Planning for Spring 2021

Question and Answer Session
December 3rd, 4:00 pm

Madison College plans to continue offering most classes online in Spring 2021. To date the U.S. government has not announced any new guidance for F-1 student enrollment requirements for Spring 2021. It is our hope that F-1 students will continue to be allowed to enroll in all online classes, but if you have an in-person or hybrid course option that meets a program requirement or personal interest, it may be advisable to build that into your class schedule. We will keep you informed of any changes or announcements from the U.S. government regarding Spring 2021 enrollment as soon as we receive notification and we will work to accommodate your F-1 visa status needs accordingly. 

Come talk with Stephanie Belmas, CIE's Assistant Dean, virtually on December 3rd to ask questions and learn of any updates we may have by that time.

Join here: https://bit.ly/3f6MBCk

Winter Break Travel - Important Considerations

As the end of Fall 2020 quickly approaches, we understand many of you may be considering travel over Winter Break. CIE strongly urges great caution against any travel at this time, both within the U.S. and internationally due to surges in COVID-19 which increase health risks and further spread of the virus. We especially recommend against international travel due to the uncertainties around U.S. Embassy closures and whether the current F-1 visa regulation accommodations will continue in Spring 2021.

Before planning any travel and especially international travel, consider the following and plan ahead accordingly:

• Is your F-1 visa stamp valid for use upon return? If not, travel abroad is highly discouraged due to U.S. Embassy closures and visa interview back-logs that may result in significant delays and complications with applying for a new visa.
• Consider arrangements with housing, school supplies and personal items in the case that you are unable to return to the U.S. Bring with you what you would need to continue your studies from abroad, if you are unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, etc.
• Since the U.S. SEVP has not yet provided regulatory guidance for Spring 2021, we do not yet know if it will be possible to maintain a valid I-20 if studying outside of the U.S. next semester. While we hope this accommodation will continue to be allowed, if it does not, then a new I-20 may need to be issued before returning, which could have an impact on OPT and CPT work authorization eligibility.
• Carefully review travel and health guidance provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Review Madison College’s COVID-19 Resources webpage
• Review CIE’s Travel Requirements webpage

Global Connections

Wednesday, November 18th 3-4 pm
Thanksgiving and Holidays of Gratitude: Past & Present

Want to learn more about Thanksgiving and other similar holidays of gratitude? Join us on November 18 to dive into the real history and how we celebrate the holiday today!

More info here

Join the Teams meeting here: http://bit.ly/cieglobalconnections
To RSVP, please fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/Tn8LHjosGLyCqfkx9

Volunteer to Tutor High School Students

Madison East High School is looking for language tutors to work with students learning Arabic, Korean, French and Spanish.
Email arawlins@madison.k12.wi.us if you are interested in this volunteer opportunity. Reminder: visa students are allowed to volunteer in the community, but cannot accept paid off-campus jobs without authorization.

Know Your Rights

We wish to address recent national news coverage which has raised concerns about Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids. Please understand that we do not know if ICE is planning to come to our community and even if they do, we do not anticipate that students in F-1 visa status would be their focus. Nonetheless, we understand how this information is unsettling and we wish to help you know your rights as an individual living in the U.S. The attached Know Your Rights flyer was created by the Dane County Immigration Affairs Office (IAO) and the Immigration Enforcement Response Team of Dane County (IERT). Again, we wish to emphasize that while we do not anticipate this affecting you, we want you to be aware of your rights.