Harvard International Office

F-1 students graduating in December 2021 can start applying for Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) up to 90 days before their program completion date (Form I-20 end date) in order to be eligible to work in the U.S. following graduation. 

To help accommodate the large number of OPT requests, the HIO will begin accepting OPT requests via a new web form starting Wednesday, September 8, 2021 for students graduating this December. The HIO will start releasing new OPT I-20s via email on Friday, September 17, 2021. 

To receive your OPT I-20 on the earliest release date, you must submit your OPT request to the HIO no later than Wednesday, September 15, 2021. Any OPT requests submitted after September 15, 2021, will be processed by the HIO in 5-7 business days. 

Please visit the OPT section of our website for a detailed overview of the OPT process. If you have any questions on the process, please log in to speak with the Advisor on Call.

With the beginning of the new school year approaching, the HIO would like to welcome new and returning international students, scholars, and their families to Cambridge/Boston area! For many of you, this may be your first time arriving on campus at Harvard. We hope the start of your orientation and fall semester goes smoothly.

New and returning international students and scholars should always contact the HIO directly for any immigration-related questions or concerns during your time at Harvard. While our offices remain closed for walk in advising until further notice, HIO advisors are available via phone, email, for virtual appointments, and virtual drop in advising hours.

Newly arriving international students and scholars may find information to help ease their transition into life in the U.S. in our virtual New Student Welcome Guide and New Scholar Welcome Guide.

We also want to remind incoming students and scholars that, while Boston and Cambridge are relatively safe, it is important for you to use caution when dealing with both physical safety and other safety issues such as identity theft. We encourage you to visit the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) should you have any questions regarding safety issues, and to familiarize yourself with the safety resources that Harvard offers. You should also protect your personal information from scams by not responding to unsolicited phone calls and emails. We hear of a number of scams each year (a dishonest way of soliciting money by deceiving people) targeting non-immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, including calls from individuals claiming to be immigration and tax officials requesting personal information such as social security numbers and credit card information. Government officials do not call or email requesting such personal information. If you receive any calls like those described above, simply hang up!  You may find more information on the Safety, Scams, and Identity Protection page of the HIO website.

As we approach Harvard’s return to campus, and look forward to welcoming thousands of incoming international students, scholars, faculty, and their families to Harvard’s campus, we are happy to share that the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education recently released a Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education.

The message reaffirms the U.S. government’s commitment to fostering international education, including “study in the United States by international students, researchers, and scholars.” The message states that these key federal agencies intend to “welcome international students, researchers, scholars, and educators to the United States in a safe and secure manner and encourage a diversity of participants, disciplines, and types of authorized schools and higher education institutions where they can choose to study, teach, or contribute to research” and “recognize the significant benefits that international students, researchers, scholars, and exchange alumni contribute to research, innovation, economic development, and job opportunities in many fields and sectors throughout the United States.”

This has been a particularly challenging year for us all in many ways. The impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic have had on international education, and our international community, are immeasurable. However, we feel hopeful for the future, and encouraged that the U.S. government is reaffirming its commitment to international education.

On July 6, 2021, the Department of State announced that National Interest Exceptions (NIE) to all COVID-19 travel bans will now be valid for 12-months from the date of approval and may be used to travel to the U.S. multiple times for the purpose indicated in the approved NIE. This extension applies to travelers subject to the presidential proclamations due to their presence in China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India who currently have approved NIEs or who were granted NIEs in conjunction with a visa application. As a reminder, F-1 students and their dependents are not subject to the travel ban and do not require an NIE. 

If you were previously approved for an NIE to travel to the U.S., your NIE will now be valid for 12 months from the date of approval and can be used for multiple entries to the U.S., as long as the NIE is used for the purpose under which it was granted. Previously, NIEs were only valid for 30-days from the date of issuance and could only be used for a single entry to the U.S. This new State Department policy expanding the validity of an NIE is effective immediately. 

For more information regarding the NIE and your visa type, please review the HIO COVID FAQ under “U.S. Embassy Visa Issuance and Travel Updates”.

To reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community, Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all students, scholars, staff, and faculty who will be on campus this fall. All vaccines authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization will meet the University’s vaccine requirement. You can read more about the requirement and how to submit documentation on the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) website.

For those international students and scholars with Harvard IDs who are not able to receive an authorized vaccine prior to arrival on campus, HUHS will provide opportunities for vaccination.

International students and scholars who arrive on campus not fully vaccinated will NOT be barred from move-in or classroom activity, and will NOT need a 14-day quarantine, assuming they have no COVID symptoms and no known recent exposure to a person who tested positive. Testing is required prior to international departure and upon arrival to campus. Instructions and protocols for international students who will arrive not fully vaccinated are available on the For International Students and Scholars page.

If you are an incoming student or scholar who is applying for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, please make sure to update any visa appointment booking, visa appointment cancellations, and visa approvals with the HIO using our online reporting form. You may submit this form multiple times to update previously-reported information. We will use your reporting anonymously to help your fellow students at the University as they navigate the visa application process.

As a reminder, some U.S. Embassies and Consulates have started to resume routine visa services depending on the in-country situation, while others may be closing again due to new in-country lockdowns. U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide have different policies and procedures in place about re-opening, and they are facing severe application backlog that have accrued during their closures. You may view the current operating status of a given U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the U.S. State Department website.

If your visa appointment is cancelled, please take the steps necessary to rebook your appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate directly. You may find more detailed instructions in the Student visa application, Scholar visa application, and Student Intern visa application pages of the HIO website.

UPDATE: Effective Tuesday, May 4, 2021, India will be added to the list of countries with a travel ban to the U.S. The U.S. Department of State has already confirmed that the below National Interest Exception to the travel ban will be extended to certain travelers from India, in addition to certain travelers from Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa.

On April 27, 2021, the U.S. Department of State extended National Interest Exceptions for certain travelers from Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa. Previously, the National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) were only available for certain travelers from the EU Schengen area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. These existing NIEs remain in effect.

The new NIEs allow incoming students with valid F-1 visas to travel directly from Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa to the U.S. to begin an academic program of study that commences August 1, 2021 or later. According to the Department of State, “Students with valid F-1 and M-1 visas intending to begin or continue an academic program commencing August 1, 2021 or later do not need to contact an embassy or consulate to seek an individual NIE to travel. They may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the start of their academic studies. Students seeking to apply for new F-1 or M-1 visas should check the status of visa services at the nearest embassy or consulate; those applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified for an F-1 or M-1 visa will automatically be considered for an NIE to travel.”

J-1 Students, Scholars, and Student Interns located in these countries must request an NIE from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to qualify for direct travel to the U.S. from Brazil, China, Iran, or South Africa.

The Harvard International Office provides informational sessions regarding future visa options and green cards each year.  The session is hosted by a local immigration firm speaking about such topics as H-1Bs, TNs, O-1s, entrepreneurship, green cards and much more. The recording from the Spring 2022 session is now available online via this link. 

Please note that the university does not endorse any attorney or firm nor is this presentation intended to be legal advice. 

Presidential Proclamation 10052, which temporarily suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories within the Exchange Visitor Program), and L nonimmigrants, expired on March 31, 2021. The Biden Administration and U.S. Department of State have confirmed that the Proclamation will not be renewed. Scholars who have been previously impacted by Presidential Proclamation 10052 should reach out to their HIO Advisor for guidance.