In this situation, there is no need to wait another 60 days for the exchange visitors to go home. U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call 691-320-2187 ext.2134 or 691-920-2369. Therefore, the wait time for a student or exchange visitor is generally much shorter than the wait time for a B1/B2 applicant. Court Order regarding Presidential Proclamation 10052. Some of the exchange visitors who are subject to the European Travel Proclamations may be eligible to enter the United States if they qualify for a national interest exception (NIE) to the European Travel Proclamations. Other conditions, criteria and requirements under the regulations remain in effect. No visa fee refunds are available at this time for those applicants who have not been able to schedule or cannot attend a visa interview due to a COVID-19-related closure. Routine visa services will resume as soon as possible, but a specific date at this time cannot be provided. Go to: On March 20, 2020, U.S. embassies and consulates suspended all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services. If the exchange visitors were prepared to end their programs early and their travel arrangements are in place with no anticipated delays or restrictions, they should leave as originally planned. As resources allow, embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency and mission critical visa services. UPDATE: New Corona UK visa extensions (to 31 July 2020) - Duration: 10:49. (A) This question perfectly hits what needs to be accurate in SEVIS. International Student Services is deeply concerned about the current coronavirus outbreak and sincerely hope that you, your families, and your friends have not been directly impacted. Saudi Arabia Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline. (A) Please know that we are fully aware of how this situation is causing financial distress on many sponsors. If you have an emergency, please consult the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate where you are applying for a visa for more information. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please note the situation is changing daily and the information below may be out of date by the time you're reading it. Yes, sponsors must extend the insurance coverage and fund it as they did during the exchange visitors’ initial programs. The health, safety, and welfare of exchange participants, and of the Americans with whom they interact, remains the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) highest priority," they told Independent.ie. K Visa Processing Update This has been devastating to our Summer Work Travel, Intern, Trainee, and Teacher programs. Our overseas missions will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but we are unable to provide a specific date at this time. Thursday, 24 December 2020 | 1.4°C Dublin, Menu The Department recognized that its decision to extend all programs based on program end date criteria would result in the reactivation of the records of certain exchange visitors who are no longer pursuing program objectives. Japan Visitor Hotline. Sponsors must maintain monthly contact with exchange visitors to confirm their health, safety, and welfare, and that their programs continue to meet the objectives. ECA is aware some foreign governments are using such sites to provide assistance, including registering citizens who are seeking flights home. Updates on Visa Processing. A 16-year-old cystic fibrosis (CF) patient has urged people to consider others who may have a lower immune system when they are coughing or sneezing in public. § 62.25(f)(1)(ii) does require sponsors to secure "prior written acceptance for the enrollment of any exchange student in a United States public or private secondary school" which must include "written arrangements concerning the payment of tuition or waiver thereof if applicable." Agent fee is around 500$ varies depends on the agent. Update – November 4, 2020 The Proclamation & J-1 Visa suspension. Due to the recent outbreak we will be closely monitoring Coronavirus (COVID-19). President Donald Trump summed it up pretty well in one of his more lucid moments sat alongside Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office on Thursday. If exchange visitors do not need them for formal processing, sponsors may electronically transmit to exchange visitors updated and fully executed Forms DS-2019 reflecting last week's 60-day extension. We are already engaging with the rest of the Department, including our Regional bureaus, in order to explore options to assist. As always, sponsors should end the programs of exchange visitors who are no longer pursuing program activities or updating sponsors with their whereabouts. Call for tourist information or assistance in the case of accidents and emergencies including COVID-19. Exchange visitors anticipating formal processing requirements should request their sponsors send them original Forms DS-2019. If your designation is up for renewal in the next couple months, please apply in SEVIS online before expiration. Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) sponsors are reminded to continue to follow guidance that ECA/EC has posted at. Immigration Update: Coronavirus The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on immigration policies and processes worldwide. No. As noted during the conference call with sponsors on March 27th, sponsors are advised to reprint Forms DS-2019, fully execute them with original signatures in blue ink, and transmit them in accordance with routine requirements if exchange visitors need Forms DS-2019 for formal processing (i.e., visa application issuance or application for entry to the United States). The Department extended exchange visitor programs due to the volume of exchange visitors experiencing trouble making travel arrangements. Sponsors must submit annual reports by the regulatory mandated due dates. For exchange visitors who will complete programs online and not return to the United States for the next semester, sponsors should shorten their programs and their status will revert to “inactive.” For exchange visitors who are continuing programs online and intend to return to the United States this fall, sponsors should leave their SEVIS records in “active” status. Archive of posts categorized Coronavirus Updates in ECFMG News. For example: Condition 8202 for Student visa holders requires the main applicant to be enrolled in a full time course and meet the requirements for enrolment, (i.e. Any potential new exchange visitors (i.e., individuals currently in “initial” status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)) may start their exchanges only if their programs and host academic institutions will be able to comply with regulatory requirements. More information on NIEs can be found at the following websites: The purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program is to facilitate in-person exchanges. Sponsors are strongly encouraged to document all such unique situations. We continue to strongly recommend that private sector sponsors similarly follow the guidance for the indefinite pause. Some agents are able to do this. Please review the guidance emailed to sponsors by the OPA teams for incident reporting criteria regarding COVID-19-related cases for specific categories. (A) Yes, you can keep the SEVIS record in “active” status while the exchange visitor is back at home. US Visa Travel Advisory for Coronavirus. If needed, the individual can re-apply for a visa within the 12-month period without paying a new SEVIS fee. The J1 Visa programme has been suspended for 60 days. A reasonable, temporary modification for exigent circumstances beyond a sponsor's control would not undermine a program’s consistency with the regulations. September Updates on Covid-19: Bali's plan to open its tourism for This flexibility requires sponsors to fully document all technical deviations from the regulations, including digitally saving video files. Check for flight status updates regularly as your flight date approaches. Due to changing travel restrictions, exchange visitors should keep apprised of the latest travel restrictions before making a decision to travel. We recommend that you keep SEVIS program dates updated and document their files with the unique circumstances. Sponsors and their exchange visitors are also encouraged to review the following USCIS website detailing special situations for extensions and change of visa status, including those individuals subject to INA 212(e): Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement. "The situation regarding COVID 19 continues to evolve rapidly. Generally, we are not in a position to waive the regulations or other laws that govern the Exchange Visitor Program, and further many of the requirements at issue are imposed separately by other agencies. First, exchange visitors experiencing difficulty returning home should remain in contact with their sponsors (and sponsors should document exchange visitor records to reflect these contacts and the exchange visitors’ efforts to leave the United States.). Trinity College Dublin is encouraging students living in college accommodation to return home and offering them a partial refund. This policy reflects sponsor obligations to promote the health, safety and welfare of Exchange Visitor Program participants while at the same time meeting program objectives. Staff are being asked to work from home and supermarket shelves across the country are being frantically emptied in preparation for the worst. (A) ECA understands that this is a difficult situation. (A) Sponsors should consult with the host placements to seek alternative ways to maintain program objectives, while preventing unnecessary exposure to the disease and its spread. Annual report narratives should explain program highlights as well as difficulties, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nov 25, 2020 K Visa Processing Update. Neil Lennon would expect Celtic to be declared Ladbrokes Premiership champions if the season is brought to a premature end due to the coronavirus crisis. Sponsors should document all such unique circumstances and must continue to monitor exchange programs to ensure they meet program objectives to the fullest extent possible during this situation. Outside of … Please refer to ECA announcement (March 13, 2020) regarding the pause on ECA-funded programs for 60 days from the date of the announcement on March 12. The Department understands that the COVID-19 situation has caused a major disruption in program participation. Please follow the links below for the latest guidance for Exchange Visitor Program sponsors and participants. No, the regulations contain no such requirement. As we work through this process we will keep you informed and work with you to try to resolve matters as they arise. The President has issued several proclamations suspending entry of non-U.S. citizens and legal residents into the United States who have been physically present China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, or Ireland within 14 days of their entry or attempted entry into the United States. Those who contact the Home Office for these visa extensions will be expected to return to their home countries as soon as possible once flight and border restrictions are lifted. Previously approved applicants may delay their start date to participate in a program where the program as intended/designed complied with the regulations, provided that the delay is not excessive for the circumstances and that it occurred due to factors (like the current COVID-19 situation) outside of the sponsors’, hosts’, and exchange visitors’ control. Sponsors are responsible for exchange visitors who are in Active status, and they are required to monitor programs and accurately update SEVIS daily, as necessary. The recent Presidential Proclamation suspending or limiting entry for several non-immigrant visa types has impacted the cultural exchange program community, effectively preventing many 2020 CHI program participants from being able to apply for a J1 visa to join a program in the U.S. for the remainder of this year.. 'We would be the champions and rightly so' - Neil Lennon expects Celtic to be crowned if season cancelled, Varadkar says response to coronavirus is 'complicated' by North-South divide, Panic buyers empty shops as minister urges end to stockpiling, At risk: Teenager with cystic fibrosis tells of fears, Four healthcare workers among 20 new cases to be diagnosed, Trinity students offered accommodation refunds to go home as teacher unions call off Easter conferences, Keep children apart to save lives – doctors warn, A country on lockdown: the weekend guide to social distancing, Trump vows that he will 'unleash the full power of government' after fierce criticism, 'It's a fast spreader' - Leo, Donald and the week in which everything changed, Stuck at home with the family? (A) Yes, we have had a lot of questions about COVID diagnoses and quarantines. Sponsors should document all such unique circumstances, and must continue to monitor exchange programs to ensure they meet program objectives to the fullest extent possible during this situation. Where commercial flights are unavailable or travel to a country is suspended, ECA refers sponsors and exchange visitors to the websites and social media sites of the embassy in the United States of the exchange visitor's home country. I'll call it a "note to file" but you should maintain this change in the exchange visitor's program for future reference. The Department of State has not directed high school students return home, except for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program which is jointly run by the U.S. Department of State and the German Bundestag. Routine visa services will resume as soon as possible, but a specific date at this time cannot be provided. The sites of activity will remain the same (since they will continue to be enrolled at the same institutions), but sponsors should note in remarks that the exchange visitors have returned to their home countries due to the COVID 19 pandemic. If your UK address changes, please contact us with your new address. The regulations generally do not identify specific requirements for criminal background reports themselves, except that for certain programs they must include a search of the Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Registry (which is online). On July 14, 2020, DOS announced the beginning of a phased resumption of visa services on a post-by-post basis. The Department understands that the suspension has caused a major disruption in program participation.