June 16th Informational Session FAQ
Online Enrollment
HyFlex Courses
Maintaining F-1 Status
Your unexpired F-1 VISA is still valid if you have a positive termination. If you fail to submit the form and a negative termination is on your SEVIS record, an application for a new F-1 VISA will be required (if you are outside the U.S.) or you have to file for reinstatement inside the U.S. if you didn’t leave.
Financials
UH has not discussed further assistance in regards to tuition and fees for the fall term of 2020.
We also have the required documents for applying for Severe Economic Hardship on our employment page.
Once you have the required documents, please email them to: isssohlp@central.uh.edu
Health Related
Please visit the UH website for COVID-19 for more detailed information.
Your current enrollment in the UH System endorsed Student Health Insurance Plan continues through your enrollment. COVID-19 testing and treatment is covered this plan. Please contact United Healthcare if you have questions about your benefits. United Healthcare can also assist you in locating an Urgent Care Clinic in your area should you need it.
Studying at Home/Travel
If SEVP does allow for online enrollment and study from home while keeping F-1 status active, then you may be eligible to keep your TA/RA position. This would then be up to the department to decide.
VISA renewals can only be done at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
The semester will have three modes, HyFlex, Virtual, and Online. F-1 students would only be eligible to take HyFlex courses to maintain status and meet the required minimum face-to-face hours until SEVP provides us additional guidance. You can travel home, though we suggest you keep updated on any travel restrictions that may be in place for your country and also for entering the U.S.
For travel to the U.S., DHS issued news for restrictions
Also make sure you check with your country’s U.S. Embassy/Consulate website for any updates.
If SEVP does allow for online enrollment and study from home while keeping F-1 status active, then you may be eligible to keep your TA/RA position. This would then be up to the department to decide.
We also do not know if further guidance will be given for spring 2021 so as to continue with your studies abroad.
You cannot apply for OPT outside the U.S.
Taking the last course you have as online is currently not allowed until SEVP provides further guidance.
Also make sure you check with your country’s U.S. Embassy/Consulate website for any updates.
Also make sure you check with your country’s U.S. Embassy/Consulate website for any updates.
J-1 VISA
President Trump does have ability to make temporary restrictions based on national emergencies and other possible implementations to make it harder to gain a J-1 VISA. We do not know what these will be until they are released, and the judicial branch deems it as constitutional for the executive branch to implement this action.
This is a broad definition of how the legal system works in the U.S. and does not cover all the possibilities. Our office will continue to review any guidance from the government in order to best serve the interest of our students and scholars.