Campus & Community

IMPORTANT: Guidance for International Graduate Students

Thursday, June 3, 2021, By News Staff

Dear Syracuse University International Graduate Student:

We are thrilled to welcome you to the Syracuse University campus. We are looking forward to seeing you and excited to begin the academic year.

We appreciate your patience as the University has responded to rapidly changing circumstances. These include both pandemic conditions and the rate of visa approvals. We are writing today to share important information and highlight key steps you need to take to ensure that you have a successful 2021-22 academic year.

What You Need to Know About COVID-19 and Vaccination Requirements:
All students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated before coming to campus unless they have a medical or religious exemption. The University has seen very few positive cases of COVID-19 as vaccination has become widespread. As a result, the Syracuse University Public Health Team has now relaxed many virus-related restrictions on campus. We are confident that the 2021-22 academic year will provide a normal, vibrant on-campus experience.

For students who have been vaccinated outside of the United States, you will meet Syracuse University’s vaccine requirement so long as the vaccination you obtained has been approved by the World Health Organization. As of June 1, 2021, the WHO has approved Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac and the Serum Institute of India vaccines.

If the vaccine that you received outside of the U.S. is not on the WHO approved list or if you have not been able to obtain the vaccine, you can receive the vaccine upon arrival in Syracuse.

For a detailed overview of COVID-19 vaccination procedures and requirements, please refer to the Stay Safe FAQ.

All Syracuse University students are expected to study at Syracuse University’s main campus and attend in-person classes in New York. Coming to campus will allow you to accommodate all your interests and enable you to be fully engaged with your research, coursework and internships.

If you are able to obtain a visa to study in the U.S., you should do so. If circumstances may impact your timely arrival for the start of classes, please contact your graduate program as soon as possible to advise them of your situation.

What You Need to Do Now:

For international students traveling to the U.S.:

  •  Apply for your visa as soon as possible.
  • Once you have obtained a visa, contact your program to advise them of your status.
  • Verify that the vaccine you received in your home country or elsewhere is included in the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved list.
  • If you have not been fully vaccinated prior to arrival or your vaccine is not included on the WHO-approved list, you will be able to secure vaccination in Syracuse or elsewhere in the U.S. Search for a U.S. vaccination site and schedule an appointment using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s search tool. This site also allows you to search based on vaccine. The ZIP code for Syracuse is 13244.
  • Plan to arrive early enough to receive the one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine or to complete both doses of the Moderna (28 days between doses) or Pfizer (21 days between doses) before accessing campus. As soon as you have received all recommended doses of an approved vaccine and uploaded documentation into the Student Patient Portal, you can access campus. Students with questions about their vaccination status may contact the Barnes Center for further guidance.

For all international students:

If you have any questions, please connect with the following Syracuse University offices:

Please visit the Stay Safe site for updates and the latest guidance for your arrival on campus.

Again, we look forward to seeing you in Syracuse!

Sincerely,

Peter A. Vanable
Associate Provost for Graduate Studies
Dean of the Graduate School
Professor of Psychology

Juan Tavares
Director
Center for International