Office of International Students and Scholars

COVID-19: International Student FAQs

Current OISS Operations

The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is operating remotely during our regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm). While we will not be conducting any in-person meetings and appointments or accepting walk-in traffic at this time, we remain available for service requests and advising via email, phone, and Zoom. Please refer to our FAQ page for specific information about our current operations.

All requested documents, including I-20s, will be issued digitally per the current guidance. As such, students do not need to obtain hard copies of travel signatures in person.

Welcome to USD!

Welcome to our international family! USD hosts international students and scholars from more than 70 countries around the world. We are delighted that you are joining this group of distinguished students and scholars, and we hope that your experiences here will prove intellectually challenging, culturally enriching, and personally enjoyable, whether you stay only for a few weeks, or several years. 

Important Regulatory Updates

October 2020:

Our FAQ page was updated with information regarding the Spring 2021 semester.

Created by: Luiza Ferraro Adas '21 (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) - International Student from Brazil

@usdoiss on Instagram

Celebrating all our incredible women students, alumni, faculty and staff on this International Women's Day! The 2021 IWD theme is #ChoosetoChallenge: "A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge." How will you choose to challenge this year? Comment below:
The International Student Organization is taking the annual International Expo & Fashion Show, a 36 year USD tradition, and moving our celebration virtual! We would like to invite you to join and represent your home country by submitting a video clip, photos of your favorite food or traditional clothing, a GrubHub recommendation, a flyer of a cultural organization you're involved with, or any other pictures you would like to share by completing the form: bit.ly/ExpoParticipate ISO will release the Virtual Expo Instagram story content on their IG @USD_ISO as scheduled: March 15th: Asia March 16th: Africa, Oceania, North & South America March 17th: Europe On March 18th they are hosting a get together (virtually) to share a GrubHub meal and celebrate our international community. Register at: bit.ly/ISOExpoGrubHub
Join special guest Immigration Attorney T.L. Loke as she discusses long-term working options in the U.S. including the H-1B visa on Thursday, March 4th at 12:30pm! Register to receive the Zoom link! Link in bio.
Check out our latest New Student Spotlight! A warm welcome to Emilia and all our new spring students! If you would like to be featured in the New Student Spotlight complete the form in our latest International Newsflash or send us a DM.
Are you aware that the Career Development Center has resources specifically available to our international student population to assist you with your internship and job search? Join Alex Lo from CDev in this session to learn how his office can help you in your career journey. This brief presentation will provide an overview of the Career Development Center — Handshake job board, TEAM mentoring, Interstride for international students, career events, and other online career resources.
The International Student Organization is hosting their first event of the semester this Thursday, February 18th at 12:30pm PST. Join in to celebrate friendship with origami, easy recipes and a chat! Follow @usd_iso for more information.
It’s important to be aware that, as a nonresident student in the US, you’re legally required to file a tax return if you received US income during 2020. Even if you didn’t work or receive income in the US, you’re still obliged to file a Form 8843 with the IRS if you were physically present for any amount of time in the United States during 2020! University of San Diego has arranged free access to Sprintax Tax Preparation for you. Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process, arrange the necessary documents and check if you’re due a tax refund. Please review the post above to learn about the Sprintax support available to you. Check out the OISS Tax Webpage for more information: www.sandiego.edu/international/tax-information.php
Are you a F-1 student interested in learning more about how to work on-campus, or under CPT or OPT on your student visa? Join this virtual session on Tuesday, February 16th at 12:30pm to learn the rules and regulations around employment. Registration link is in our bio!
Check out our latest New Student Spotlight! A warm welcome to Isadora and all our new spring students! If you would like to be featured in the New Student Spotlight complete the form in our latest International Newsflash or send us a DM.
🔊 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 🔊 Here are some of the important dates coming up this February! Mark your calendars or take a screenshot of this post to keep up 📆

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OISS attempts to provide the most recent, useful information to our students. However, we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to here, the iTorero Portal, and in emails coming out of OISS. Information provided by OISS does not constitute and should not be considered legal advice or a legal opinion, and it may not necessarily reflect the most current legal developments. OISS likewise cannot guarantee the outcome of status-related benefit requests filed with US government agencies.  Students should seek the advice of counsel or a tax professional for additional guidance. OISS reminds students and scholars that failure to comply with F-1 and J-1 regulations is a violation of your status, which may result in serious consequences including the termination of your SEVIS record, your inability to re-enter the US, and the accrual of unlawful presence which could lead to your removal from the US. Direct all questions regarding your F-1 and J-1 status to OISS, internationaloffice@sandiego.edu