Regulatory Information
NAFSA Advocates for Hurricane Katrina-Affected International Students and Schools
On Thursday, September 15, NAFSA public policy staff met with the director and staff of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to advocate for the needs of international students and schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. NAFSA requested public announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of a policy that would hold international students and scholars harmless from the affects of the hurricane. NAFSA argued that guidance issued by SEVP to Katrina-affected students and schools should be based on the principle that if you were in status on the day of the hurricane (or lawfully admitted to the United States with the intent to enroll), you could not lose status as a result of the hurricane. SEVP staff agreed with the concept that international students be held harmless and indicated that that was their intent, but they were not able to commit to a public announcement.
SEVP’s primary concern at this time is ensuring that all international students in the affected region are accounted for and have contact with their schools. To this end, in the near future SEVP plans to e-mail all the affected schools to identify students who have not yet been in contact with SEVP or their school. SEVP staff remain concerned about getting information to affected students on the need to be in contact with them and have asked for NAFSA’s help in getting the information to the students.
SEVP has identified 34 schools as most affected by the hurricane and has been able to establish contact with 15 of them to date. SEVP now estimates that approximately 3,000 students were affected.
There is no way to know at this time all the types of relief that will be needed by international students, but during the meeting a number of issues were addressed: the possibility for reduced course loads, expanding opportunities for distance education (online courses), expanding work authorization, and waiving reinstatement fees. As more students and schools continue to contact SEVP with questions, SEVP becomes aware of additional complexities that must be addressed. For example, SEVP now realizes that transfer to another school may not be an option for some international students (e.g., Ph.D. candidates who cannot pursue their research anywhere else). SEVP is in contact with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office regarding appropriate policy determinations in these areas.
Of great concern to NAFSAns is how long international students may remain in the United States if they are unable to attend school in an affected area and are unable to transfer to another school. SEVP provided initial guidance in an FAQ, but it is now reexamining this guidance internally.
For international students who left the United States without a signed I-20, I-94, or other documents, SEVP is working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to address problems that may arise when the student attempts to reenter the United States. CBP will have access to the list of the affected schools and to SEVIS records to help identify those affected by Katrina. The goal is to allow those students who are unable to acquire new documentation to reenter on an I-515.
There is no way to predict when policy decisions will be made on the problems now faced by those in the NAFSA community directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. NAFSA will continue to advocate for resolutions that will provide the widest possible relief for NAFSAns and their international students.
SEVP’s primary concern at this time is ensuring that all international students in the affected region are accounted for and have contact with their schools. To this end, in the near future SEVP plans to e-mail all the affected schools to identify students who have not yet been in contact with SEVP or their school. SEVP staff remain concerned about getting information to affected students on the need to be in contact with them and have asked for NAFSA’s help in getting the information to the students.
SEVP has identified 34 schools as most affected by the hurricane and has been able to establish contact with 15 of them to date. SEVP now estimates that approximately 3,000 students were affected.
There is no way to know at this time all the types of relief that will be needed by international students, but during the meeting a number of issues were addressed: the possibility for reduced course loads, expanding opportunities for distance education (online courses), expanding work authorization, and waiving reinstatement fees. As more students and schools continue to contact SEVP with questions, SEVP becomes aware of additional complexities that must be addressed. For example, SEVP now realizes that transfer to another school may not be an option for some international students (e.g., Ph.D. candidates who cannot pursue their research anywhere else). SEVP is in contact with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office regarding appropriate policy determinations in these areas.
Of great concern to NAFSAns is how long international students may remain in the United States if they are unable to attend school in an affected area and are unable to transfer to another school. SEVP provided initial guidance in an FAQ, but it is now reexamining this guidance internally.
For international students who left the United States without a signed I-20, I-94, or other documents, SEVP is working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to address problems that may arise when the student attempts to reenter the United States. CBP will have access to the list of the affected schools and to SEVIS records to help identify those affected by Katrina. The goal is to allow those students who are unable to acquire new documentation to reenter on an I-515.
There is no way to predict when policy decisions will be made on the problems now faced by those in the NAFSA community directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. NAFSA will continue to advocate for resolutions that will provide the widest possible relief for NAFSAns and their international students.
