This page contains immigration updates and planning resources relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been issued for the information and benefit of the Tufts international student, scholar, and employee community. This information is regularly updated.
Please note that any questions regarding Tufts University COVID-19 testing and vaccination policies and COVID-19 related resources must be directed to the COVID-19 support team at covid19@tufts.edu. See also https://coronavirus.tufts.edu for additional information. Any questions about individual medical conditions relating to COVID-19 or other conditions should be directed to the Student Health Service or your medical care provider.
The University announced on December 17, 2021 that it will require COVID-19 vaccination booster shots by February 15, 2022 or within 30 days of becoming eligible for a booster shot. For information, read the announcement by the Dr. Michael Jordan, the University Infection Control Health Director at https://icenter.tufts.edu/blog/2021/12/19/booster-shot-spring-2022/.
UPDATE (12/27/21): According to news reports, the Biden Administration will remove the 14-day entry suspension previously announced on November 26, affecting air travel to the US from certain southern African countries (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia). The entry suspension will be lifted at midnight on December 31, allowing persons physically present in the listed countries to travel to the US effective January 1, 2022, without having to divert to a third country for 14 days prior to seeking entry to the US.
ORIGINAL POST (11/26/21): On November 26, 2021 the Biden Administration announced a 14-day entry suspension on travelers coming to the US who were physically present in one or more of the following countries: Botwana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. This is due to the recent emergence of the new 'Omicron' variant of COVID-19, which has been identified by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern. The entry suspension goes into effect on Monday, November 29, 2021. For more information read this announcement.
New Travel Guidance Effective November 8, 2021 (10/25/2021)
By Presidential Proclamation issued on October 25, 2021: Effective November 8, 2021 nonimmigrant international air travelers to the US will be required to show the following prior to boarding their international flight to the US:
The above restrictions apply to all nonimmigrant air travelers, with limited exceptions for certain age groups and categories. For more information and details on these requirements, read the following:
With the new November 8 guidelines, previous country-based COVID-19 entry restrictions, as well as National Interest Exception allowances permitting direct air travel to the US, have been revoked and no longer apply. Persons who were physically present in China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and India are eligible to travel directly to the US provided that they can provide documentation of full vaccination as well as a negative COVID-19 test result taken within the specified time frame prior to departure for the US.
Updated January 21, 2022
Effective January 22, 2022, all non-US citizens or permanent residents traveling to the US from Canada or Mexico by land or ferry will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry into the US. This applies to travelers coming to the US for both 'essential purposes' (e.g., work or study) as well as non-essential reasons (e.g., tourism).
In addition, NAFSA's Controls at Land Ports of Entry on Canadian and Mexican Borders section of the COVID-19 Restrictions on U.S. Visas and Entry page offers a helpful summary.
Updated 11/8/2021
The following guidance has been prepared for international students and scholars who are preparing to come to Tufts this Spring 2021 term. The guidance has been developed in conjunction with other University resources including information found at https://coronovirus.tufts.edu.
Please note that information on this page may change with little advance notice due to shifting COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Please check back regularly and consult multiple information resources as you plan your travel. This guidance does not provide any guarantee that you will be able to enter either the US or another country successfully. Given changing worldwide conditions, different countries and airlines may impose their own health requirements and travel restrictions. Always consult with the information provided to you by your home country health and government authorities as well as the resources below when making your plans.
Do not travel if you are feeling unwell, or if you have been in close contact within the past 14 days with someone who was or is ill.
For the 2021-2022 school year, Tufts University continues to operate under a combination of academic requirements involving in-person, hybrid, and remote instruction.
| Requirements to Maintain Valid F-1 Status | If You Plan to Be Inside US During Spring 2022 | If You Plan to Be Outside US During Spring 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Newly Arriving Students
You are a "new student" if you are coming to the US in Spring 2022 on a Tufts I-20 and F-1 / J-1 student visa for the first time, even if you started your Tufts program remotely (outside the US) during a previous term. |
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| Continuing Students & Transfer Students
You are a "continuing" (or transfer") student if you already came to the US in F-1 status during the 2020-2021 academic year (or earlier) and already have active F-1 status based on attendance at Tufts or another school. |
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| Deferring or Leave of Absence Students |
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Q. What is the difference between in-person, hybrid, and online / virtual classes?
For immigration purposes, we are distinguishing between three different types of classes:
In general, the International Center uses the terminology adopted by the schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering which are also reflected in the Student Information System (SIS). However, different schools may describe or label course modalities somewhat differently (e.g., on-line or virtual classes may be described as 'remote' classes instead). Students should just keep in mind the differences between courses that require physical presence for all activities (in-person classes) or some activities (hybrid classes) versus those classes that are taught completely through electronic or other means (on-line or virtual classes).
Q. How will the International Center know what kinds of classes I am taking?
When determining whether or not you are complying with the online / in-person restrictions, the International Center will review official school records, and particularly on how courses are categorized or labeled in the Student Information System (SIS). We will NOT be monitoring the week-to-week activities for each individual course to decide whether it is on-line or in-person, etc. We assume that how a course is labeled in SIS or the equivalent accurately reflects whether the course is on-line, in-person, or hybrid.
While the International Center may review any student's record at any time, it is up to each individual student to ensure that they are meeting the University's policy requiring international students to enroll for a minimum of one in-person or hybrid class.
Q. If my program is 'hybrid' does that mean my classes are 'hybrid'?
No. When a program is described as "hybrid" this means that it is offering a mixture of different types of classes - online, in-person, and hybrid classes. A hybrid class is a class that involves a mixture of online and in-person instructional activities.
Q. Are there classes that are in-person by definition?
As a rule these classes are generally considered in-person because they are primarily self-directed research or learning activities:
*You should review how any internship or practicum credits are labeled in the Student Information System, since that will determine whether the class is hybrid or in-person or virtual. Many internships credits are now being offered only virtually, so the class description may vary.
Q. What is practical training?
Practical training is a benefit for F-1 students that lets them work in the US to get additional training in their major field of study. There are two main types of practical training: curricular practical training (CPT) and optional practical training (OPT). CPT is used during studies for off-campus internship or practicum experiences. While OPT can be used before completing studies, most students use OPT for employment and training after finishing studies (post-completion OPT).
Q. What is the waiting period before I can start working for CPT or OPT?
Both types of practical training - CPT and OPT - require you to have completed at least one academic year (two semesters) of full-time study inside the US before you can start using your CPT or apply for OPT. The only exception to this waiting period requirement is if you are a graduate student and your program requires students to do a mandatory (required) internship or practicum in the first year of physical presence in the US.
Q. What happens if I am studying outside the US for part or all of the year due to COVID-19? How does this affect the waiting period?
Unfortunately, the rules for becoming eligible to do CPT or OPT have not changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under current Department of Homeland Security rules, you must still have studied on a full-time basis inside the US for at least two semesters before you would qualify for CPT or OPT. Therefore:
Q. What happens if I take a leave of absence during a semester? How does this affect the waiting period?
A leave of absence (for non-medical reasons) is technically a break in status and may affect your OPT / CPT eligibility. It also requires us to terminate your SEVIS record and I-20, rendering it inactive while you are outside the US during your leave of absence. Your OPT / CPT eligibility will depend on how long you are outside the US. If it is only one semester and you are gone for only five months or less, we will ask the US Department of Homeland Security to consider reactivating your I-20 from 'inactive' to 'active' status. If Homeland Security approves, your previous time in the US will count toward the one year waiting period. If Homeland Security does not approve the request, or if you are outside the US is more than five months, you will need to come back to the US on an initial attendance I-20 and restart the OPT / CPT "clock," which requires two semesters of full-time study. Unfortunately, the International Center is unable to provide any guarantees about how the Department of Homeland Security will process a reactivation request.
Note that this doesn't apply to F-1 students who qualify for a medical leave of absence and are approved by the International Center for a medical reduced course load. In these cases, a medical leave doesn't require departure from the US and you are considered to be maintaining valid F-1 status during that time.
Q. Can I do internships or training outside the US? Do I need to get approval for CPT or OPT approval?
F-1 rules and regulations don't apply outside the US, so you do not need to apply for OPT or CPT if your internship or training experience will be outside the US. However, you should review the exact situation with your International Center advisor and with your internship provider. Depending on the timing and how long you will be gone from the US (or if you will return to the US at all), we may need to give you advice about your enrollment and immigration status. Otherwise, work with your employer about your training experience.
Q. I got an internship but due to COVID-19, the internship had to be canceled. What should I do about my CPT approval?
You do not need CPT if your internship activity has been canceled and will no longer will take place. However, since most students have to register for internship or practicum credit with their Tufts department or program, talk to the program about alternative ways of getting practical, internship experience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many departments are working with students and faculty to provide alternative learning experiences that can 'substitute' for your original internship or practicum offer.
Q. I am studying outside the US and it will be my final semester. Can I apply for post-completion OPT from my home country?
USCIS application instructions state that you must apply for OPT from inside the US while in F-1 student status. This has not changed during the pandemic. This means that to apply for OPT, you are supposed to do while inside the US in F-1 status.
Q. Due to COVID-19, will the rules on unemployment be relaxed? I know that as an F-1 student on post-completion OPT, I am only given 90 days when I do not have to have any employment. (STEM OPT students are given an additional 60 days of unemployment.)
The Department of Homeland Security has not relaxed the 90-day unemployment rule for standard post-completion OPT or the additional 60 days of unemployment during the STEM OPT extension. Students are still expected to have valid OPT / STEM OPT employment. Remember that for post-completion OPT, acceptable employment can include volunteering, self-employment, and other paid or unpaid activities. As long as the activities are related to your major, you can include this as valid post-completion OPT employment. (However, STEM OPT must be a paid employment relationship with a STEM employer.)
Effective November 8, 2021 previous Presidential Proclamations placing restrictions on direct travel to the US from certain countries, with the intent of limiting the spread of SARS-COV-2, have been revoked. These proclamations concerned travel from China (PP 99840, Iran (9992), Brazil, South Africa, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland (10143), and India (10199).
The National Interest Exception (NIE) allowing US consulates to grant exceptions to these restrictions has correspondingly been voided. Nonimmigrant air travelers, regardless of origin, will need to comply with COVID-19 vaccination and test result requirements prior as a condition of boarding their international flight to the US.
On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation ("Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak") that ordered restrictions on the ability of persons to enter the United States in certain types of visa classifications that allow US-based employment. These visa classifications include the H-1B and H-2B visas, certain categories of the J-1 exchange visitor visa, and L visas. The restrictions go into effect at 12:01am EDT on Thursday, June 24 and will last until December 31, 2020 unless otherwise terminated or extended.
NOTE:
For Tufts, the primary population affected are new H-1B employees who, on the effective date, were outside the US and who did not have a valid H-1B visa to come to the US to start employment at Tufts. H-1B employees already in the US with approved or pending H-1B petitions are not affected. However, current employees should consult with the International Center regarding future travel plans if they do not already have a valid H-1B visa.
J-1 exchange visitors in higher education contexts - including J-1 research scholars, short-term scholars, professors, specialists, and students - are not affected by this Proclamation. In addition, the Proclamation does not mention or include any restrictions impacting F-1 students. Read the International Center's announcement regarding this Proclamation.
On April 20, 2020 President Trump announced his intention to impose a temporary 60-day suspension on US immigration due to the economic impact of COVID-19. This suspension applies to the ability of certain persons to enter under immigrant visas issued after April 23, 2020 and does not apply to non-immigrant visas (e.g., F-1, J-1, H-1B and other visas). The extension may be extended at a later juncture if deemed necessary. Please read our current statement (April 22, 2020) regarding the suspension. NOTE: On December 31, 2020 President Trump issued a Proclamation extending this suspension until March 31, 2021. On February 24, 2021, President Biden rescinded the original proclamation and the extension proclamation. This suspension is no longer in effect.