Dear international students,

Wonderful news! We wanted to share how thrilled we are that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidance of July 6 has been rescinded, reversing the ruling that international students enrolled in online-only classes were required to leave the U.S. 

The withdrawal of this ruling means that the guidance issued in March, which allows currently enrolled students taking online courses to reside in the U.S. and maintain legal F-1 status, will remain in effect throughout the fall semester. We are not yet clear how this ruling will impact incoming students and are awaiting word from SEVP. We certainly hope that the extension of the March ruling applies to all, and we will communicate as soon as we know. 

We also hope that consulates may begin processing student visas again soon. A tweet sent yesterday (July 13) from the U.S Department of State suggests, “U.S. embassies and consulates are beginning the phased resumption of routine visa services. The dates for each embassy or consulate will depend on local conditions.” Please monitor the embassy or consulate website for updates.

As we continue to plan for the fall, we wanted to alert you to be on the lookout for a survey coming from the university titled Fall 2020 Enrollment Plans. It is vital that you fill out this survey. We need to know your plans for the fall in order to ensure a smooth return for those coming to campus and to support those who will remain remote. Cornell Tech students will receive a separate survey sent from Cornell Tech student services by the end of this week. 

The Office of Global Learning and the Graduate School are offering a webinar for international graduate students on Friday, July 17, at 8 am EDT to answer immigration questions specific to international graduate and professional students.

Don’t forget: you can find answers to questions about immigration, visa status, travel, and more, 24/7 at FAQ for Cornell’s International Community. Please contact our international advisors with questions specific to your circumstance. 

The past week has been a rollercoaster. Even good news can leave you feeling unsettled because many things are out of our control and subject to change. But we are in this together – we are actively gathering details on today’s reversal and will share new information as soon as we learn anything additional.

Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs
Brandon Lanners, Executive Director, Office of Global Learning
Laura Taylor, Senior Associate Director, International Services, Office of Global Learning