Travel

There may be a number of reasons you or your family would want you to be home or you need to travel internationally in a time of pandemic response. Students and scholars must make international travel decisions that are in their best interest. However, please keep in mind the following considerations:

• Travel Guidance: Please keep in mind the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) general guidance regarding domestic and international travel. In addition, the CDC recommends all travelers (whether you are traveling within or outside the U.S.) follow enhanced precautions after returning from travel. Information about how to protect yourself and others through taking enhanced precautions is available on the CDC’s website here and here.
• Visa Validity, Travel Restrictions, and Return to the U.S.: Many U.S. embassies and consulates have modified or suspended their visa services. Additionally, there are currently indefinite entry restrictions for noncitizens traveling to the U.S. from certain locations. We do not know when these will be lifted or if other locations will be added. Therefore, if your visa will be expired or you may be subject to entry restrictions at the anticipated time of your return, there may be some uncertainty in terms of how quickly you may be able to return to the U.S. If you want to discuss your plans with an advisor, please contact your OIS advisor before making your decision.
• Graduating in Fall 2020 and Optional Practical Training (OPT) Eligibility: OPT is a type of off-campus employment authorization in one’s field of study typically utilized after degree completion. You cannot apply for OPT from abroad. You must be inside the U.S. with a SEVIS record that has been active for at least 1 academic year in order to be eligible to apply for OPT. If you plan to complete your degree in Fall 2020 but travel and are unable to return prior to your degree conferral date (12/4/2020 for Fall 2020), you forfeit your ability to apply for OPT. 
• Graduating in Fall 2020 and Optional Practical Training (OPT) Eligibility: OPT is a type of off-campus employment authorization in one’s field of study typically utilized after degree completion. You cannot apply for OPT from abroad. You must be inside the U.S. with a SEVIS record that has been active for at least 1 academic year in order to be eligible to apply for OPT. If you plan to complete your degree in Fall 2020 but travel and are unable to return prior to your degree conferral date (12/4/2020 for Fall 2020), you forfeit your ability to apply for OPT. 
• SEVIS Record and the “5 month rule”: The “5 month rule” refers to the interruption of a student’s F-1 status due to the student being outside of the United States for more than five months. However, under the SEVP guidance, as long as you remain enrolled full-time, your SEVIS record can remain active even if you are enrolled from abroad and in all online courses. Furthermore, the guidance also states that “the five-month temporary absence provision addressed in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(f)(4) will not apply for students who remain in Active status.”  As such, we expect the 5 month rule to be waived for students who continue to engage in classes online while abroad with an active SEVIS record. If you are currently abroad or go abroad, we recommend you consult your OIS advisor prior to being abroad for more than 5 months so we can give you the most up to date information at that time.

Before you travel, please review the above question “Can/Should I travel internationally?” for advice and considerations on international travel.

• F-1 students: OIS recommends that all F-1 students travelling back to the US for the Fall semester carry a copy of an I-20 updated with the University’s operational status for Fall 2020.  **Please submit the OIS Travel Document Request to request this updated I-20**.  OIS will process your new I-20, prioritizing imminent travel dates, and will email you an electronic copy of the new I-20 when it is ready. We are still operating under our priority processing approach and Travel Requests are considered priority so we will process it accordingly. Per SEVP guidance, an I-20 issued electronically during the COVID-19 pandemic is the valid, original document.  F-1 students on OPT do not need this updated I-20 but should pay attention to the date of your last travel signature (valid for six months only; read more on our FAQ for travel on OPT).
• J-1 students: Travel signatures for currently enrolled J-1 students, J-1 students on Academic Training, and active J-1 scholars/student interns are valid for one year from the date of the signature.  No new DS-2019 is needed for your travel as long as you have a current travel signature.  J-1 students needing an updated travel signature should email ois@ncsu.edu a completed travel endorsement form. 

Please contact your OIS advisor so we can discuss your particular circumstances. Extensions might be possible in some cases; in others, we may refer you to an immigration attorney to discuss the possibilities of a change of status application.