Dear Members of the Brown International Student Community:
On Monday, July 6, the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced modifications to temporary exemptions for non-immigrant students that were put in place in the spring during the transition to remote learning due to COVID-19. The announcement also provided guidance for Fall 2020. These guidelines affect students differently depending on whether they are enrolled in entirely online, hybrid, or in-person courses.
While Brown University is working assiduously to analyze this guidance, below are some key implications for our international students to help plan for the for the coming fall semester:
Based on President Paxson’s announcement earlier today regarding Brown’s plan for the 2020-2021 academic year, Brown will operate in a hybrid model, offering a mix of in-person and online courses during the fall semester.
At this time, Brown will continue to monitor and analyze SEVP guidance and clarifications to ensure that all returning Brown international students will be enrolled in the required level of in-person instruction as required by SEVP. Details will be forthcoming as they become available.
International students may continue to enroll in entirely online courses of study while outside the U.S., but will not be eligible to obtain a new F-1 visa stamp or re-entry into the U.S. to engage in a fully online course of study. Those who are presently in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa and choose to enroll entirely online are required to depart the U.S.
For first year undergraduate students, we are awaiting SEVP guidance for Spring 2021.
Although this is disappointing news and comes at a stressful time for our international student community, our planning for Fall 2020 has provided us with greater flexibility to contend with this evolving context. We will issue further guidance in a comprehensive FAQ for International Students as information becomes available, including information about remote enrollment, travel information and other academic policies.
We are committed to working with you to develop academic continuity plans for degree completion. We will support and respect your decision on how to best complete your fall academic semester—either returning to Brown or remaining in your home country. For general support, please contact [email protected] (undergraduate students), [email protected] (graduate students), or [email protected] (medical school students). For questions related to visa and immigration, please contact [email protected].
Sincerely,
The Global Brown team