Spring 2021 | International Students & Programs Office @ UC San Diego |
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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.
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Travel Updates and Information |
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ISPO Visa and Travel Support Letter for Visa Processing
ISPO recognizes that newly admitted students are encountering administrative delays with U.S. embassies and consulates regarding visa appointments. We understand that many of you are concerned that you might not obtain your visas in time to enter the U.S. prior to the first day of Fall Quarter. ISPO has drafted a Visa and Travel Support Letter that you can submit to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that could help expedite the process. You can download the letter here and submit it to the U.S. embassy or consulate for consideration.
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COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions: Does This Apply to Me?
On June 24th, the State Department updated its travel restrictions and National Interest Exception (NIE) policy page to clarify NIE eligibilities for individuals traveling from countries subject to a geographic COVID-19 entry ban. These countries include Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the Schengen Area of Europe.
The notice clarifies that:
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New or returning F-1 and J-1 students present in China, Brazil, Iran, South Africa or India are automatically considered for the National Interest Exception (NIE) at the Port of Entry into the U.S. and do not require advance approval of a NIE from an embassy or consulate prior to travel;
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New or returning F-1 and J-1 students present in China, Brazil, Iran, South Africa or India may arrive no earlier than 30 days before the start of an academic program beginning August 1, 2021 or after, including optional practical training (OPT); and
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New or returning F-1 and J-1 students who were present only in the Schengen Area, United Kingdom, or Ireland are not subject to the August 1 condition; however, they could still be subject to a "no earlier than 30 days before the start of their academic studies" condition (for example, if you plan to begin or resume your studies for the Fall 2021 quarter at UC San Diego, which begins on 9/20/21, you may only enter the U.S. as early as 8/21/21).
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News, Deadlines & Updates |
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iTriton on Canvas
The iTriton Orientation on Canvas has been created by the International Students & Programs Office (ISPO) to guide you on your academic journey as an international student here at UC San Diego. The information is organized in modules that cover valuable information regarding immigration documents and maintaining your status, getting involved, working in the U.S., and more. Pay close attention as these caution modules demonstrate some of the top issues international students face with their immigration status. This training is REQUIRED, the new Fall 2021 students have to complete it by October 20, 2021. To access iTriton, please make sure to check your ucsd.edu email for an invitation to join the course. You will also need to activate your Canvas account by logging in using Single Sign-On. For any questions about the course, please reach out to iprograms@ucsd.edu.
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Newly-Admitted Undergraduate Students: Transcript & IB Score Deadlines
ISPO is aware of concerns voiced by our newly-admitted, first-year undergraduate international students about both transcript/IB score submission deadlines as well as receiving confirmation that their transcript or IB scores have arrived. The official deadline for UC San Diego to have received official transcripts for first-year undergraduate students was July 1, and IB scores (if applicable) are due by July 15.
UC San Diego understands that many high schools outside the U.S. are experiencing delays in releasing official transcripts due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and are therefore continuing to process transcripts, even after the July 1 deadline. If your school is unable to mail or send official transcripts electronically through one of the e-services listed on the Admissions website, please follow the instructions in your First Year Triton Checklist that allows your school to email an encrypted, official transcript directly to UC San Diego Admissions. This guidance is under the "TRANSCRIPTS AND TEST SCORES" section of your First Year Triton Checklist.
If your transcripts or test scores have already been sent, you can monitor your Triton Checklist for receipt of your transcripts under Transcripts & Test Scores. Keep a copy of your transcript order for future reference if needed. Admissions will notify students with missing transcripts after the July 1 deadline. Please contact Admissions at receiptoftranscript@ucsd.edu if you do not see your transcript as received by July 10.
Please note that Admissions handles all processing of transcripts and test scores. ISPO is unable to provide information regarding receipt of your transcript/test scores.
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New Student Academic Advising and Course Modality Updates
UC San Diego's academic departments are still in the process of confirming availability of online courses for the fall and hope to release this information soon. ISPO understands that our students want to receive guidance on and finalize their fall schedules as soon as possible in order to make concrete plans for arrival. However, please note that academic advising for newly-admitted first-year students does not begin until early August. Academic advising for transfer students opened on June 15.
We encourage you to check directly with your college if you have urgent questions regarding course availability and enrollment. Otherwise, please wait until early August when advising for new first-year students begins at vac.ucsd.edu.
Please note that ISPO is unable to provide academic or course modality advising.
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In-Person or Hybrid Instruction Requirements for Students with an INITIAL I-20 or DS-2019
Are you a newly-admitted OR continuing student with a start date of August 1, 2021 or later listed on your I-20 or DS-2019? If so, this means you have an INITIAL I-20 or DS-2019, and you may only enter the U.S. if you are:
- Enrolled in a required early-start summer program; or
- Are able to enroll in at least one hybrid or in-person course for Summer Session II or the Fall 2021 quarter.
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To activate your SEVIS record, you will be required to submit the ISPO Check-In Form for I-20/DS-2019 Activation to verify presence in the U.S. After completing the Check-In form, you will maintain an active Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record as long as you enroll in a full course load and otherwise maintain your immigration status.
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Pre-Arrival Webinar Recordings |
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Missed some of our Pre-Arrival Webinars? Don't worry! We recorded them all so you could go back and reference these great resources. We have listed a few key ones below but for all of the recordings, head to iwebinars.ucsd.edu.
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Have questions about orientation? Here are the best points of contact for the college orientations:
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Important Information for I-20/ DS-2019 Issuance |
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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.
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Processing time for complete iPortal applications is 15 business days. Apply early to avoid visa delays.
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I-20/DS-2019 Details
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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.
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Refer to this link for required funding for your program.
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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.
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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.
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Are you Transferring from a U.S. High School or College to UC San Diego?
If you are currently in F-1 status at a U.S. high school or college 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:
Want to learn about more options? Watch the SEVIS Transfer recorded webinar on iwebinars@ucsd.edu.
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Applying for Your U.S. Visa |
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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:
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Contact name: Name of the advisor listed on your I-20/DS-2019 document
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Contact phone: 858-534-3730
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Contact email: istudents@ucsd.edu
For more information, click here.
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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.
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You can already start getting involved at UC San Diego as an international undergraduate student. Check out the following opportunities: |
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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 Undergraduate Students.
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Missed a iNewStudent Newsletter? Visit iNews.ucsd.edu!
ISPO has archived all iNewStudent newsletters on the page inews.ucsd.edu. Reference this page for previous news, information and updates that were sent out this Spring!
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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 Zoom advising hours.
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Mondays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT
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Tuesdays: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT
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Wednesdays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT and 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT
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Thursdays: 9 – 10:30 AM PDT and 4:30 – 5:30 PM PDT
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Friday – Sunday: NO Advising. Visit iContact.ucsd.edu for other ways to contact ISPO.
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Contacting ISPO
Our friendly and knowledgeable ISPO Staff are here and ready to help you!
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Phone SIM Card
There are many options available to you in regards to selecting a mobile phone service in the United States. One such option is Campus SIMS. Campus SIMs is offering free SIM cards to students to help connect you with mobile phone service in the U.S. Plans start at $15/month and you can get your U.S phone number before you leave your home country. Click here to get your free SIM card mailed to you, so can use your phone as soon as you arrive in the U.S. For more information, visit campussims.com.
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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!
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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.
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