Harvard International Office

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. 

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