2021- 2022 SEVP COVID 19 Guidance for F-1 Students

On April 26, 2021, SEVP updated its COVID-19 FAQ guidance to:

• Add an updated section, "Clarifying Questions for the 2021-22 Academic Year Based on March 2020 Guidance" to reflect the 2021-22 academic year.
• "Edited existing questions and answers to reflect 2021-22 academic year. No substantive changes were made to these questions."

The first FAQ in the "Clarifying Questions" section reads:

"1. Did ICE make any changes to its March 2020 guidance for the 2021-22 academic year?

A. No. SEVP will continue to abide by guidance originally issued in March 2020 for the 2021-22 academic year and did not make any changes to the March 2020 guidance. Stakeholders should continue to refer to existing resources at ICE.gov/Coronavirus for information about the original March 2020 guidance."

In SEVP's Broadcast Message 2104-05: ICE Continues March 2020 Guidance for the 2021-22 Academic Year, SEVP states:

"The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will extend the guidance originally issued in March 2020 for the 2021-22 academic year. This guidance enables schools and students to engage in distance learning in excess of regulatory limits due to the continuing public health concerns created by COVID-19. The March 2020 guidance applies to nonimmigrant students who were actively enrolled at a U.S. school on March 9, 2020, and are otherwise complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant status, whether from inside the United States or abroad. A summary of the March 2020 guidance is available below. Significantly, there are no changes to the original guidance, which will remain in effect during the 2021-22 academic year."

This is the guidance the OISS and international students have been operating under since March of 2020.  OISS will continue to communicate responsibilities to new and continuing students on a regular basis while they remain in effect.  If you have any questions, please reach out to OISS at oiss@tulane.edu