Dear International Students and Scholars,
ISSS would like to provide you with important updated information regarding ISSS operations.
To reduce risk, we have decided to move all ISSS functions to remote services only, starting Monday March 16 until Sunday, April 5. This applies to all ISSS offices at all campuses. This will have important implications for advising and processing services.
Advising Services
Please contact ISSS by email with your advising questions. If an appointment is needed, we can arrange for this by phone/skype/etc. Email your ISSS advisor or international@uconn.edu and we will respond to you as soon as we can.
Processing
Most ISSS immigration applications can be submitted online through the ISSS website. See ISSS Forms. If you cannot find the application you are looking for, email or call ISSS (860-486-3855). Students and scholars who submit applications must check their UConn email daily for important updates.
Specific information about form submission and delivery can be found below:
Travel Signature Requests:
Continuing students and scholars who are departing the U.S. must submit a Travel Information Record to ISSS for each trip outside the U.S. ISSS will not require students to submit the Enrollment Verification with your Travel Information Record request during this period of remote service. If you are leaving the U.S., simply submit the Travel Information Record through the online form. You do not need a travel signature to depart the U.S.
Check your I-20/DS-2019 form to see if it already has a valid travel signature (signed within 12 months of your expected return date, or last 6 months if on post-completion OPT). Often students already have a travel signature, and do not realize it. If it does have a valid travel signature, select in the form “I do not need a travel signature at this time. I am just reporting my travel to ISSS.”
If you need a travel signature, select “I require a travel signature and will bring my original I-20/DS-2019 to ISSS.” in the form. However, because you cannot bring your form for signature to ISSS, we will reprint a new form for you, and arrange to have it mailed to your address in the U.S. (if you will not depart within the next two weeks) or outside the U.S. (if you will depart within the next two weeks). For international mailing or express mailing, you will need to pay for the shipping of your document – ISSS will email you shipping instructions when your travel signature is complete. For domestic mailing within the U.S. we will mail your document at no cost to you through USPS. If you dropped off your form to ISSS for processing last week and have not picked it up, we will contact you regarding mailing.
OPT and Program Extension Requests:
Students who are applying for post-completion OPT authorization should submit their application forms through the ISSS website. Remember, you must complete all parts of the application and hit the SUBMIT button before your application will be considered complete.
Once processed, ISSS will send you all advisory documents related to the application by email, and we will send your updated Form I-20 with OPT recommendation by mail. Remember, students must be in the U.S. to apply for OPT. We will mail the form using standard USPS mail unless you request express shipping, which would be at your cost.
CPT, Reduced Course Load and Other Requests:
Most other ISSS requests do not require immediate paper production. For all other requests that do not require an immediate paper I-20/DS-2019 letter we will send you the document electronically with ISSS signature, and hold the paper form in our office for pick-up at a later date.
Initial I-20/DS-2019 Forms:
Requests for new student and exchange visitor I-20s and DS-2019s will still be processed. We plan to mail all forms directly from the ISSS offices through express mail. We will send you instructions for paying the express shipping fees by email.
Students/Scholars who are Finishing their Programs Early/Finishing from Home:
If you will depart the U.S. and do not plan to return to complete your program here, or wish to end your program early, submit the Program Update-Completion/Shorten record. Submit this form only if you do not plan to return to the U.S. to continue on your visa. Do NOT complete this form if you plan to continue your program, apply for OPT, or begin a new program in Fall.
Thank you all for your flexibility during this time, and please let us know if you have further questions. We will continue to provide important information to you through both the International-L listserv and the ISSS Soapbox. If any of the above information changes, we will let you know as soon as we can. Please stay connected.