UIC Suspends In-Person Instruction for Remainder of Fall 2020 Semester
On Nov. 11, Chancellor Amiridis notified the UIC community that in-person instruction would be suspended beginning at the end of the week and continuing through the fall semester in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Additional health and safety measures were also outlined and can be reviewed here.
In light of this news, the Office of International Services would like to remind the UIC international community that despite these changes, many things remain the same:
- OIS will remain open and continue to provide all advising, document processing and programming services virtually as it has since last spring. You can continue to contact us at ois@uic.edu or +1 (312) 996-3121 to connect with an advisor or visit our website for upcoming programs and workshops.
- International students physically present in the U.S. will continue to maintain their immigration status even after UIC transitions from a hybrid to an all online instruction model for the fall. This is true for both continuing international students and international students who entered the U.S. for the first time in fall 2020 as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- International students must continue to maintain full-time enrollment. Do not make a change in your enrollment that would result in your total credits for the semester to drop below the full-time requirement for immigration purposes. If you have questions or concerns about maintaining your full-time enrollment, please contact an OIS Advisor before making changes to your class schedule.
- International students may depart the U.S. to complete the fall semester online abroad and still maintain their immigration status. In this case, please notify OIS of your departure so that we may update your SEVIS record accordingly. Also, in order to maintain your immigration status while abroad, you must continue to be enrolled full-time.
- International students who reside in UIC Campus Housing can continue living there for the remainder of the fall semester, as needed.
- International students and scholars employed by UIC may continue their positions remotely, both within the U.S. and abroad,so long as job duties can be accomplished virtually. J-1 Exchange Visitor Scholars must report new or adjusted remote work arrangements to OIS by emailing oisj1@uic.edu.
- OIS is here for you. If you have any questions or concerns about your situation or the remainder of the fall semester, please let us know. We are here to support, connect and advocate.
OIS is hosting UIC International Community Virtual Social Hours on Friday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Dec. 3. If you can, stop in and let us know how you are doing and connect with your fellow international students and scholars. More information and registration are at the links above.
Questions about this announcement can be directed to the Office of International Services at ois@uic.edu or +1 (312) 996-3121.