Dear Students,

We understand a lot has gone on these last few days regarding COVID-19 and campus closure. We're here to bring some clarify and ensure that you are supported. 
Contacting us: International Students and Scholars office location in Skye Hall 321 is closed. However, we are working remotely via Zoom and email. We are maintaining standard business hours 8 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

• If you have a question or need to make an appointment, call our office number 951-827-4113 to set up a time to have a Zoom meeting with any of our advisors. 
• Send us a message through internationalstudents@ucr.edu. We will do our best to answer your questions the same day they are received. 
• For urgent matters after hours, please call our emergency line at 951-206-8810.

F1 or J1 students: The Departments of State and Homeland Security have approved exceptions that will accommodate online course engagement for students attending U.S. institutions. Some students prefer to stay here in the U.S. to take their online classes and some may prefer to return home and take courses from there. At this time, we do not anticipate a negative impact to your visa status. Please make sure you are enrolled full-time. 

Traveling: We strongly recommend all students to stay in the U.S. until Spring quarter is completed. However, if you choose to go back home to be with your family, please make sure your visa and I-20 forms are both valid. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT): If you are planning to do OPT after Winter or Spring term, please contact one of our advisors. There may be some travel restrictions for OPT applicants. 

Document Processing: If you need any documents to be endorsed by our office, please email us at internationalstudents@ucr.edu. 

Our International Affairs team will continue to work hard to support our international community through this challenging time. 

Wishing you each a healthy and happy Finals week,

Magid Shirzadegan
Director of International Students and Scholars office