Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements

ICE Issues an FAQ for SEVP Stakeholders Regarding COVID-19

4/26/21 AILA Doc. No. 20032436. Students & Schools

Please check ICE’s website for the latest FAQ for SEVP Stakeholders about COVID-19.

April 26, 2021

ICE updated its FAQs to include information for the 2021-22 academic year. The update adds a new section, “Clarifying Questions for the 2021-22 Academic Year Based on March 2020 Guidance,” and edits existing questions and answers to reflect the 2021-22 academic year. Per ICE, the edits do not make substantive changes to the questions.

August 7, 2020

ICE updated the FAQs, adding a new section, “Clarifying Questions for Fall 2020 Based on March 9 Spring Guidance Broadcast,” another section called “Archived Questions” containing FAQs specific to the spring or summer semester (the answers to these questions are considered rescinded), and editing existing questions and answers to reflect the fall 2020 semester.

July 15, 2020

ICE updated the FAQ, removing references to previously-issued modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester. On July 14, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in a hearing involving litigation filed by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) challenging DHS's July 6, 2020, international student guidance, DHS agreed to fully rescind the July 6, 2020, ICE guidance and July 7, 2020, Frequently Asked Questions, and rescind all implementing guidance.

July 6, 2020

ICE updated the FAQ with a statement that it has announced modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester.

June 4, 2020

ICE updated the FAQ with a statement noting that SEVP is actively working to issue guidance for the 2020 fall semester. In the meantime, the temporary procedural adaptions that permit international students to engage in remote learning are still in place through the summer session.

May 21, 2020

ICE updated the FAQ with answers to additional questions about M students and a new section on M schools.

May 15, 2020

ICE issued a broadcast message noting that the FAQ for SEVP stakeholders about COVID-19 continues to be regularly updated, and that the following sections in the FAQs were updated this week: maintaining student records; electronic Form I-20 issuance; full course of study and online learning; employment; student transfer; travel; reporting school changes; school policies; and Form I-17 (new section).

View SEVP Broadcast Message

April 30, 2020

ICE issued answers to frequently asked questions from SEVP stakeholders about the impact of COVID-19 on SEVP-certified schools and F and M students. The FAQ was recently updated with answers to questions about volunteering and general questions.

April 17, 2020

On April 17, 2020, ICE released a broadcast message noting that the FAQ continues to be regularly updated, and that the following sections in the FAQ were recently updated: employment, travel, Form I-515A, M students (new section), reporting school changes, and school policies (new section).