Dear Colleagues,

We hope the Spring 2023 quarter is going well for you. Here are important updates and information from the International Students and Programs Office (ISPO). 

7 Things to Consider When Supporting Students During Ramadan

In collaboration with the Asian Pacific Middle Eastern Desi American Programs and Services (APIMEDA), ISPO created this guide to share considerations and best practices to support the Triton community during Ramadan.  

Tax Resources and Workshops for International Students

International students looking for general tax guidance and resources for this year's filing season are encouraged to visit ISPO's Tax Guidance for International Students page. While ISPO is unable to offer students specific tax advice, these resources may help. Students are also invited to attend this year's virtual Federal and State Tax Workshops, organized by the International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO).  

F-1 CPT Summer Applications Open Monday, April 17th  

International students who are eligible to engage in off-campus internships may begin applying for Summer 2023 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) starting Monday, April 17, 2023 through iPortal. Students can learn more about the CPT Process at CPT.ucsd.edu. Campus partners who are iPortal Primary or Sub-Approvers can visit ISPO's iPortal for Campus Partners Website for refreshers on reviewing CPT Applications in iPortal.  

Employment Authorization Support and Events

• International students may begin applying for post-degree completion F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) now. ISPO offers regular Zoom advising to assist students with questions related to OPT and AT. In addition, ISPO offers a step-by-step guide on how to apply for OPT as well as AT, which we encourage students to consult with as a first step. 

• On April 6, UC San Diego Alumni hosted am online career conversation event, Alumni 101: International Student Career Exploration for students, alumni, and parents. It featured UC San Diego international alumni panelists, as well as ISPO advising staff, to help guide our newest graduates through the career exploration process. We are grateful to Alumni for providing this excellent resource to our international students! 

Commencement 2023: Support for International Students and Families

In anticipation of June's commencement ceremonies, ISPO is providing international students and their families with travel- and visa-related resources and support again this year on our Graduating from UC San Diego page. Please feel free to refer students here who may be seeking guidance and letters of support for travel to this year's ceremony. Congratulations Class of 2023!

iPortal 

As of March 3, newly-admitted who have accepted their offer of admission to UC San Diego may access the iPortal to request their student visa documents. ISPO's processing time is 10 business days. Visit iNewStudent.ucsd.edu for more information. 

Pre-Arrival Webinars 

ISPO is hosting several pre-arrival webinars for new international undergraduate and graduate students throughout the spring quarter. To register for an upcoming webinar or watch a recordings, students may visit iNewStudentWebinars.ucsd.edu. 

Orientation

New International Student Orientation will be held from September 12-14, 2023. This required program will be held in hybrid format to accommodate as many students as possible. ISPO's welcome program will run from September 18-27. Students can learn more at iOrientation.ucsd.edu. 

iTriton

iTriton Online Training is an online, required course that maps out the international student journey here at UC San Diego. This is required of all new international students and must be completed by September 11, 2023. New students will receive an invitation to join this course via their UCSD email. 

Visas for F and M Students Can Now Be Issued 365 Days Ahead of Program Start Date 

On February 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of State updated its guidelines to allow F and M students to apply for their student visas to study in the United States up to 365 days prior to the start date of the program as listed on the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Students who apply for F and M visas will be allowed to enter the United States up to 30 days before their program start date. This recent announcement will allow students more time to apply for their student visas and seek earlier interview dates. Additionally, the Form I-20 will now be issued twelve to fourteen months ahead of the program start date. See "New Students" section at the bottom of DOS page.

USCIS Announces Premium Processing; New Online-Filing Procedures for Certain F-1 Students Seeking OPT or STEM OPT Extensions

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the expansion of premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students seeking science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) OPT extensions who have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and wish to request a premium processing upgrade.  

Digitally DS-2019s are Coming on April 27, 2023 

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the publication of an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023, that permits designated sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) to digitally sign and electronically transmit the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (J-Nonimmigrant) (Form DS-2019), effective April 27, 2023. The new regulation will reduce costs, improve efficiencies for exchange program sponsors, and streamline Department of State exchange visitor visa processing. The Department of State will accept public comments on the rule for 60 days from the date of publication [May 30, 2023]. See Federal Register Notice.

Updated SEVP COVID-19 Guidance Expected in May 2023 

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) continues to assess its Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) guidance following publication of the Feb. 14, 2023, Federal Register Notice announcing the anticipated end of the COVID-19 national emergency declaration on May 11, 2023. 88 FR 9385 (Feb. 14, 2023). SEVP will provide additional updates in the coming months so that students and schools can plan for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. Students and school officials should continue to monitor SEVP’s communications channels for additional updates, including Broadcast Messages, Study in the States and social media postings. SEVP’s COVID-19 guidance remains in effect through the 2022-23 academic year.

New Visa Fees 

The U.S. Department of State will increase fees for student and other visas, however the fee increase will not be as great as originally proposed, in part because of public comments about the adverse impact of the new costs on international education.

Transition to ServiceNow: Contact Form Inquiries

Given the large number of student and community inquiries submitted through ISPO's Contact Form, ISPO transitioned to the ServiceNow platform in Spring of 2023. The goals of the transition include reducing response times, prioritizing more urgent requests, connecting students to other levels of support services available through ServiceNow, and improving the overall experience with ISPO's service delivery model. In future phases, ISPO also hopes to create staff-facing ServiceNow forms through Support.ucsd.edu. We appreciate our wonderful colleagues in Information Technology Services for their partnership with this transition. Special thanks to Christine Ching, Paul Yellin, Justin Clow, and Shawn Munroe.  

ISPO is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4PM. We offer a wide range of services with different modalities. Students can connect with an ISPO Advisor through:  

• Virtual Drop-Ins (Zoom)  
• In-Person Walk-Ins 
• In-Person Front Desk 
• Contact Form/Email 
• Phone 

For services, hours, and locations, visit iContact.ucsd.edu.  

Migration to Sunapsis 

For international students and scholars to succeed, their compliance with federal laws while in the United States is vital. In Fall of 2023, all UC San Diego units currently issuing and maintaining international student, exchange visitor, scholar, or faculty records, considered migrating to a new international case management software, Sunapsis. The migration to Sunapsis can revolutionize compliance by:  

• Having one system to intake and process student requests (consolidation of document request systems, iPortal) 
• Reducing processing times and increasing advising capacity by connecting to campus information systems for quick integrations  
• Improving user experience and transparency  

UC San Diego units that issue and maintain international student, exchange visitor, scholar, or faculty records include the International Students & Programs Office (ISPO), the International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO) , and the Division of Extended Studies (DES). Stay tuned!  

We appreciate our wonderful colleagues in Information Technology Services, especially Christine Ching, Dana Hurwitz, and Manisha Kanodia, for supporting our units through this transition.  

iTable 

ISPO's iTable Program is currently accepting applications from students facing food insecurity for the spring quarter. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Basic Needs Committee as well as Alumni Development for their generous support of this important gap program that helps meet the food security needs of our international student population. 

CAPS Forum - Community Support Hour

ISPO is excited to announce a new program this quarter, Community Support Hour, which is a collaboration between CAPS and ISPO to provide a support space for international students who may be directly impacted by events around the globe. Whether it is a geopolitical conflict or a natural disaster, the impact can be complex, distressing, and far-reaching. This forum provides a space for students to build community, connect with other students, prioritize their well-being and mental health, navigate challenges and learn about campus resources. Community Support Hour is offered every Thursday from 12:30-1:30, through June 15 in ISPO's Large Conference Room. Students can sign up at ievents.ucsd.edu, drop-ins are welcome!  Thank you to our CAPS colleagues Reina Juarez, Tiffany O'Meara, and Lori Weiner for their insights, collaboration and support in launching this program! 

Coffee Hour

ISPO warmly welcomes our students as well as staff to grab a cup of coffee or tea and some delicious pastries with us in our beautiful eucalyptus grove this spring for our monthly ISPO Coffee Hour. Our second coffee hour of the quarter will take place on Wednesday, May 3 at 10am. 

Miguel Velez Scholarship

Each year, ISPO administers the Miguel Velez scholarship program. For the Spring 2023 quarter, $95,000 was awarded to current and incoming students. Thank you to Financial Aid and Undergraduate Admissions in for your collaboration and to our campus partners, Veronica Bejar, Assistant Director of the Undergraduate Research Hub, Tom Tseng, Senior Executive Director of Development, International and Campus Initiatives, and Doug Shriner, Student Affairs Officer - Undergraduate, NanoEngineering, for serving on the scholarship committee.

Karina Ivanyan

Congratulations to Karina Ivanyan, Intake Advisor, for being selected to participate in the NAFSA Academy for International Education The Academy is an intensive yearlong training program with extensive networking opportunities.

The Academy will expand and deepen your understanding of international education and prospects for future leadership. This yearlong program is comprised of three training events, complemented by written assignments, regular cohort conference calls, and coaching. The Academy is an introduction to the profession of international education and its major practice areas. The program is flexible and designed to meet your individual needs and learning goals.

Stella Beaupre

Congratulations to Stella Beaupre, Intake Advisor, on joining the ISPO team! Stella joined this month. Stella was born in Uganda, grew up in Sweden, and moved to Hawai’i as an exchange student at Hawai’i Pacific University (HPU), where she ultimately ended up getting her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Her last year as an undergraduate student she studied abroad in Costa Rica. While getting her Master’s degree she worked in the International Admissions Office at HPU and developed her passion for working with international students. We hope you will get the opportunity to work with Stella in the coming months.

Emily Stewart & Kyle Argonza

Congratulations to Emily Stewart, International Student Advisor, who was appointed as 2022-2023 Chair of the San Diego Professional International Educators Roundtable, and Kyle Argonza, International Student Advisor, who was appointed as Chair-Elect. PIER is a non-profit membership organization that provides international educators throughout San Diego County with an opportunity to discuss issues and regulations affecting international students and scholars.

ISPO Drop-In Office Hours

for Campus Partners

April 26 | 12-1 PM

Join ISPO staff for this quarter's drop-in Zoom "office hours" for campus partners this quarter! We welcome all of our campus partners to drop in and ask any questions you might have about international student services, programs, policies - or anything else ISPO-related! Hosted by ISPO Assistant Directors Pauline Deguzman and Gabi Hoffmann. 

• iResource: Campus resources for advising international students 
• iTravel: Travel and reentry information and requirements for international students 
• iEmployment: On-campus and off-campus employment policies and processes for international students 
• iPrograms: List of ISPO programs to enhance student success and experience at UC San Diego 
• iEvents: Calendar of internationally-oriented events at UC San Diego

• 4/5/2023: Chronicle of Higher Education: How Colleges Are Helping International Students Persist
• 4/5/2023: Chronicle of Higher Education: For Senior International Officers, new priorities and new challenges
• 3/29/2023: Chronicle of Higher Education: State Dept. says it is cutting visa wait times 
• March 2023: Institute of International Education: The Open Doors Special Report – Promoting Access to U.S. Higher Education: International Students with Disabilities
• Winter 2023: EAB: 100 Tactics for International Student Support

Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest ISPO Newsletters

If you've missed a recent ISPO News for Campus Partners or are interested in reviewing the information we regularly send out to our international student population (current students as well as new students), we encourage you to view our ISPO News page (iNews.ucsd.edu) for recent issues.