Update on the Return to Standard I-20 Regulations

Greetings, international students!

We hope you are having a great summer whether you are taking a break, taking classes, working or perhaps some combination of the three!

With the fall 2023 semester right around the corner, we wanted to share with you an important update from the U.S. government specifically concerning those of you with an active I-20.

On May 12, the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent a broadcast message to U.S. universities announcing that COVID-related flexibilities relating to student visas will end upon completion of the summer session. As a result, beginning this August with the start of the fall 2023 semester, pre-COVID regulations relating to student visas for Andrews University students will be permanently back in place.

This change will affect Andrews University students who are studying with an I-20 in two important ways:

• Online class allowance: Beginning fall 2023, international students with an I-20 can take one online class that will count toward the full-time requirement. All other classes taken to meet the requirement must be face-to-face on the Berrien Springs campus.
• Required presence on the Berrien Springs campus: To maintain an I-20 in active status, students must be physically present on the Berrien Springs campus as full-time students in both the fall and spring semesters (and in summer if the summer is the first time taking classes on the Berrien Springs campus).

If you are an Andrews University student studying remotely from outside of the United States, these U.S. visa requirements do not apply to you and you are free to take as many online classes as your program of study qualifies you to take. However, once you plan to come to the Berrien Springs campus to study in person, you will then need an I-20. When it is time to begin the I-20 process, you can do that by emailing isfs@liashapiro.com.

Please feel free to reach out to either one of us if you have any questions about this return to standard SEVP I-20 regulations. You can also visit the Office of International Student Services website to review ongoing updates and to find additional information regarding visas and I-20s, maintaining status, and life on the Berrien Springs campus as an international student.

We offer our prayers and best wishes to you for the remainder of these summer months, and we are looking forward to serving you in the new school year!

All the best,

Christian Stuart
Associate Dean for International Education

Silmara Ferreira
International Student Services Director