Skip to main content

Immigration Advice and Resources

Cornell offers many resources to support our international community. On this page, you'll find answers, advice, and allies for your immigration-related concerns, including campus resources for internationals, immigration emergency aid, and more.

Immigration Resources

Updated May 6, 2025

Cornell supports and stands by its immigrant and international community. Leadership and staff are working diligently to understand the changing federal landscape and how that impacts Cornell and universities around the nation.


Read the most recent travel guidance(link is external).


SEVIS Record Checks

(May 2025) All Cornell international students' records previously terminated in SEVIS were reinstated as of April 27. The International Services team conducts frequent SEVIS database checks for any status changes. Read more about SEVIS record checks(link is external) and explore the FAQ(link is external) (NetID required).


Immigration Policy Updates: What Cornell’s International Community Should Know

(March 2025) Cornell legal and immigration experts provided guidance and answered questions on U.S. immigration policy changes. Topics included travel restrictions, alien registration, visa challenges, and university resources. View video of the session and corresponding slides on the Cornell Executive Order Information(link is external) website (NetID required).


Free Consultation with Immigration Attorneys

(March 2025) To help support its community members, Cornell has engaged Miller Mayer immigration attorneys to provide free consultations(link is external) for Cornell students, faculty, and staff who wish to discuss immigration-related issues.


Local Legal Resources

(Feb. 2025) Cornell cannot provide personal legal advice, but we recognize that community members may have legal concerns related to immigration and other matters. Visit a list of local legal resources(link is external) that offer support. 


Information on Executive Orders

(Jan. 2025) Please visit Cornell's Information on Executive Orders(link is external) website for guidance and resources on how executive orders, federal agency directives, and policy announcements may impact our missions of research, teaching, public engagement, and supporting our diverse community.

Monthly Immigration Update

Excerpted from the International Services Newsletter | Updated May 5, 2025


Summer Travel

International students, faculty, and staff: If you are planning international travel over the summer, be aware that U.S. federal travel restrictions are evolving(link is external) and could impact some international citizens' ability to reenter the country. Please review the following resources: International Services Alerts(link is external), Travel Documents for Students(link is external) or Travel Documents for Scholars(link is external), and Stopped at the Border(link is external).

Remember, if you are an H-1B or O-1 employee, submit your I-94(link is external) in myStatus(link is external) once you are back in the U.S. Find H-1B/O-1 Employment Eligibility Review under University Employment. If you have an H-1B or O-1 petition pending with USCIS, contact us(link is external) to make sure your travel plans won't disrupt your pending petition.

Leaving Cornell

If you’re an F/J student who’s graduating and leaving the U.S. or going to another university, here are some tips to help you get organized(link is external)!

Are you a J-1, H-1B, or other Cornell-sponsored employee planning to leave Cornell(link is external)? If you’re leaving before the end date on your DS-2019 (J-1) or I-797 approval notice (H-1B and O-1), you must complete the Leaving Cornell form(link is external) so that Cornell can meet the federal requirement to notify the government of your departure.

Federal Registration Requirement

U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a new process to enforce the "Alien Registration Act(link is external)," a long-standing registration requirement for non-citizens. Most permanent residents and people who were issued an I-94 during their last U.S. entry are considered registered. The enforcement rule went into effect in April.

If you believe that you or a family member are not registered and have questions about registering, we encourage you to consult with an immigration attorney(link is external). You can also review our immigration policy updates webinar(link is external) (login required), guidance from the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration(link is external), and a USCIS tool(link is external) to determine if you need to register.    

OPT Reminder

F-1 students graduating in May: If you have not applied for Optional Practical Training (OPT), there’s still time! You must be in the U.S. when you file your application. Find out more about F-1 OPT(link is external).

While you are on post-graduate OPT employment and the OPT STEM extension, you must report key details about your employment to International Services. Employment reporting is mandatory in order to maintain your legal status and continue working in the United States. Learn more at Report Your OPT or OPT STEM Employment(link is external).

CPT Internships

Do you have a summer internship? Be aware that authorization is required for off-campus work! Start by checking out our page on F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)(link is external) to see if you are eligible.

Remember: All off-campus employment must be approved on your I-20 before you begin working. If you’re on the Ithaca campus, work with International Services(link is external). Cornell Tech students should seek authorization from Cornell Tech Student and Academic Affairs(link is external).

Summer Jobs on Campus

Did you know that you can work full-time on campus during the summer if you are a continuing student and not registered for the summer term? You can start your full-time job after the end of the spring term. If you are registered for summer term, you may only work 20 hours per week.

F-1 students do not need special authorization to work on campus. You can work at any type of job on campus. J-1 students must obtain a J-1 student on-campus employment authorization letter from International Services(link is external) before starting work. Visit On-Campus Work(link is external) to find out more.    

Got a New Place? Update Your Address

If you’re an active F-1 or J-1 student or scholar, you must report changes in U.S. address, phone number, or email address to International Services within 10 days. This time frame is a legal requirement. F-1 students should use the F-1 student address update form(link is external), and J-1s should use the J-1 SEVIS address update form(link is external). Everyone else must notify USCIS(link is external) of address changes.


International Services Student FAQ

Find more answers to questions about student travel, visa status, employment rules(link is external), and more.

Support at Cornell

International Services

Cornell’s Office of Global Learning International Services(link is external) is here to help students and scholars from around the world thrive at Cornell. Talk with International Services staff about general immigration information, including visas and jobs, finding your niche in Ithaca, campus resources, and more. Get advice(link is external) from International Services.

Emergency Assistance

If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member experiencing an immigration-related emergency, find out how to get the help you need at any hour on International Services' Stopped at the Border(link is external) page.

Diversity and Inclusion

Belonging at Cornell(link is external) provides diversity, equity, and inclusion resources(link is external), including anti-racism resources, resources to combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia, and other biases due to religion to the university community.

Resources for undocumented and DACA student support(link is external) can be found on the Student and Campus Life website.

Learn about how the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs advocates for Cornell's international community.

Guidance and Counseling

Housing in Ithaca


Support from Off-Campus