International Students, Faculty, and Scholars and COVID-19
The below FAQ resource is for international (non U.S. citizen) students, faculty, and staff who are part of the UM community. Please feel free to contact OGE at oge@olemiss.edu should you have additional questions.
- How does COVID-19 affect personal travel plans for the summer? Entry of foreign nationals who were physically present in China and Iran during a 14-day period prior to entry into the U.S. has been suspended by the due to COVID-19. This means that non-citizens who leave the U.S. for the summer break and travel to China (People’s Republic of China excluding Hong Kong and Macau) and Iran will not be able to re-enter the U.S. at this time if attempting to enter within 14 days of being present in either China or Iran. Please contact the Office of Global Engagement at oge@olemiss.edu to learn more about how we can support affected students during the summer break. (Source.)
- Does the outbreak of COVID-19 affect visa status? If students are unable to re-enter the U.S. due to being physically present in China or Iran within 14 days of attempted entry into the U.S., they may not be able to enroll for the fall semester. A leave of absence in enrollment may cause students to lose their F-1 or J-1 status. Students who lose their status due to a leave of absence may need to reapply for a visa for the next available term of enrollment. As this is a rapidly evolving situation, we do not know when CDC travel restrictions will be lifted, so we discourage all personal travel to China or Iran until further notice.
- If students travel to a country with a CDC alert, regardless of citizenship, during the summer break, what might they expect upon return to the U.S. for the fall semester? The University of Mississippi maintains a web page with guidance on the procedures for any UM community member.
Any University of Mississippi community member who has been in a country under a
- CDC Alert Level 2 (Practice Enhanced Precautions), or
- CDC Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel), or
- S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel), or
- S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 4 (Do Not Travel)
due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the past 14 days, or who has otherwise come in contact with someone with COVID-19, should notify the Student Health Center or Employee Health in order to receive healthcare monitoring and support.
If you have traveled to one of these areas or have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you will face some limitations on your movement and activity. This measure is in place to assist you and protect the health and safety of our community.
Students – please call Student Health (662-915-7274) for additional evaluation and information.
Faculty and Staff – please call Employee Health (662-915-6550) for additional evaluation and information.
Community members – please call your doctor for additional evaluation and information.