International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) centralizes immigration advising resources and co-curricular support programming for international students and scholars on campus. Our goal is to serve the needs of our international students and scholars and to enhance their experience in the United States and to integrate them into our community, while also contributing to their success during their tenure at SJSU and beyond.

Immigration Guidelines for the 2023-2024 academic year

Effective May 11, 2023, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, following the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency on April 10, 2023.

Although SEVP’s COVID-19 guidance is terminated as of May 11, 2023, active F-1 students will be able to complete the 2022-23 academic year under the COVID-19 flexibilities through the 2023 summer semester. For the 2023-2024 academic year, regulations will revert back to pre-COVID, requiring enrollment in in-person courses with the exception of one online course per semester. ISSS will post more thorough guidance in the coming weeks.

For further information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for SEVP Stakeholders About COVID-19.

As of May 12, 2023, nonimmigrants traveling to the United States no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight. For more information, please refer to the CDC travel guidance.

ISSS will continue to update our FAQ pages for current and new students. Please know that we remain committed to all of our Global Spartans, current and new. 

News & Updates  

  • On March 6, 2023 USCIS announced Premium Processing; New Online-Filing Procedures for Certain F-1 Student Seeking OPT or OPT OPT Extensions.  Please see the following employment pages for more information: Pre-Completion OPT, Post-Completion OPT ,  STEM OPT.

  • In-Person & Zoom Advising Appointments  -Drop by during walk-in advising (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, from 9-11am and 2-4pm and Thursday from 2-4 pm) or schedule a virtual advising appointment with an international student advisor. Learn more about the exact schedule by going HERE.
  • In-Person & Zoom Front Desk Q/A -  Have a quick question? Join our Front Desk Q/A! Either walk in for in-person advising or join the front desk Q/A zoom session, Monday through Friday. The detailed schedule is available HERE. If your question is brief, please choose this option rather than booking an appointment.
  • F-1 FAQ for Covid-19 - We have compiled a FAQ list based on your queries. This FAQ addresses travel, employment, online courses, Credit/No-Credit courses, etc. during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to scheduling an appointment with us, please review this FAQ.