New Students – COVID FAQ
New Students
New students include students coming from abroad or who are changing to F-1 status for the first time in Summer or Fall 2022. All students who are transferring or changing levels should refer to the ICE Guidance Regarding Fall 2020 which has been extended through the 2022-23 academic year. Responses to a list of frequently asked questions are located below the video.
New students may come to campus for the Fall 2022 semester if the are:
- Able to get a student visa (Canadian citizens are exempt from the visa requirement)
- Fully vaccinated according to the current U.S. Centers for for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines OR eligible to receive an exemption from the vaccination requirement
- Not enrolled entirely in online courses for the Fall 2022 semester
New students may not come to the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 visa to enroll entirely in online courses. If you plan to come to campus for the Fall 2022 semester as a new F-1 or J-1 student, you can only count one distance education or online course towards your full-time enrollment requirement. For example, a new international graduate student can enroll in 6 credit hours of in-person courses and one 3 credit hour of distance education/online course (this enrollment meets the full-time enrollment requirement of 9 credit hours for graduate students).
Before you come to the U.S. you are not subject to the F-1 or J-1 enrollment requirements and therefore online enrollment is likely possible. However, NC State is unable to offer remotely-delivered educational services to international graduate students who are currently or normally resident in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine due to export control regulations. All other students may enroll full-time or part-time in online courses from outside the U.S. However, during this time you would not have an active SEVIS record (I-20 or DS-2019) and F-1 students would not be accruing time towards eligibility for practical training benefits (CPT, OPT). Also, graduate students are not eligible for a GSSP/assistantship without an active SEVIS record.
In order to give yourself the best chance to succeed academically, we always recommend that you arrive by orientation (for Fall 2022, that is August 17, 2022). If this is not possible, you must review the late arrival policy explained in detail on our Pre-Arrival webpage.
A helpful FAQ has also been provided by the CDC, in addition to guidance issued by the U.S. Department of State. OIS is unable to provide additional guidance regarding testing outside of the U.S. or requirements for boarding other than what is mentioned here.
NC State still offers COVID-19 testing on-campus, though it is not required. All students and scholars are reminded of the COVID-19 community standards that require compliance with all directions given by university officials and public health authorities.
NC State does not currently require COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines and boosters are available at Campus Health for those interested.
Yes. COVID-19 vaccinations are available to students and will be available when students arrive prior to the Fall 2022 semester. COVID-19 vaccinations are free and more information can be found here. The vaccines available on campus are the ones currently approved for use in the United States. The specific vaccine administered will depend on what NC State has received for use that week.
For students already vaccinated or partially vaccinated with another vaccine, you will need to consult a medical professional to ask whether or not it is advisable to receive another vaccination upon arriving in the United States. OIS will not be able to answer that question for you.
We understand that there is a lot of uncertainty right now for many of our admitted students regarding whether or not you will be able to physically join us on campus in August. As a result, alternate options for Fall 2022 may include deferring your admission to a future semester or beginning your coursework online from home. Graduate students are encouraged to reach out to your particular academic department for Fall enrollment options. Undergraduate students may email Admissions at undergrad-admissions@ncsu.edu for options.