- What does SEVP Guidance say about Fall 2020 enrollment requirements for students currently in the United States?
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On July 24, SEVP posted their Clarifying FAQ for Fall 2020, outlining the following:
- Students actively enrolled in the U.S. on March 9, 2020 and who have otherwise maintained their lawful status, are permitted to remain in the U.S. while taking their Fall 2020 course load fully online/virtual.*
- Students actively enrolled in the U.S. on March 9, 2020, and who have otherwise maintained their lawful status and who have received a change of education level Form I-20, or who have transferred or will transfer to UMass Lowell for the Fall 2020 semester, are eligible to remain in the U.S. while taking a course load that is fully online/virtual for the fall semester.
* Some exceptions may apply, particularly involving "Change of Status" students.
- Can I return to or remain in my home country while taking classes for the fall semester?
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Yes, you can return to or remain in your home country, taking online/virtual courses for the fall semester. ISSO will keep your SEVIS record in Active status. However, we will notify you, should any further guidance be issued on this item.
- Can I take a leave of absence for the fall semester, returning for the Spring 2021 semester?
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Yes, although your failure to enroll in any courses for the Fall 2020 semester will require you to depart the U.S. prior to the start of the Fall 2020 semester (if in the U.S. currently). Thereafter, the ISSO would terminate your F-1/J-1 student status and SEVIS record. It may be possible for the ISSO to request reactivation of your SEVIS record should you wish to return for the Spring 2021 semester, though your options may be limited depending on how long your absence from the U.S. lasts. Please consult with an ISSO official before making plans to take a leave of absence for the fall semester.
- I am outside of the U.S. and plan to travel to Massachusetts, what should I know before traveling?
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Travel restrictions and protocols continue to change due to COVID-19. Any student wishing to travel should consult the CDC Travel recommendations, know the U.S. Federal and State travel restrictions, and participate in a mandatory quarantine.
In addition, SEVP has not yet confirmed whether students currently outside of the U.S. will be permitted to enter the U.S. with the intent of taking online/virtual classes only. Given this uncertainty, we recommend you enroll for at least one in-person or hybrid class for the Fall 2020 semester. All students should be enrolled for classes and have at least one in person class before attempting to enter the U.S.
Continuing/Active students will need to show the following documentation at the Port of Entry:
- Valid Form I-20 with travel signature provided in the last year
- Unexpired foreign passport, expiration date must be at least 6 months in the future
- Valid F-1 visa
- You may also wish to have a transcript reflecting enrollment.
- You may need to show a letter from ISSO attesting that UMass Lowell is not fully online for Fall 2020.
- What does the SEVP guidance allow for Change of Level Students?
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If you had previously completed a program of study and are now beginning a new program of study with the same SEVIS ID in the fall 2020 semester, please note:
Change of Level Students within the US can be treated as “active” continuing students, permitted to take a fully online course load.
Change of Level Students outside of the US can be treated as a continuing student even from overseas. ISSO will SEVIS register the student, activating his/her SEVIS record despite the student being overseas. The student can therefore engage in a fully online course load from abroad and will return for the SP21 semester already in “active” SEVIS status. No termination, deferral or data fix is necessary, as they will maintain their active SEVIS record.
- What does the SEVP guidance say about students newly changing status to F-1?
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If you had previously filed a petition to change your status to F-1, the petition was approved and - as of the Fall 2020 semester - you will now be in F-1 status, SEVP guidance would appear to indicate that you CANNOT participate in a fully-online course load. Although you may have been enrolled full-time during the Spring 2020 semester, albeit in another status, because you are now an "initial" F-1 record, SEVP guidance would appear to require at least some in-person component. Please consult your academic department to confirm your FA20 registration is not entirely online.
- What does the SEVP guidance say about transfer students?
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New transfer students already in the US and enrolling for fall, and who had not left the US since last March’s SEVP COVID-related guidance, can be considered a “continuing student”, as described in the SEVP guidance. ISSO will SEVIS register student, and students can take a fully online course load. Once SEVIS registered, the student can theoretically come and go from US throughout the semester (as they are an “active” continuing student), but risks are present, particularly as it relates to travel restrictions and CBP questioning the coming and going from the US.
New transfer students entering the US for the FA20 semester is the same as above. Students can be enrolled in a fully online course of study, and ISSO will SEVIS register student, finalizing the transfer and “activating” student’s SEVIS record under UMass Lowell sponsorship.
New transfer students outside of the US and enrolling remotely for the fall cannot have their SEVIS records activated by ISSO as they are outside of the US. ISSO will need to terminate initial “transfer-pending” records, deferring the program start to SP21 with a SEVIS data fix prior to their eventual return for the Spring 2021 semester.
Theoretically, the data fix to “reactivate” the SEVIS record for Sp21 will not have any effect on previous time accrued as it relates to off-campus work eligibility, and the 5-month rule does not appear to apply to transfers.
New transfer students outside of the US and NOT enrolling for the fall are the same situation as above. Theoretically, even without FA20 enrollment, due to COVID we would be able to defer the start of the transfer to Sp21 with a data fix, preventing any effect on time accrued for off-campus work benefits. As it is with the above, the 5-month rule also does not apply. Guidance appears to indicate that FA20 enrollment may make the data fix process go smoother, but it is not clear that enrollment is absolutely necessary to process the data fix.