International Students and Scholars

Please visit the Wake Forest COVID-19 planning web page at ourwayforward.wfu.edu. This web page provides links to information from government agencies as well.

For information from ICE/SEVP please visit their FAQs.

Per the Student Health Center “please call the Student Health Service (336-758-5218) or your primary health care provider. Seek medical attention if you experience fever, cough or difficulty breathing. It is recommended that those who think they may have been exposed call ahead before going to the Student Health Service, their primary care physician, or an emergency room.”

Please contact Residence Life and Housing for specific quarantine and housing-related questions:  housing@wfu.edu.  

Yes, currently SEVP has issued guidance in coordination with the Department of State and Customs & Border Protection (CBP) stating that I-20s with electronic Designated School Official (DSO – ISSS staff) signatures can be used for visa interview and travel purposes.

The 5-month rule is generally considered to be in reference to an absence of more than five months that is unconnected to study. If you are continuing to make academic progress in your classes remotely and your visa status is kept Active you should be able to return to Wake Forest on your current visa and I-20. Be sure that you have a valid travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019. Travel signatures are valid for one year.  Remember that Wake Forest is operating on a Hybrid Model and F-1 students must enroll in at least one on-campus class in order to enter the United States.

Undergraduates who have decided to take a semester or gap year and do not plan to return to campus for a future semester should notify the Office Academic Advising of their plans and request a Continuous Enrollment Status (CES), Leave of Absence, or withdraw from the university as soon as possible. 

Graduate students will need to request a Leave of Absence or withdrawal from their graduate school.

Please email iss@wfu.edu if you plan to take a Leave of Absence semester so that we can accurately update your immigration status.

The SEVP guidance for Spring and Fall 2020 has been extended to Spring 2021. Continuing international students with Active SEVIS records may enroll in exclusively online courses this Spring semester from your home country in order to maintain your academic progress and visa status.

Students who will reside in the U.S. this fall should enroll in as few online courses as possible while maintaining academic progress. Wake Forest is providing a hybrid model this Spring so some on-campus enrollment is strongly recommended for international students who are in the U.S. to maintain their visa status. This is an extra layer of protection to ensure that you are compliant with any current or future immigration requirements.

Courses taught as Online or Blended with Online Pathway will not count as on campus as you can complete these courses without ever coming to campus.

Although your SEVIS record will be closed, your F-1 entry visa may not be canceled. Current students with unexpired visas whose SEVIS records are terminated and who are issued a new Initial I-20 or reactivated I-20 s for spring or fall 2021 should contact the consulate that issued their visa to confirm that they can continue to use it for entry with their new SEVIS record and I-20.

Students whose SEVIS records are terminated for any reason other than Authorized Early Withdrawal should apply for a new visa before re-entering the United States with their new Initial I-20.

Continuing Wake Forest students who are approved to enroll in an official Wake Forest Study Abroad program are eligible to remain in Active SEVIS status. To learn more about what Wake Forest Study Abroad programs are available, please email studyabroad@wfu.edu. This option is not available for students who have been issued I-20s for Initial Attendance.

The travel validation signature is required for re-entry to the U.S. The travel signature is not needed to depart the U.S. The I-20/DS-2019 signature is valid one year from the date signed. 

You can request many processing actions through your ISSDeacs (issdeacs.wfu.edu) account including requesting an I-20 reprint. We recommend that you first start a request in your ISSDeacs account and email iss@wfu.edu if you are having any trouble.

Currently, ISSS is uploading all I-20/DS-2019 reprint requests to students’ ISSDeacs account.

Students should email Housing housing@wfu.edu for details.

To confirm on-campus enrollment for travel purposes, students can request a Verification of Enrollment that includes confirmation of on-campus courses from their Academic Unit or their School’s Registrar’s Office and print out a course schedule that includes course meeting times and locations.

We are hopeful that visa services will resume in full in the near future. The Department of State recently added several updates to its web site (travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html) including this FAQ on “phased resumption of routine visa services”: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/

Travel Restrictions

There are currently five different travel-related Presidential Proclamations in place that are banning entry to the U.S. from certain countries.  These proclamations will remain in effect until terminated by the President. The President has the authority to ban additional countries from entering the U.S. at any time.

NAFSA is a great resource to see updated information about travel-related Presidential Proclamations.  

UPDATE:

The President has not terminated the Presidential Proclamation banning entry to the U.S. from the Schengen area, the UK, and Ireland at this time.  However, we’ve heard reports that some students who already have a valid F-1 visa may be eligible for a National Interest Exception (NIE) which would allow them to possibly enter the U.S. from one of these countries.   We recommend you contact your embassy for guidance on this, as there is conflicting information on whether an NIE is needed for entry directly from the Schengen area, the UK, and Ireland.  Even if you were granted a NIE, remember that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) always has the discretion on whether you are granted lawful admission to the U.S.  In the absence of an official announcement from the Department of State, Customs and Border Protection, and the White House, entry at this time from the Schengen area, the UK, and Ireland remains risky. 

According to current USCIS guidance, you cannot apply for OPT from outside of the United States. If you want to obtain OPT, we recommend that you complete your last semester from within the U.S. and do not travel outside of the U.S. until after you have applied for OPT and you receive your EAD card, and/or the travel restrictions for reentry have been lifted.

Please communicate with your supervisor to determine what steps you need to take to end or adjust your employment. Send iss@wfu.edu an email to confirm your plans and receive direct advice regarding your visa status.

We have reached out to SEVP for additional guidance on this issue. For now we recommend reporting unpaid or volunteer work related to your field to avoid using unemployment days. If you need help finding this kind of work, contact your academic department for ideas on unpaid or volunteer employment in your field.

Yes, ISSS has posted the OPT Information Session in the ISSDeacs OPT Application. Once you finish the ISSDeacs OPT Application you can sign up for a virtual OPT Review session here. 

We are aware that USCIS receipt and payment processing is taking much longer than usual. ISSS cannot expedite the processing of your receipt or payment. If you used a shipping option with tracking make sure to keep your tracking information you can verify when your application was actually delivered to USCIS.