Dear Students,
We are emailing to inform you of two important announcements by the Governor of California, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory- Do Not Travel, urging all U.S. Citizens traveling or living abroad to return to the U.S. immediately, or remain there indefinitely. This advisory indicated that many countries are implementing travel and entry restrictions for citizens and non-citizens. As an international student at CGU, it is your choice whether you remain in the U.S. or not during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you do decide to travel, please be aware of the following:
- CGU is requesting all students who travel abroad to register your trip. This will help the SLDL Office know who is abroad and where they are located.
- You may not be able to return to the U.S. until the government lifts travel restrictions (unknown at this time). Currently there are travel bans for non- U.S. Citizens traveling from China, Iran, Italy and European countries. The Canadian border is also closed for non-essential travel.
- International flights have been reduced by 70%, and domestic flights have seen reductions up to 45%. We recommend if you are considering travel, to do so now and not delay.
- To keep an active SEVIS record, full-time enrollment during the spring semester is mandatory, including online courses. The five-month abroad rule does not apply for those who are enrolled full-time in the fall or spring semester.
- Time zones vary by country and most professors are planning synchronous online courses. If this will be a hardship, please work directly with faculty to discuss course delivery options.
- If you plan to apply for OPT or STEM OPT, the SLDL Office does not encourage travel outside of the U.S. at this time.
Californiaʻs Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order to all CA residents to remain in their homes except for essential needs. This order still allows residents to leave their home for groceries/food, gas, medical services and other essential tasks while practicing social distance (six feet distance from others).
If you are currently on CPT or OPT and your site supervisor has not approved a remote assignment, please confirm immediately. If your position has or will end, please contact international@cgu.edu so we can update your SEVIS record.
SLDL will host online drop-in hours today, March 20 from 11:30AM-1:00PM (Pacific Time) to answer any questions you may have. Click here to join!
Sincerely,
The SLDL Team