Winter 2021 | Week 9 | Weekly updates for International Students @ UC San Diego
Deadlines, Reminders and Updates
Planning Ahead: 
Special Considerations for Winter 2021 Graduates Applying to Graduate School 
Are you graduating this winter and applying to grad school? During your grace period, you may be eligible to transfer your SEVIS record to your new institution. This process involves ISPO electronically transferring your SEVIS record to your new institution so they can issue you a Form I-20 with the same SEVIS ID Number to begin your new program of study. Transferring your SEVIS record to your new institution is only an option if you will begin enrollment at the new institution at their next available term or session, which must be no more than 5 months from the last date of enrollment or last date of OPT at UC San Diego. Transferring your SEVIS record allows you to remain in the U.S. between the end of your program at UC San Diego and the start of the program at your new institution.

For questions, please speak with an ISPO Advisor at icontact.ucsd.edu and join General Advising to discuss your options
2/24W U.S. Department of States Announces Phased Resumption of Routine Visa Services

The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday, February 24th that they will begin phased resumption of routine visa services. They are unable to provide a specific date for when each mission will resume specific visa services, or when each mission will return to processing at pre-pandemic workload levels. See each U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s website for information regarding operating status and which services it is currently offering. See the full announcement here.
2/26F USCIS Extends Flexibilities to Certain Applicants Filing Form I-765 for OPT

USCIS announced flexibilities for foreign students impacted by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765 applications (OPT and STEM OPT). These flexibilities apply only to applications received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive. Read the full announcement here. For questions, email iEmployment@ucsd.edu.  
3/5F Deadline for Graduate Students to Drop With "W" Grade on Transcript

Note international students are required to enroll in 12 units each academic quarter in order to maintain their visa status. There are exceptions to full-time enrolment requirements for students who qualify for a Reduced Course Load. The last date for graduate students to drop with a "W" grade on their transcripts for Winter 2021 is this Friday, March 5th. Students who will plan to drop with a "W" and will have less than 12 units after dropping should apply for a Reduced Course Load in iPortal to maintain their visa status. Students who plan to drop below 12 units but do not meet requirements for a Reduced Course Load should contact an ISPO Advisor about how this will impact their visa status.  
Options for International Students After Graduation

Once you complete your program of study, you will have some time to plan your next steps. This is known as your grace period. F-1 students have 60 days while J-1 students have 30 days. Before the end of the grace period, students should take one of the following actions:  
 
  • Depart the U.S.  
  • Transfer Out to Another Institution  
  • Change Degree Level at UC San Diego (Pursue a new degree at UC San Diego)  
  • Apply for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) 
  • Change non-immigrant status 
Stay Connected with Fellow Tritons | 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
ISPO Presents:

SPRING BREAK GUIDE

Back by popular demand! Wondering what to do over Spring Break? Check out our Spring Break Guide for ideas!  
Intercultural Social Hour – Virtual Scavenger Hunt!  
Tuesday, March 9 at 8pm PST  

For our last Intercultural Social Hour, we are collaborating with UCSD Recreation for a Virtual Scavenger Hunt! Join us for an hour of fun, collaborative, and exciting adventure. Whoever solves the challenge first - WINS! Prizes will be visa e-gift-cards! Hosted by UCSD Rec and your International Peer Coaches

ISPO Chats
Friday, March 5th at 8am PST 

Think of ISPO Chats as your monthly office hour with the ISPO Leadership team. ISPO deeply values the student voice and we want to hear from you. What is affecting you as an international student at UC San Diego? What would you like to learn more about? Do you have questions about policy updates, current events, etc? ISPO Chats is an informal time for you to share about your experience as an international student at UC San Diego as well as questions to ISPO staff. We hope that by hosting these monthly office hours, we can hear your concerns, advocate on your behalf, and invest in our international student community.
Triton Trekkers: Moonlight Grove Hike
Saturday, March 6 at 6 PM PST

Join the Triton Trekkers (a collaboration between ISPO & Outback Adventures) as we meet at Outback Adventures for a moonlight hike through the eucalyptus grove on campus.
As we continue to shift our services to accommodate the needs of our students, this schedule may fluctuate and is subject to change. ISPO's most current advising hours can be found at iContact.ucsd.edu.
Virtual Zoom Advising 
ISPO has expanded virtual advising hours to accommodate different time zones. See the exact advising times/hours on our website.
Online Contact Form
Send ISPO an email through our Online Contact Form. These inquiries are directed to specific advisors depending on nature of the request.
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 at any time from receiving updates from our office. 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