July 14, 2020 - Update regarding SEVP guidance for international students
Dear University Community,
As you may know, this afternoon the federal government agreed to rescind rules it issued last week affecting those studying with F-1 visas through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The now rescinded guidelines specified that international students enrolled at universities planning for online-only instruction during the upcoming academic year would not be allowed to remain in the U.S. to continue their studies.
The updated guidelines will return to those issued in March which stated that international students can choose to enroll in online-only instruction for the duration of the global emergency while remaining in the U.S. We know this is welcome news for our international community as well as our entire campus community, and it gives those who wish to enroll in fully online courses the flexibility to do so and the assurance that they can continue their education, whether here at UMSL or anywhere in the country.
We want to again thank our UMSL Global team as well as the many faculty, staff, advisors, and others who worked closely with our international students to ensure their education at UMSL would continue uninterrupted if the recent guidelines had not been rescinded.
We look forward to welcoming all UMSL students – including our wonderful international students – back to campus in the fall.
Sincerely,
Kristin Sobolik
Chancellor
University of Missouri–St. Louis
