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COVID-19 Updates & FAQs for International Students

Week of July 20

From: Center for Global Study and Engagement <global@dickinson.edu>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2020 4:59 PM
Cc: Hendrickson, Melodi <hendricm@dickinson.edu>
Subject: A Message from CGSE to FIRST-YEARS - 07.24.2020
Importance: High
 
Hello from Carlisle, International First-years –
 
The Center for Global Study & Engagement acknowledges that your situation as a first-year F-1 student is incredibly challenging. Thank you for your continued patience as we have worked extremely hard to get you clear, accurate information on your first year here at Dickinson.
 
Earlier today, July 24, 2020, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.), under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, released updated guidance and clarifying FAQ’s for the Fall 2020 term. These brief updates brought clarity on “initial status” F-1 students:
 
  • If you are planning to defer to the Spring or Fall 2021 term, we will be in touch in September with your next steps for securing your F-1 visa.
  • If you are planning to study full-time at one of our “Study Abroad from Home” programs in China, Vietnam, Korea, England, and Nepal, you will be enrolled as a Dickinson student but your SEVIS record will not be activated. Activation cannot happen until you enter the U.S. and report to campus in Carlisle. (Eligible students for Nepal will receive information on this program early next week.)
  • If you are planning to study full-time online with Dickinson from your home country, you will be enrolled as a Dickinson student but your SEVIS record will not be activated. Activation cannot happen until you enter the U.S. and report to campus in Carlisle.
  • If you were hoping to come to campus to study this fall, but are still outside of the U.S., the current guidance states you will not be permitted to enter the U.S. (Exceptions to this are made for those of you who were in “active status” in a U.S. high school on March 9th. I will reach out to you directly in a future email next week re: your circumstance.) We are so very sorry if you have already booked airline tickets or made other arrangements in hopes to attend on-campus this Fall. Please be in touch with your International Admissions Counselor regarding your next steps. Any of the above options (in the first three bullet points) are still available to you.
  • If you are already in the U.S. due to your prior F-1 status at a U.S.-based high school, you must enroll full-time at Dickinson this Fall in order to maintain your status. We will then be able to activate your SEVIS record no matter where you are studying online (either from campus or from a remote location.) I will reach out to you directly in a future email next week re: your unique circumstance.
  • If you are studying with Dickinson this fall as a U.S. dual-citizen, none of these regulations affect you and you are welcome to study remotely just like every other domestic first-year (or petition to come to campus.)
  • If you are studying with Dickinson this fall as a student on a visa other than an F-1, please check with the sponsor of your visa to assure nothing has changed with your regulations/guidance due to COVID-19. If nothing has changed, you are welcome to study remotely just like every other domestic first-year (or petition to come to campus.)
 
We hope this communication has clarified many of the questions you have been wondering. We are committed to communicating with you again soon with additional details. Hang in there, everyone! We are in this together and still so very thankful you have chosen Dickinson College. We look forward to seeing you on campus soon, hopeful this Spring!
 
Warmly,
Melodi, on behalf of the entire team at CGSE (Kristine, Keyana, Katie, Sam, Marissa, and Stephanie)
 
Melodi Hendrickson
Assistant Director, International Student & Scholar Services
Center for Global Study & Engagement
Dickinson College
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
 

From: Center for Global Study and Engagement <global@dickinson.edu>
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2020 8:18 PM
Subject: A message from CGSE - 07.20.2020
Importance: High

 
Hello, International Students –
 
CGSE promised you a Monday email, so I am here to share a few quick points of communication:
 
  1. The updated FAQ’s from CGSE for the Fall 2020 semester are almost done. Although it was not our intention to delay their release, we received reliable information that there may be clarifying details coming from I.C.E. soon. We don’t know what “soon” actually means, but we have decided it is wiser to delay our own FAQ’s, FAQ’s that may include answers we will need to change in short time. We don’t want to confuse you or change our explanations of guidance more than we have to, so thank you for your continued patience.
  2. We continue to remain committed to you in our consistent and clear communications, so if we still have not yet heard from I.C.E./SEVP by Wednesday morning, I will send you what we have, knowing full well that some of the details may need to change if new information is indeed released from I.C.E./SEVP.
  3. In the meantime…
    1. if you have not reviewed the Dickinson FAQ page for the Fall Reopening, please click here.
    2. a great resource for your F-1 visa guidance is the “Study in the States” website.
    3. If you are interested in where I.C.E. posts all of their official guidance and FAQ’s:
      1. Scroll down to the sub-menu titled “Nonimmigrant Students and SEVP-certified Schools” and hit expand. All of the current guidance and FAQ’s can be found there.
 
We will be in touch again soon!
 
Still caring for you,
Melodi, on behalf of the entire team at CGSE (Kristine, Keyana, Katie, Sam, Marissa, and Stephanie)
 
Melodi Hendrickson
Assistant Director, International Student & Scholar Services
Center for Global Study & Engagement
Dickinson College
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers