New Students

Email:  international@psu.edu

Continuing  Students

1. Complete a SUBMIT A QUESTION eForm in iStart.gp.psu.edu.
2. Make a Zoom appointment in Starfish at https://psu.starfishsolutions.com/starfish-ops/instructor/serviceCatalog.html#/search?q=DISSA
3. Call 1-814-865-6348 (#2).  You must leave a message with your name, PSU ID, and telephone number.  It is unlikely an adviser will answer the telephone when you call because the adviser will be on a call with another student.

Updated: December 01, 2021

Health insurance is a mandatory requirement for international students physically attending PSU and must be maintained for the 2021-2022 academic year.  Not carrying the health insurance is a violation of the Code of Conduct and will be treated as such.  The fee for the Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) will show up in LionPATH after the fall tuition is calculated at the end of June and will be billed on a semester basis (fall 2021 coverage period is 08/13/2021-12/31/2021).

If you are an international student but you will not be physically attending PSU in the U.S. during fall 2021, you do not have to enroll in the Penn State SHIP.  If you know you will not be returning for fall 2021, please email uhs-insurance@psu.edu to inform them so you do not incur any unnecessary expenses; you will be required to provide your passport and I-94 travel history. You MUST request that the fee be removed by August 31, 2021 if you will not be present in the U.S.; failure to request this by the deadline will result in you being responsible for the insurance fees.

Updated: May 5, 2021

If you are in the U.S., we recommend that international students not travel because changes in consular processing could change at a moment’s notice.

On April 6, 2021, the State Department updated their website with information on visa services operations. Please refer to that website for official information on visa services. President Biden is open to travel restrictions if COVID cases warrant a restriction.

It is important to note that the State Department can only open their Consular Sections when local public health conditions allow for the safety of both visa applicants and staff to resume in-person interviews.

A few points to consider:

• US Consular Offices are open and processing visas in eight of the top ten sending countries to the United States and in 17 of the top 35 sending countries
• Priority for visa processing is as follows:
• US Citizens
• Immigrant visas
• Non-immigrant visas (including student visas)
• State Department is aware of the timeline for getting students to campus this fall, but is still constrained by the large backlog and the fact that local conditions can impact whether Consular Offices can remain open (i.e. lockdowns, quarantines, etc.)
• An Executive Order regarding COVID-related bans remains in place restricting travel from China, Brazil, Iran, and South Africa; thus, no non-immigrant visa processing is taking place.
• Also subject to the COVID-related, 14-day ban to the U.S. are the Schengen countries, the U.K. and Ireland although there is some ease so students should check with the U.S. consulate in that country under something called ‘national interest waiver.’  While this is available, we have seen some denials because the consular post didn’t view the request viable under national interest waiver.  If a student has a visa, the student may enter the U.S.
• At the moment, State Department is not permitting virtual interviews for student visa applicants; students must still go in-person for their interviews.

You have probably heard of the visa interview waiver for those individuals whose visa expired within 24 months being extended to 48 months.  This is risky and at the discretion of the consulate.  If you are viewed ineligible for the visa interview waiver, you could be stuck overseas for months.  This has happened to individuals with visa interview appointments in 2022.  Moreover, see the last bullet point above:  At the moment, State Department is not permitting virtual interviews for student visa applicants; students must still go in-person for their interviews.

Updated: May 5, 2021

U.S. Visa Processing in China

The U.S. consulates in China have been closed and operating with few staff. The U.S. consulates will begin interviewing individuals for F-1 visas on May 4, 2021. Students should check with the consular posts regarding interview schedules and requirements.

In general, students must have the following for the interview:

• I-20
• SEVIS fee receipt
• Visa application processing fee receipt

Some posts will require additional documentation, so it’s important to read he instructions on the consulate’s website. Further information can be found here: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202104/1222527.shtml.

Updated: May 5, 2021

RESTRICTIONS

On November 26, and at the advice of the President’s Chief Medical Advisor and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administration announced it will restrict travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe starting on November 29 due to concerns over the new Omicron variant.

Also see  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.htmlYou are considered fully vaccinated.  The vaccination rules below also apply to those who are at land and sea borders.

• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of a Novavax (or Covovax) COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a phase 3 clinical trial
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart*

If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated.

* CDC has not recommended the use of mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine primary series. However, such strategies are increasingly common in many countries outside of the United States. Therefore, for the of purpose of interpreting vaccination records for travel to the United States, CDC will accept combinations of accepted COVID-19 vaccines.

See Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers for more information about necessary vaccination documentation.

Please see an important update from the CDC for all International Air Travelers Destined for the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html.

As of December 6, all air passengers eligible for entry into the United States, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before travel to the United States with limited exceptions or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

* CDC has not recommended the use of mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine primary series. However, such strategies are increasingly common in many countries outside of the United States. Therefore, for the of purpose of interpreting vaccination records for travel to the United States, CDC will accept combinations of accepted COVID-19 vaccines.

See Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers for more information about necessary vaccination documentation.

More details on this requirement for all non-immigrant travelers is available here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html.

Updated: December 8, 2021

Updated: February 11, 2022