Harvard International Office

On March 8, 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, until September 2022. 

Additionally, on March 12, 2021, Secretary Mayorkas also designated Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. 

This new designation enables Venezuelan and Burmese nationals (and individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Burma (Myanmar) or Venezuela) currently residing in the United States to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements.

Individuals desiring TPS must file an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the 180-day registration period. They may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and for travel authorization. All individuals applying for TPS undergo security and background checks as part of determining eligibility. More details about the eligibility criteria to submit an initial TPS application and apply for an EAD can be found in the Federal Register Notice (FRN).

The Harvard Language Center is excited to announce that they have launched The Language Exchange Program, an informal language practicing program for Harvard affiliates. This program provides members of the Harvard community the possibility of practicing informal conversation with a partner who speaks their target language. The purpose of the language exchange, or "tandem," is to allow partners equal time to practice their desired languages. All Harvard community members, including spouses and partners of faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars, as well as alumni and retired faculty and staff, are eligible to participate in the exchange. 

F-1 students graduating in May 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 Monday, February 8, 2021 for students graduating this May.  The HIO will start releasing new OPT I-20s via email on Friday, February 26, 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, February 17, 2021. Any OPT requests submitted after February 17, 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, the HIO will begin virtual drop-in OPT advising hours starting Friday, February 5, 2021.

In President Biden’s first months in office, he has made the COVID-19 pandemic and immigration among his top priorities. President Biden has signed multiple immigration and COVID-19 related executive orders and proclamations that we wanted to bring to your attention. 

As this is an evolving situation, and additional executive orders and proclamations are likely to be signed, we are providing the link to NAFSA’s Biden Administration Immigration Portal. This website will continue to be updated with links to significant immigration-related changes and initiatives instituted by the Biden administration.

The Harvard International Office (HIO) is working closely with the University’s federal relations office in Washington D.C. and will update you with any new information. The most pertinent information will be updated on the HIO homepage and in the HIO COVID FAQ.

COVID-19 Travel Bans Still in Effect

President Biden has issued a Presidential Proclamation to extend the travel bans from the EU Schengen area, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Brazil, and added a travel ban from South Africa, effective as of January 30, 2021. The travel bans from China and Iran also remain in effect. These proclamations prohibit entry to the U.S. for certain individuals who were present in a travel ban country in the 14 days preceding their travel to the U.S., unless they have been granted an exception. You may read more about the impact of the travel bans on the HIO's COVID FAQ.

Ending a Discriminatory Entry Ban

The HIO is pleased to share that President Biden has issued a proclamation ending discriminatory bans put in place by the Trump administration that prevented certain individuals from entering the U.S., such as those from primarily Muslim countries and from largely African countries. While this travel ban has been overturned, there is likely going to continue to be administrative processing for visa applicants and a backlog for visa appointments in these regions.

This season, Sprintax will be hosting a series of free open tax webinars to provide helpful information around nonresident tax filing obligations. You can find the details and registration links below. Each webinar will cover the same topics listed below:

• Tuesday, May 4, 2021; 09:30-10:30AM EST - Register here
• Thursday, May 6, 2021; 5:00-6:00PM EST - Register here

The informational webinars will cover:

• An overview of tax for Non Resident students and scholars
• Who must file a 2020 US tax return
• What income forms students/scholars may receive
• Forms that need to be completed and sent to the IRS
• Terms like FICA, ITIN and Form 1098-T
• What happens if students don’t file, or misfile
• State tax returns
• IRS stimulus payments
• Sprintax overview

If you were present in the United States (U.S.) during any part of 2020 calendar year in any immigration status other than B or WT/WB (ESTA), there is at least one tax form (IRS Form 8843) you must file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this spring. We recommend reviewing the information below in preparation for the coming tax filing season. If you were not in the U.S. at all during 2020, you do not need to complete any tax forms this year.

• Review the HIO's introduction to tax filing in the U.S. and HIO Tax FAQ  to familiarize yourself with the process, including tax filing deadlines for 2020.
• All current students, scholars, and student interns at Harvard will receive an email from the HIO in mid-late February providing additional information, instructions, and discounted access to use the Sprintax tax preparation software.
• If you are no longer an active student, scholar, or student intern at Harvard and need to file taxes for 2020, please email the HIO (internationaloffice@harvard.edu) in late February to request a unique discount code to use Sprintax.

As of January 26, 2021, all air passengers entering the U.S. will be required to comply with the following COVID-19 safety measures in order to board a flight to the U.S.:

• show proof of a negative viral COVID-19 test within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs;
• complete a seven-day quarantine when a passenger arrives in the U.S.;
• and take another COVID-19 test 3-5 days after arriving.

Full details may be found on the CDC website. This order is backed by President Biden, who signed an executive order on January 21, 2021, requiring all air travelers to comply with these CDC measures. 

Until January 26, 2021, only travelers from the UK are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to board a flight to the U.S. You may read more on the CDC website for “Testing Requirements for Arriving UK Air Travelers”.  

In addition to these requirements, please keep in mind that all travelers arriving in Massachusetts must also complete the MA COVID Travel Form prior to arrival in the state. Students and scholars should also make sure they have the required documents to enter the U.S. with. 

Harvard's President Lawrence Bacow has written a letter to U.S. President-elect Joseph Biden to advocate for policies that will benefit Harvard's international community. The letter advocates in favor of U.S. Embassies prioritizing visa issuance for international students and scholars, preserving immigration programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and overturning executive orders and presidential proclamations put into place by President Trump, including the Muslim travel ban. 

You may view the letter in its entirely on the Harvard Gazette. 

As winter break approaches, we want to remind students and scholars that the University strongly discourages personal travel, both international and domestic. Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. For the foreseeable future, the global pandemic will continue to affect the safety and feasibility of travel. In addition to lowering the risk of coronavirus transmission on campus and helping ensure the health and safety of the Harvard community, the University also seeks to slow the worldwide spread of COVID-19.

If you have personal reasons that require you to travel, you must speak to your HIO Advisor before making any travel arrangements. 

If you do make the decision to travel, you must confirm that you have the required documents for your specific visa type to travel and reenter the United States (U.S.). You must also consider the travel disruptions that may be caused by pandemic, including travel bans and quarantine requirements. For more information on how travel is currently impacted by the pandemic, please review the HIO’s COVID-19 FAQ.

COVID-19 is a fluid situation worldwide and travel guidance and travel bans can change quickly as a result of the pandemic. Please consider all the risks and uncertainties when discussing your proposed travel plans with your HIO Advisor.