Overview of International Students at CCNY

Welcome to the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS). The Department of International Student & Scholar Services provides services and advocacy for the international students and scholars who are not permanent residents of the United States. Additionally, it provides pre-semester orientation programs and semester long workshops that assist with adapting to life in the United States while pursuing their education. Professional counseling assistance is available for students with immigration concerns, or academic and personal difficulties.

CUNY International Student Guide

 

OISSS Update 3/26/2021

On Feb. 26, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced flexibilities for certain international students affected by delayed receipt notices for Forms I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization.” These flexibilities apply only to applications received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive.

The flexibilities include changes to:

  • The 14-month OPT Period
  • Refiling following rejection
  • Missing and deficient signatures​

Please see the link below for more information on these flexibilities:

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2021/03/learn-about-new-uscis-flexibilities-for-some-opt-applicants

 

OISSS Update 1/13/2021

On January 12, 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued an order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. 

This order will go into effect on January 26, 2021.

Please see the links below for more information and answers to frequently asked questions regarding this order. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html​

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/12/health/cdc-international-travel-covid-19-test/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3fsdx3K6rFKefpNYYfCkl9BU3gU3k5BPVNwJWamS7kJlYtTZOJ9JDIA04​

US to Require Proof of Negative Covid Test for Visitors Flying Into US - Bloomberg

CDC expands COVID-19 testing to all air passengers before entering the US - ABC News (go.com)​

 

OISSS Update 12/14/2020

Greetings students, 

The Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has reached out to inform us that there has recently been a spoofing scam taking place involving individuals using the SEVP Response Center (SRC) phone numbers (703-603-3400 and 800-892-4829) and claiming to be SRC representatives. The fraudulent callers are inquiring about Form I-94 documents and asking students to provide information regarding monetary transactions.

If you are a victim of this spoof call, please report it to the Department of International Student & Scholar Services immediately. We will report it to HSI for an investigation. If you are unsure about the validity of a call from an SEVP official, you can also reach out to us for assistance.  

 

Things to remember:

  •       SEVP officials will NEVER ask you to provide credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers, or to make bitcoin deposits for any purpose.

  •       NEVER divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.

  •       Report all suspicious calls to the Department of International Student & Scholar Services immediately.

OISSS Update 12/9/2020

Spring 2021 News!

DHS has confirmed that the guidance from Fall 2020 will apply for the Spring 2021 term.

"Nonimmigrant students should continue to abide by SEVP guidance originally issued in March 2020," said the spokeswoman, Carissa Cutrell. "The guidance enables schools and students to engage in distance learning in excess of regulatory limits due to the public health emergency generated by COVID-19."

Continuing international students who were enrolled at a U.S. college as of March 9 can re-enter the U.S. even if their college is engaged in 100 percent distance learning, but new students since March 9 will not be permitted to enter the U.S. to take a fully online course of study this spring. New students will be able to enter the U.S. to take hybrid programs consisting of a mix of in-person and online coursework this spring.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/12/09/federal-guidance-foreign-students-remains-same-spring

 

OISSS Update 9/22/2020

SEVP has shared some resources for both International Students and the Department of International Student & Scholar Services staff. Please see the links below for more information on these resources. 

https://visaserve.com/lawyer/2020/09/18/SEVP--SEVIS/SEVP-Sends-Message-…

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/september-2020-sevp-spotlight

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

OISSS Update 7/28/2020

We updated our Frequently Asked Questions document reflecting the most recent changes regarding online study for the Fall 2020 semester. 

Please read it carefully and reach out to us if you have any questions at oisss@ccny.cuny.edu.

We hope that you are all staying safe during this crisis. ​

OISSS Update 6/23/2020

We continue to closely monitor news coming from The White House and the most recent proclamation "Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak".  The proclamation is effective from June 22, 2020 and it remains in effect until December 31, 2020.
 
This proclamation is listed as a continuation of the previous proclamation (proclamation 10014, dated April 22, 2020) which suspended entry to certain immigrant visa types and has now added certain H, L and J nonimmigrant visa types. According to President Trump "Given that 60 days is an insufficient time period for the United States labor market, still stalled with partial social distancing measures, to rebalance, and given the lack of sufficient alternative means to protect unemployed Americans from the threat of competition for scarce jobs from new lawful permanent residents, the considerations present in Proclamation 10014 remain."
 
For a more detailed explanation of the proclamation, we are sharing a YouTube video by Arda Beskardes, an Attorney-at-Law, who discusses the latest immigration situation. 
 
For the details regarding the proclamation, please see links below:
 
 
 
We will continue to share updates with you as we receive them.
 
As of 1/13/2021, this proclamation has been extended to 3/31/2021. 

 

OISSS Update 6/5/2020

Dear International Students and Scholars,

We hope you are all well and safe! We are closely monitoring President Trump's Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from the People’s Republic of China. The proclamation is effective from June 1, 2020 and it remains in effect until the President terminates it.

According to the Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo “The President’s proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any People’s Republic of China national seeking to enter the United States pursuant to an F or J visa to study or conduct research in the United States, except for a student seeking to pursue undergraduate study, where the individual’s academic or research activities are likely to support a PRC entity that implements and supports the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “military-civil fusion” strategy.”  

We would like to share a YouTube video by Arda Beskardes, an Attorney-at-Law, who discusses the latest immigration situation. 

For the details regarding the proclamation, please see links below:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-nonimmigrants-certain-students-researchers-peoples-republic-china/

https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/proclamation-suspending-entry-chinese-students-and-researchers-connected-prc

https://thepienews.com/news/china-students-us-military-links/?mc_cid=ed694f7c3f&mc_eid=ea8e90bd13​

We will keep sharing updates with you as we receive them.

As of 1/13/2021, this proclamation has been extended to 3/31/2021.

OISSS Update 4/1/2020

The Department of International Student & Scholar Services continues to operate remotely.  For your convenience we have set up a Virtual Front Desk. Copy the link below, or call the phone number provided, to visit our Virtual Meeting Room and we will be there to answer your questions. 

Virtual front desk

 

OISSS UPDATE 3/24/2020

Dear Students and Exchange Visitors,
 
We hope that you are all staying safe during this crisis. As a reminder the staff of the Department of International Student and Scholar Services is working remotely until further notice.
 
We want to make sure that you know that we are still maintaining your SEVIS records and that we will continue to update you on any changes that impact your status.  For now, DHS has allowed all students who are enrolled in online courses, whether in the U.S or in their home countries to remain in status. 
 
For F-1 students who plan to travel and are in need of a travel signature, please be advised that we are no longer able to provide travel signatures prior to your departure.  We ask those who plan to travel to send an email to oisss@ccny.cuny.edu with the subject line COVID-19:  F-1 TRAVELING HOME.  The e-mail should include your full name, EMPL ID and SEVIS number, date you will travel and country you will travel to.  Once you are ready to return, you will need to contact us and let us know, at that time we will mail you a new I-20 form with the travel signature.  As a reminder, if your I-20 form was signed within the last 11 months, you do not need to obtain a new signature.  
 
Exchange visitors holding J-1 visas who are planning to leave the United States, may leave and once ready to return email us at oisss@ccny.cuny.edu to request an updated DS-2019 with the travel signature to be sent to your address abroad.​ I also ask that you e-mail us prior to leaving and that you include in the e-mail, your full name, SEVIS number, country you will be traveling to and address where you will be staying.  Please indicate in the subject line of your email COVID-19:  J-1 TRAVELING HOME. 

​Please keep in mind that in order to return to the United States you will need a valid visa, if the visa has expired, you will need to apply for a renewal at the American Embassy abroad.  
 
​Thank you for your patience and again reach out to us at oisss@ccny.cuny.edu if you have any further questions or concerns.
 
Maribel Morua
Director
International Student and Scholar Services

 

For information on the Coronavirus, click on the links below:

https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

NOTICE: Fall 2021 Guidance

On April 26, 2021 The Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) provided guidance for the Fall 2021 term. The Fall 2021 guidance is the same as the guidance that was implemented on March 20, 2020.

As a reminder the guidance states the following: 

Guidance for Continuing Students

  • Active F and M students will be permitted to temporarily count online classes toward a full course of study. 
  • Students actively enrolled at a U.S. school, who subsequently took courses online while outside of the country can re-enter the United States, even if their school is engaged solely in distance learning.

Guidance for Initial Students

  • New or Initial F and M students will not be able to enter the United States as a nonimmigrant student for the 2021-22 academic year if their course of study is 100 percent online. 
  • A new student should be allowed to enter the United States if they are engaged in a hybrid program, with some requirement for in-person learning. 
  • Consistent with this restriction, DSOs should not issue a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” for a student in new or Initial status who is outside of the United States and plans to take classes at an SEVP-certified educational institution that is operating fully online.
If you are an initial student planning to enter the U.S. for the first time, please contact your academic advisors as soon as possible to determine your hybrid course options. You will not be granted Active F-1 status in the U.S. without enrollment in a hybrid or in person course. 

 

NOTICE: Summer 2021 Employment Opportunities

Below please find information regarding employment opportunities for this summer. 
 
Join CUNY Recovery Corps to revitalize, reinvigorate, and rebuild NYC! 
 
Be one of the CUNY students working on projects this summer to help NYC bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. CUNY Recovery Corps is a special Summer Youth Employment Program just for CUNY. Help NYC recover AND earn over $2000 by working between July and mid-August.
 
Apply today and use PIN: CUNY2021! Our city’s public health organizations, community-based non-profits, government agencies, and schools are counting on you.
 
If you already applied to SYEP this year, no problem! Just fill out this form so we can find your application.
 
CUNY Recovery Corps students must be 16-24 years old, live in one of the five boroughs of New York City, be legally allowed to work in the US, and be a CUNY student during the spring 2021 semester and/or in fall 2021.  CLIP, CUNY Start, and Math Start students are eligible too!
 
CUNY Recovery Corps is specifically seeking students who: 
- Attend a community or comprehensive college
- Are residents of NYCHA 
- Are residents of the 33 most COVID-impacted zip codes (more information here) 
- Are in or aged out of foster care 
- Are homeless or at risk of being homeless 
- Are receiving cash assistance benefits
 
​Good luck to all applicants!

 

 

Tax Information following the release of the second stimulus payment 

The Sprintax team have provided an overview of the second stimulus payment in our latest blog post to help with any questions you might receive from your international population who might have received the additional payment. Hopefully this might help you in answering some of their questions on the matter!
 
 
In the above blog post we run through topics such as:
·         Who is eligible to keep/receive the second stimulus payment
·         Who is not eligible to keep/receive the second stimulus payment
·         What to do if you have received the payment in error
·         What to do if you already amended your tax return, returned the first stimulus payment but have now received the second payment
·         Other useful Q and A’s around the topic

Which Non-U.S. Citizens Qualify For Third Stimulus Check? – Forbes Advisor

 

Spring 2021 Newsletter - International Student Adviser

Greetings students, 

This spring, you will read about the experiences of two of your classmates as they adjust to life and CCNY in the time of Coronavirus and look forward to a return to the CCNY campus. 

​If you would like to participate in our next edition please reach out to us at oisss@ccny.cuny.edu . We look forward to hearing your feedback. 

The International Adviser - Spring 2021 Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling to New York during COVID-19

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/travel-large-gatherings-and-quarantines#quarantines

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/04/doh_covid19_faqs_updated_041720_2.pdf

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory#restricted-states

 

 

As you may know we are closely monitoring any immigration changes regarding Covid-19. We would like to share a YouTube video by Arda Beskardes, an Attorney-at-Law, who shares the latest immigration updates about this very fluid situation on his account.

Please subscribe to his account to get the most recent immigration news that may impact you.

ATTENTION SPRING 2021 NEW STUDENTS

All new International Students are required to report your arrival into the U.S. to our office. Due to COVID-19 all reporting will be done electronically. Students must complete the Student Contact Sheet, and submit copies of their passport, visa, and a printout of the I-94 to oisss@ccny.cuny.edu . 

Student Contact Sheet

The form I-94 is available by inputting your passport information in the link below.

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

 

AS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER FULL TIME

12 CREDITS UNDERGRADUATE

9 CREDITS GRADUATE

7 CREDITS PH.D

Also, in order to maintain matriculation you must be physically present within the United States

Immigration Updates

Immigration tips in times of uncertainty 

For DACA students who have reached our page, please click on this link for information specific to your status.

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/we-are-one-ccny/dreamers-and-daca

CONTACT INFORMATION

Maribel Morua
Director

North Academic
Center Room  1/107
160 Convent Avenue New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.8106/8107
f: 212.650.5833
e:  oisss@ccny.cuny.edu