." at the bottom of this email block. If you are NOT in F1 or J1 status and believe you have been subscribed in error, please email iStudents@ucsd.edu.