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International Center Updates

Tuesday, January, 19th, 2021 Newsletter

January 19, 2021

The staff of the International Center would like to wish you all a healthy, successful, and pleasant start to the Spring 2021 semester! For those coming to campus, we wish you safe travels, and recommend to review our travel guidance if you have not yet arrived in Massachusetts.

Spring 2021 Study Plan
As you may know, every semester the International Center must register F-1 students in SEVIS to confirm enrollment and contact information. You are required to verify or satisfy the following:

  1. Registration as a full-time student
    1. If you are a part-time student in your last semester of study, submit a Reduced Course Load Form.
  2. Local U.S. address and phone number in SIS.  
    1. Please confirm your Local US Address listed as CURRENT ADDRESS
    2. Confirm your home country’s Foreign* address as HOME ADDRESS
    3. Confirm you have a valid phone number. Do not use dashes or add ‘1’ before area code.
  3. This semester we are requiring all continuing students to submit a Spring 2021 Study Plan* as part of the SEVIS registration process. Your F-1 status will be registered in SEVIS once the form has been received by our office.

*If you are outside the US for the duration of the Spring semester, please make sure your foreign address information in SIS (labeled “home” address) is up-to-date.

*Please submit the Spring 2021 Study Plan by Monday, February 1, 2021.

Check Your I-94 Record
The International Center is recommending that all students and scholars who have entered or will enter the US from December 2020 or later to check their I-94 records to ensure that their I-94 information is accurate. Recent reports indicate that there have been errors in I-94 processing by US Customs and Border Protection, and that these errors have taken place largely over the last two months, since December 2020. In order to ensure that any errors are caught and addressed quickly, we are recommending that you check your I-94 especially if you have recently arrived or returned to the US. Please see our announcement for more details, and visit https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home to download your I-94 upon arrival to the US.

Update on COVID-19 Entry Suspensions for Brazil, Schengen Area, UK / Ireland
On January 18, 2021 President Trump issued a proclamation indicating that the COVID-19 entry suspensions for Brazil, the Schengen Area countries, the United Kingdom, and Ireland would end effective January 26, 2021. The entry suspensions for Iran and China would remain in place. These entry suspensions restrict the ability of persons who were physically present in these countries or regions within 14 days of arriving in the US from entering the US. At this time, caution should be exercised in relying on this announcement. News reports indicate that the incoming Biden Administration, which assumes authority on January 20, will not implement this proclamation and intends to keep the COVID-19 entry suspensions in place until further notice.
The International Center will continue to monitor these developments and update this page as needed.

Optional Practical Training Workshops for Spring 2021
The International Center has scheduled several on-line Zoom workshops throughout the next few months for F-1 students interested in post-completion Optional Practical Training. Please visit our calendar for dates, times, and links to register in advance. Students who are completing their programs in Spring 2021 are strongly encouraged to attend and to apply for OPT early, as USCIS processing times can take between 3-5 months on average. Additional information about OPT can be found at https://icenter.tufts.edu/f1/f1-employment/f1-opt.

Spring 2021 International Center Peer Advisors
The International Center is looking for undergraduate international students that are interested in joining our Peer Advisor Program. This program is an extension of the International Center’s advising efforts, and exists to support international students with their adjustment to Tufts and the US through peer-to-peer support and guidance. The Undergraduate Peer Advisors will work individually and as a team to create and collect informational resources, organize student-lead events, and hold drop-in advising hours. This is a paid, part-time position, with a time commitment of 8-15 hours per week. To learn more about this program, please visit our website. If interested, please send a cover letter and resumé to internationalcenter@tufts.edu by January 25th, 2021.

Sincerely,
Tufts International Center