Welcome to Harvard to any incoming international students, scholars, student interns, and their families!

As a reminder, once you arrive in the U.S. you must register your arrival with the HIO. The HIO is processing all registrations via email. Please do not come to the HIO offices for registration at this time. You may find instructions based on your visa category below:

• Registration instructions for students
• Registration instructions for scholars
• Registration instructions for student interns

After registration is complete, individuals on F-1 and J-1 visas and their dependents with visas sponsored by Harvard will need to obtain a travel signature on their F-1 Form I-20 or J-1 DS-2019 Form in order to travel internationally during their program. 

• F-1 students may request a travel signature to be sent via email by completing the F-1 Travel Signature Request Form. If you have dependents, you do not need to submit a separate request for F-2 signatures; all forms I-20 will be issued and sent to you automatically.
• J-1 students, scholars, and student interns and their dependents will need to visit the HIO during our walk in travel signature and document pick up hour, which takes place Monday-Friday from 12pm - 2pm on the 8th floor of the Smith Center to obtain a travel signature. DS-2019s cannot be sent electronically and must contain an original signature from the HIO.

The HIO congratulates the Harvard Class of 2023 on their Commencement! Best wishes in your future endeavors!

You can revisit the Commencement ceremonies here.

If you are planning on traveling internationally prior to graduation or over the summer, please check to ensure that you have all required immigration documents necessary to re-enter the U.S. with. 

If you need a travel signature on your Form I-20 or DS-2019, please review the applicable instructions below.

• F-1 students may request a travel signature to be sent via email by completing the F-1 Travel Signature Request Form.
• J-1 students, scholars, and student interns and their dependents will need to obtain a signature on their original, hard copy DS-2019 forms through one of the following methods:
  • Visit the HIO for a travel signature during our walk in travel signature hours, which take place Tuesday - Thursday from 12pm - 2pm on the 8th floor of the Smith Campus Center.
  • The HIO also hosts travel signature hours in the Longwood area for students, student interns, and scholars. An HIO Advisor will be available every other Wednesday from 1:00pm - 3:00pm in Gordon 006 (at the HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows - see map). The full schedule may be found here.

For more information on contacting the HIO, please see Contact Us.

If you were present in the United States (U.S.) during any part of calendar year 2022 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. Below is what you should consider in preparation for the coming tax filing season. If you were not in the U.S. at all during 2022, you do not need to complete any tax forms at this year.

The staff at the Harvard International Office is profoundly saddened by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria this week.  You and your families are in our thoughts.  We hope everyone is safe.
 
If you need to make an emergency trip home because of this terrible event, contact your HIO advisor.  Complete details regarding travel outside the U.S. are available on the HIO website here, and you should review them carefully before finalizing plans to depart.
 
If you must travel urgently please remember to travel with a valid signature on your DS-2019 or I-20; the signature is valid for one year from the date it was last signed. You can find this date on page two of the I-20, or page one of the DS2019 if you are in J-1 status.  You must also have a valid F-1 or J-1 visa and a passport with validity up to six months into the future for re-admission to the US in the future. 
 
If we can be of any assistance to you regarding travel or any other visa/immigration related issues, please contact your HIO Advisor.
 
Please also be aware that the New England Turkish Student Association (NETSA) and the Turkish Embassy in the U.S. are coordinating donation efforts to support humanitarian relief efforts in the region.  NETSA is collecting donations to the Turkish Philanthropy Funds, which is a registered foundation that operates on the field and directly transfer funds across the search and rescue teams equally.  If you are interested and able to donate, you can use the page that NETSA has set up for donations to the Turkish Philanthropy Funds. 
 
You can also look at donating through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IRFC).
(You can look at all donation options at: https://www.ifrc.org/donate)

The HIO will be expanding virtual advising services specifically for the Spring 2023 OPT application season.

An HIO advisor will be available to answer general questions about the OPT and STEM OPT application process on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3pm to 4pm beginning on Friday, February 3, 2023 and running through Friday, March 17, 2023 (excluding the President’s Day Holiday on February 20, 2023). This service is offered via Zoom an a first come, first-serve basis, and is intended for international students with quick questions.

View the Zoom information here.