ALCI COVID-19 FAQs

Newly Admitted Students

• I am a newly admitted student for Fall 2020. As new students will not be able to come to the US, can I attend classes online from my home country?

  • Yes.  You will be contacted by an ALCI Advisor to discuss next steps.  

  • An I-20 and visa will not be required to attend classes from your home country.  

• I am a newly admitted student and am thinking about deferring my admission for Fall 2020 to either the Spring 2021 semester or to the following academic year due to COVID-19 concerns. What can I do?

  • To request a deferral and a new I-20, students must contact ALCI Admissions at ereed@csusm.edu. 

  •  Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that DSOs can issue electronic I-20s due to the pandemic.  This means that your updated I-20 can be emailed to you.
    
    

• What is the current status of U.S. visa services in my country?

  Visa services are currently  suspended at most U.S. consulates around the world.  For updated visa appointment availability, you can check your  local consulate’s visa wait times here. 

• I have an unexpired F-1 visa from my last school that I attended. Do I need to request a new visa since I will be receiving a new I-20 from CSUSM?

  Students with a valid F-1 visa from a previous school should be able to use their current visa with an ALCI I-20, so long as the one you currently have is unexpired. However, we always recommends checking with your local U.S. consulate or embassy to verify this first. 

• I went home to renew my visa, but now it is under administrative processing. What can I do?

  Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview. However, it can take longer. The U.S. Department of State recommends that the applicant wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later, before making inquiries about status of administrative processing.  For more information, review the  U.S. State Department Administrative Processing information. 

  Also, please email ereed@csusm.edu if you have been selected for administrative processing. 

Current Students

• Will CSUSM be open for Fall 2020?

  Most classes will be held online through Fall 2020.  You will be contacted by an ALCI Advisor to discuss a plan that meets your needs.

• May I travel this Summer and return to the U.S. in August to take on-line Fall classes?

  There is a great deal of uncertainty(risk) regarding travel in the summer.   We cannot guarantee  that students will be allowed to reenter the U.S. in August due to travel restrictions, flight uncertainty, U.S. Consulate closures and I-20 processes.   If you need a travel signature, please email ereed@csusm.edu with your details and Erin will assist you.

   

• What happens if I am in the US and choose to not take classes in the Fall 2020 semester?

   If you choose not to take classes this Fall,  you may not remain in the U.S.  Regulations still require that you are enrolled full-time for the Fall semester to stay in F-1 status.  Students considering not taking classes in the Fall must contact ereed@csusm.edu to confirm details.  

• May I return to my home country for the Fall and complete my University classes on-line?

  Yes, if all of your Fall semester classes are lecture only, you may complete them outside of the U.S.  However, you need to be prepared for possible complications (IT access, time zone etc.). Please inform your Fall professors (when school begins in Fall) that you are in your home country and let them know the time difference. Your ALCI Advisor will be contacting your regarding your schedule.

   

   

• Will I be able to return to the U.S. if I am currently continuing my studies outside the U.S. as a result of COVID-19?

  Students currently maintaining their F-1 records remain.  eligible  for admission into the U.S.  However, because of the changing array of travel restrictions, students should refer to the local  U.S. embassy’s website through the  U.S. Department of State  for any updates about visa issuance. The  U.S. Department of Homeland Security  and the  Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Travel Notices  websites  also provide information about current travel restrictions to the U.S.  

• Where can I find the most current information regarding inbound travel to the United States from regions affected by COVID-19?

  There is a lot of uncertainty at this time due to the rapidly changing situation and response regarding COVID-19.  Review the  Center for Disease Control and Prevention -  information for travelers . 

• My family and I are concerned about COVID-19 in California. Should I travel to the U.S. during this time?

  This is a personal decision, but we recommend consulting regularly with the California Department of Public Health’s website   for up-to-date information about the risks of COVID-19 in this region. 

• Will CSUSM have face-to-face classes in Spring 2021?

  It is too early to have determinations made about Spring.  Please keep watch for future communications. 

   

• Will there be any changes in the fee structure, if the classes are conducted online?

  Please keep a look out for future communications about this topic. 

   

   

• I am unable to book a visa appointment due to U.S. embassy/consulate closures in my region. What can I do?

   You are required to have a valid, unexpired visa in order to request re-entry to the U.S. to resume studies.  If you are currently in the U.S. and your visa has expired or is expiring soon,  you are eligible to remain in the U.S. as long as you are maintaining your F-1 status. The  visa must be valid in order to enter/reenter the U.S.,  but does  not  need to be valid/unexpired to maintain F-1 status while in the U.S. For additional questions please email ereed@csusm.edu .

• U.S. Taxes

  Yes, the tax deadline in the U.S. has been extended to July 15, 2020. This is for students who earned income in 2019. The ALCI Advisors are not licensed tax specialists so they can not offer tax guidance. However, we do suggest that you use a good reputable company like www.sprintax.com as they are experts with nonresident state and federal tax regulations.