ICE Issues ‘New International Student’ Guidance

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued new guidance specific to new international students. We recognize these shifting polices continue to cause unnecessary anxiety, fear and frustration for our international student community. However, this directive should not have a significant impact on our Syracuse University students.

Specifically, the guidance advises that new international students will be prohibited from traveling to the United States if their academic studies are entirely online. Currently, 99 percent of our undergraduate students are enrolled in a combination of in-person or hybrid classes, in addition to some online coursework, this semester. Our academic advisors will work with our students to ensure that any new international undergraduates will have sufficient face-to-face coursework to meet the ICE requirement. International students currently in the United States may, consistent with prior guidance, study in the U.S. regardless of the modality of their coursework.

We will also work to ensure that all new international graduate students have access to in-person courses. New graduate students will review their planned coursework with their advisor or the director of graduate studies to ensure their classes will meet the requirement.

Today’s guidance did offer one assurance: Should Syracuse University transition from residential, in-person/hybrid learning to online learning after the semester has already begun due to the pandemic, international students will not be penalized, nor will they have to leave the country.

There are numerous resources available to our international students. We encourage students who believe they may be impacted by this guidance to contact the Center for International Services at international@syr.edu or 315.443.2457.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost

Amanda Nicholson
Interim Deputy Senior Vice President, Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience

Peter Vanable
Dean, Graduate School