[ARCHIVE] FAQs on Visas and Immigration – Continuing Students
UPDATE (7/13/2020): This page is being reviewed for updates following the July 6 ICE announcement regarding changing Fall 2020 rules. Please read through our FAQs for the July 6 Announcement for the most recent questions and answers.
Who is a "continuing student"?
For visa purposes, continuing students are students who were enrolled at Tufts in active student status (as active F-1 or J-1 students) in Spring 2020, and who are expected to continue working toward their degree or certificate objectives in Fall 2020. The information below does not apply to students who are completing their programs in Summer 2020.
Continuing Students: Programs Continuing In-Person for Fall 2020
If your program plans to resume on-campus classes for Fall 2020, you are eligible to maintain your status as long as you can enroll for a full-time course load and continue making progress toward your degree.
As a rule, you should limit your Fall 2020 enrollment to only one on-line class. An on-line class is a class that does not require on-campus presence or physical attendance. In Spring 2020, students were allowed to transition to a completely on-line format due to COVID-19. However, we are still waiting for final guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security to see if students will be allowed to take more than one on-line class in the Fall 2020 semester.
Please wait for confirmation from your school and/or department regarding class schedules and campus re-opening dates. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tufts is planning to reopen campus in different stages, with accommodations being made to permit physical distancing and other safety measures. School plans will differ depending on your exact program, campus location, and other factors.
You are not required to come to the US if you do not feel comfortable or safe doing so at this time. However, please talk to your school about options for possibly taking classes on-line from your home country. Availability of on-line options will differ from school to school and program to program. You may also ask them if there are options to simply defer to a later semester.
Once you have discussed the matter with your school and confirmed your decision, please notify your International Center advisor. If you decide to return home for the Fall 2020 semester, we may need to process an approved leave of absence and update your SEVIS record. Depending on your length of stay outside the US, your I-20 or DS-2019 may need to be canceled. We are still waiting for additional guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security for visa processing guidelines for continuing students in this situation.
Continuing Students: Programs Remaining On-line for Fall 2020
As of June 15, 2020 the International Center is still waiting for updated US Department of Homeland Security guidance regarding Fall 2020 classes. We will provide updated information once it becomes available.
Currently, while waiting for federal government guidance, the International Center recommend the following:
- The International Center recommends that continuing students still in the US not leave the US until the regulatory situation is clarified. We expect that students who are still residing in the US will be allowed to start studying at Tufts in the fall semester even if classes are entirely or partially on-line. However, please note that this may be subject to change at a later date once the Department of Homeland Security issues final guidance.
- Continuing students who are outside the US may choose to remain outside the US and start their Tufts programs by taking on-line classes from their home countries or countries of residence. However, we are waiting for additional instructions on how to process your SEVIS record if you are not able or you choose not to come to the US until a later date, such as Spring 2021 or later.
- Continuing students who are outside the US but who want to return to the US may currently do so, provided that you have a valid visa, your transfer I-20 from Tufts, and you are not prevented from returning due to COVID-19 related travel suspensions.
Please contact the International Center regarding your situation. We will need to review this on a case-by-case basis.
Continuing Students: Other Questions
The International Center has assigned international student advisors to each school. To find your international student advisor, go to https://icenter.tufts.edu/contact/contact-advisor/. You can also schedule brief appointments with your advisor by going to https://icenter.tufts.edu/contact/appointments.
Yes, this is permitted (but see below). In order to maintain your SEVIS record in active status, you should continue to enroll as a full-time student engaged in research for the Fall 2020 term. As long as you are maintaining active full-time enrollment in your program, graduate students who are engaged in full-time field research are considered to be current students and will have their SEVIS records maintained.
Of course, in addition to registering full-time, you should note that the University travel policies currently restrict international and domestic travel due to COVID-19. You and your department should check with the current travel guidance posted at https://coronavirus.tufts.edu for updated policies on student-related travel for research, study, and related purposes.