News
ISSS has moved – New office location
ISSS on the Storrs campus has moved to a new building.
Our new home is the Center for International Students and Scholars located at 2019 Hillside Rd. Storrs, CT 06269. Look for the Center for International Students and Scholars at maps.uconn.edu.
The office is open Monday-Friday from 9:00-5:00. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Resources for students and scholars impacted by war in Ukraine
Message for returning international students
Message for new regional campus students
Message for new Storrs grad and undergrad int’l students
New Travel Restrictions to U.S. Effective Today
The U.S. has announced new restrictions on travel to the U.S., effective today (November 29, 2021), in light of the new COVID-19 variant of concern. The new travel restrictions apply to noncitizens who were present in the following countries within 14 days of planned entry to the U.S.: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. You can read the full Presidential proclamation here. While there are some exceptions to the policy, currently there is no national interest exception for international student or exchange visitor travelers. ISSS will contact students and exchange visitors individually who we believe could be affected by this policy.
These newest restrictions are a stark reminder that travel policies may change at any time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, here in the U.S. and worldwide. We continue to urge caution to international students and exchange visitors who are here and considering taking a temporary trip abroad, due to the risk of travel policy changes that may prevent you from returning in time for spring semester commitments.
Travel Signature Week at ISSS Storrs
November 29-December 3 is Travel Signature Week at ISSS in Storrs
While we urge that students and exchange visitors consider any international travel with great caution due to the ongoing pandemic, if you will travel abroad during winter break you can apply for your travel signature during Travel Signature Week. If you do not attend Storrs campus, check with your ISSS Advisor at your campus about a deadline for submitting your travel signature request for winter break travel.
How to report your international travel and get a travel signature:
- Submit your online Travel Information Record. Enrolled students: Submit your record here. Visiting scholars: Login to the ISSS Scholar Portal with your email and password (do not use Net ID), click on requests, and click on Travel Signature.
- Between November 29 and December 3, drop off your most recent I-20 or DS-2019 document to the ISSS front desk between 8 am and 5 pm. Enrolled students should also drop off a full time enrollment verification document from the UConn Registrar. Pick up your full time enrollment verification at the Registrar office in Wilbur Cross building, or email registrar@uconn.edu and request the document be sent to you as a pdf.
- Your I-20 or DS-2019 with travel signature will be ready for you to pick up no later than December 10. The ISSS front desk will email you if your document is ready earlier than December 10. We will also return your enrollment verification to you, so that you have it with you for travel.
Questions? Email international@uconn.edu.
How to Celebrate Thanksgiving in CT – A Guide for International Huskies
As an international Husky, you might be feeling left out of the Thanksgiving celebrations taking place on Thursday, November 25, 2021, but there is so much you can do to celebrate the holiday in your own way. Use this guide to make your Thanksgiving break plans!
Here are some ideas on what to do if you will stay in Connecticut during Thanksgiving vacation and if you don’t have plans on this national holiday:
- ISSS Movie Night on Monday, November 22 at UConn library HBL Instruction 2119A (formerly Video Theater 2) at 2pm
- Prepare for Black Friday: Black Friday is an annual nationwide sale that falls on the Friday right after Thanksgiving. It’s a great time to take advantage of the sales and shop for things you need, such as electronics, clothes, accessories etc… Most department stores and shops will have already put up their Black Friday deals on their websites or social media accounts, so you can research and compare deals, and plan your shopping budget accordingly.
- Things to do locally:
- Run or watch the Manchester Road Race Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.
- Check out Winterfest Hartford for free ice skating in Bushnell Park November 26 – January 9. https://www.winterfesthartford.com/
- Check out other 35 things to do in Connecticut this November https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/31-things-do-connecticut-november
- Stamford students – check out the Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop November 26-December 24, 2021 https://www.greenwichreindeerfestival.com/
- Typical American Thanksgiving Activities:
- Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (in-person in NYC or online) https://www.macys.com/social/parade/
- Watch American Football – https://www.nfl.com/thanksgiving/
- Dining Hall hours during Thanksgiving week break: https://dining.uconn.edu/2021/11/02/thanksgiving-break-hours-dining-halls-retail/
- Restaurants Open Thanksgiving Day for Dining or To-Go:
- Hartford and Manchester Restaurants https://www.courant.com/ctnow/food-drink/hc-ctnow-thanksgiving-2020-dine-in-take-out-20201105-y22jnmztfnh5dbylb7kf5rzliy-story.html
- Stamford and Fairfield County Restaurants https://suburbs101.com/fairfield-county-restaurants-thanksgiving/
- Rec Center hours during Thanksgiving break: https://recreation.uconn.edu/
- Volunteer for Thanksgiving and beyond:
- Want to do good this Thanksgiving? A number of homeless shelters and soup kitchens are looking for volunteers. Find out if you can sign up to be volunteer since you don’t have plans, so you can spend the holiday helping others https://www.covenantsoupkitchen.org/services.htm .
- Want to volunteer to help others whenever you can? Check out Community Service Day page https://uconntact.uconn.edu/organization/cocsd for different type of services to register for a day of community service. This is a great way to meet other students and to support our community.
- Hang out with other fellow international Huskies: Chances are, you are not the only one on campus who’s not celebrating Thanksgiving. See who else is around and organize a coffee/dinner get-together or even have a party! Whatever you choose to do, cherish this opportunity to just hang out with friends without stressing about finals. Off-campus students: Want to host your own Thanksgiving? Watch these YouTube Thanksgiving recipe videos and learn to prepare your own Thanksgiving feast.
- Relax and recharge: Not in the mood to socialize? That’s fine too! Use this opportunity to enjoy some alone time. Catch up on your favorite Netflix shows, exercise, read a good book or just catch up on sleep. This is the perfect time to relax and recuperate so you can face the last few weeks of the semester fully charged.
NOTE: ISSS office will be closed on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26, 2021
Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
ISSS
Updated Travel Guidelines for Noncitizens
The U.S. government has confirmed plans to change the entry requirements for noncitizen, nonimmigrant entry to the U.S., effective November 8, 2021, 12:01 am. Read the full proclamation here. Some key points from this proclamation include the following:
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The geographic entry restrictions that previously restricted travel from Brazil, China, India, Iran, South Africa, UK, Ireland, and Schengen Area of Europe will be lifted.
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A vaccination requirement will go into effect, requiring all noncitizen, nonimmigrant air travelers to the U.S. to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The definition of fully vaccinated, accepted vaccines, and documentation guidelines are outlined here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html#covid-vaccines. Proof of negative COVID-19 test will still be required to travel.
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Noncitizen travelers who are coming on nonimmigrant visas other than B-1/B-2 (such as F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2) and who are citizens of the countries listed here may qualify for an exemption of the vaccination requirement. The country list will be updated every 90 days.
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Travelers who qualify for an exemption to the vaccine requirement will need to be tested for COVID-19 with a viral test 3-5 days after travel, self-quarantine for 7 days and isolate if you test positive. If your stay is longer than 60 days, you will need to obtain a vaccination within 60 days after arrival (some exceptions apply).
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Full details for noncitizen nonimmigrants traveling to the U.S. can be found on the CDC web page: Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air travel to the United States. Read this carefully if you intend to travel to the U.S. in the coming months.
Although the proclamation included certain exemptions to the vaccine requirement, we understand there could still be international students and visiting scholars who are negatively impacted by this policy change. Please reach out to ISSS if you need assistance to understand how this requirement applies to you and your plans for travel to the U.S.