Dear student,

Greetings from ISSSO!

Based on the SEVP provided clarification to reflect the 2021–22 academic year, we will continue to follow the SEVP guidance for the fall 2021 semester.

Fall 2021 Enrollment:

• Continuing F-1 students who were in active SEVIS status with the same SEVIS ID number since spring 2020 (including U.S. transfer students and UH students changing degree level after spring 2020 and remained in the U.S.).

You can choose to take any courses to fulfill your full course load requirement, as long as you are making normal academic progress in your degree program, either in the U.S. or abroad. At this time, all of your courses may be fully online.

If you do not plan to maintain your F-1 status, please complete the F-1 Student Early Withdrawal Form and submit it to isssohlp@central.uh.edu prior to August 23, 2021.

If fall 2021 is your final semester, this is a reminder that you will not be able to apply for OPT while outside the U.S., and you cannot re-enter the U.S. after the fall term ends.

• Newly admitted students (including summer/fall 2020, spring/summer/fall 2021) who were not in the U.S. or not in active SEVIS status in spring 2020.
• If you entered the U.S. or changed your status to F-1 after spring 2020, you must enroll for a full course load with at least one face-to-face or hybrid class in fall 2021. HyFlex courses do not count as face-to-face for fall 2021.
• If you plan to enroll 100% online courses, you should take the coursework outside the U.S.; or if you do not plan to take any classes:
• If your I-20 has been activated, you should submit the F-1 Student Early Withdrawal Form to isssohlp@central.uh.edu prior to August 23, 2021.
• If your I-20 has not been activated and you are outside the U.S., please contact either Admissions (for undergraduate students) or Graduate School (for graduate students) to defer your I-20.

*Any students from Iran, Syria and Crimea Region must contact ISSSO if you plan to take online courses outside of the U.S.

UH International Travel Guidelines

Students traveling from international destinations to the University of Houston must follow the Travel Guidelines and complete the form Request to Return to Campus and receive written approval. If you have a confirmed contract with Student Housing and Residential Life to reside on campus, please contact the Housing Office at housing@uh.edu or by office phone at 713-743-6000 to arrange for a space for your self-quarantine. For those students and scholars arriving from international destinations who are living off-campus, you will be responsible for providing your own self-quarantine accommodations.

COVID-19 Vaccine:

International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSSO) is collaborating with UH Student Health Center and H-E-B to provide the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine (J&J) to our international students on August 16, 2021, from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. in the Houston Room, Student Center South. If you plan to receive the vaccine on-campus, please arrive in the U.S. at least 10 days prior to August 16, 2021, so that you can follow the UH Travel Guidelines and receive the written approval to come to the campus.

Please click the link and register now: UH J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Sign-Up so that H-E-B can prepare the proper number of vaccines. Please select the J&J/Janssen as the vaccine manufacturer when you complete the registration online.

Please note that on the sign-up page, it states that “**This is for FIRST (1st) dose only; your second (2nd) dose appointment will be automatically scheduled after you receive your first dose**” Please ignore this statement as it only applies to the Moderna/Pfizer vaccine, NOT the J&J vaccine. J&J vaccine is one dose only.

If you have student health insurance through UH, please bring it with you. Go to the Student Health Center: Charges and Insurance for more information about how to get your insurance ID card. You will still be able to receive the vaccine if you don't have the student insurance card yet.

Please visit our website for the COVID-19 Fall 2021 FAQ and feel free to email isssohlp@central.uh.edu (including your student ID number and your SEVIS ID number) if you have any questions.

As you all know from President Khator’s message, 80 percent of classes in the fall are scheduled to be offered face-to-face, and you will enjoy robust in-person services, activities, and programs on campus.

We look forward to welcoming you back on campus soon!

ISSSO

Email: Isssohlp@central.uh.edu

Telephone: 713-740-5065