Read Cornell's April 2022 statement about COVID requirements for the 2022-23 academic year.

The Vaccination at Cornell page is the main source of information on Cornell's vaccine policies, including the current list of accepted vaccines. Visit Cornell Health for answers to your questions about COVID-19 vaccination. Find out about options for vaccination on campus and in the Ithaca community.

Visit this Cornell Health webpage to find out what you need to know about immunization compliance.

Watch Cornell Housing's move-in page for arrival instructions.

Ithaca students, please check the Orientation Options page for registration information.

Orientation is not mandatory, but past students have found it beneficial as a fun and fast way to learn about how Cornell works and connect with fellow international students. Find out more about your orientation options.

All F-1 and J-1 students must complete the required status activation.

Review our Travel to Campus page for weekly updated transportation information.

Check out Your First Week for pointers on local banks and other important things to know and do when you arrive on campus.

Undergraduates: Learn about need-aware financial aid. Graduate students: Find out how to apply for grants and loans.

Follow these links to find the course roster and information on enrollment.

All international students automatically receive immigration updates from the Office of Global Learning, including a monthly newsletter. Non-international students (per Cornell's records) can sign up for our mailing lists here.

We expect that visa appointments at US embassies and consulates will improve in 2023, and we understand that they will prioritize students when possible. Please monitor the status of appointments in your home country if you expect to be impacted.

Cornell will continue to monitor visa and travel issues that might affect returning international students and will make adjustments to address your needs as much as possible. While Cornell does not officially recommend this practice due to the risk of delays or denials, we understand that some students and scholars have been successful in applying for a visa in a third country. 

Visa appointment times are taking longer due to COVID-19 and other issues. It is best to take the earliest available appointment time—even if the appointment is after your program start date—so that you can apply for an expedited visa request. You need to have a scheduled appointment before you ask to have the appointment expedited!

Please check with your nearest U.S. consulate or embassy to find out how to request an expedited or emergency visa appointment. Consulates will only schedule an expedited visa appointment within 60 days of your program start date. See the listed program start date on your I-20 to find out if you're eligible.

You may also request a visa support letter from your admitting academic department. Be sure to keep your academic department updated on your expected arrival if you plan on arriving after the listed program date on your I-20.

Contact your academic department or college about your delayed arrival, and ask about your options. Be sure to email us if your arrival will be delayed or deferred. Never use a tourist or visitor visa to enter the US.

If you are unable to obtain a visa or will arrive late, you should contact your department or the admissions office and request information about your options for attending in a later semester. Cornell Tech students, please email admissions@tech.cornell.edu.

The Office of Global Learning can often provide modest support to international students for eligible emergency expenses. Find out how to request support in the Financial Emergency section of Get Advice.

F-1 students are normally permitted to take no more than three credit hours per term of online study. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, ICE permitted F-1 students who were physically present and enrolled  prior to March 9, 2020, to participate in a fully remote program of study. New students arriving in the U.S. after that date are not permitted a 100% online program.

We do not know when ICE will determine that the COVID-19 emergency provisions are no longer applicable, but the policy will be applied through the spring 2023 semester.

When the current emergency provisions end, the policy will revert to 8 CFR 214.2 (f)(G), which states: “For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken online or through distance education and does not require the student's physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class.”

Check out our webpage about student jobs on the Ithaca campus before you begin your search. Then start on this page to search campus employment opportunities.

If you have general career questions or career questions related to being international, contact Cornell Career Services. You can also use their online booking system to make an appointment. Also be sure to visit our Employment and Taxes webpages.

If you're a new student employee, you need to complete an I-9! Find out how to get started.

A Social Security number (SSN) is used by employers and employees for tax-reporting purposes; if you're not employed, you're not eligible for an SSN. You don’t need an SSN to open a bank account, rent an apartment, or get a credit card. Find out how to Apply for an SSN.

Newly admitted students who were not previously enrolled in another academic program in the United States and do their first semester remotely outside of the United States must complete two consecutive semesters in F-1 status in the United States to be eligible to apply for OPT. However, newly admitted students who previously did another academic program in the United States and transferred their SEVIS record to Cornell are eligible to apply for OPT/CPT during the summer following their first academic year at Cornell, even if they completed their first semester at Cornell remotely from outside of the United States.

Newly admitted graduate students who were not previously enrolled in another academic program in the United States and who completed their first semester remotely outside of the United States are not eligible to apply for CPT during the summer following their first academic year.

If it is permissible to complete the internship or practicum at a later time in the academic program, then CPT is not possible for students who do the first semester of their program at Cornell outside of the United States.

Students currently participating in OPT and STEM OPT may work remotely if their employer has an office outside of the U.S. or the employer can assess student engagement using electronic means. Students participating in OPT do not need to update the SEVP portal, and STEM OPT recipients do not need to submit an updated Form I-983 to report remote work. However, requirements to submit an updated I-983 for other changes (pay, duties, supervisor, etc.) remain in effect.

During the COVID-19 emergency, SEVP considers students who are working in their OPT opportunities fewer than 20 hours a week as engaged in OPT. If you need clarification on when the COVID-19 emergency is considered over, please email us.

Students can engage in CPT from abroad if the employer has an office outside the U.S. or if the employer can assess student engagement and attainment of learning objectives electronically.

As an F-1 or J-1 student, off-campus employment is restricted by U.S. law, but may be authorized under certain conditions. If you are maintaining your visa status, and you will be paid by Cornell as usual, you may work remotely so long as you remain in the United States and are otherwise maintaining the conditions of F-1 status. Don't hesitate to email us if you have questions about your situation.

F-1 and J-1 international students, including graduate assistants, who have left the United States are generally ineligible for remote work abroad. The university has developed a narrow framework of options for engaging qualified students who are legally stranded in their home countries during the semester.

If you are impacted by travel restrictions, government-mandated stay-at-home orders, or other government-imposed orders related to COVID-19, contact your appointing unit or assignment supervisor to discuss eligibility. Please note that some options will require prior approval by the department chair or dean. Cornell cannot approve additional exceptions for students who choose to remain abroad after travel restrictions are lifted.

A valid visa stamp is only necessary for entry to the United States. Learn more About Your Visa. If you are inside the US and your stamp expires, you can remain in the US as long as your I-20/DS-2019 hasn't expired and you are enrolled. A new visa stamp can only be obtained at a US embassy or consulate abroad. 

Please refer to the website of the nearest US embassy or consulate through the U.S. Department of State for updates about visa issuance.

While we can't assist in scheduling a visa appointment, you can find the most up-to-date wait times on the U.S. Department of State website. The DS-160 is a personal application, so we cannot assist in filling out the form, but the website offers guidance on the DS-160 form.

Unfortunately, we are not able to predict travel conditions in the coming months with certainty. We will monitor the situation and advise as possible. If you intend to leave campus, ensure that your immigration documents are in order. If you leave and are not able to return before your planned graduation, be aware that you will not be eligible for OPT status.

The Department of State and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow electronic issuing and signing of I-20 forms by designated school officials (DSO's), but please print and sign your I-20 prior to boarding your flight.

Make an appointment at a U.S. consulate to obtain an entry visa stamp. The appointment cannot be more than 120 days ahead of your program end date shown on your I-20/DS-2019.

Canadian citizens do not need a visa stamp. At the port of entry, show your Canadian passport and I-20/DS-2019 to request F-1/J-1 student immigration status to attend Cornell University. If you are a Canadian “landed immigrant,” please check with a U.S. consulate to find out if you need a visa stamp.

Guidance for the spring 2023 semester continues to be based on the March 2020 guidance, which temporarily relaxed the five-month rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are outside the U.S. and plan to return, you can find travel documents on the Travel Documents for Students page.

If you are not taking classes abroad, but are instead engaged in another activity abroad which standard policy would have permitted, we will keep your SEVIS record active. Please note that ICE guidance on this may change. If we are permitted to keep SEVIS records active for continuing students abroad, we will do so.

If you’re an undergraduate or professional student and you expect to arrive late, email us. Your academic program has the final say in whether or not you can attend late.

Please review our travel and reentry information, find out what documents are necessary for travel, and information to determine whether you need an updated travel signature.

No. Immigration regulations do not allow tourist visa holders to participate in degree programs. Students who are issued a Cornell I-20 for an F-1 visa or DS-2019 for a J-1 visa must apply for the appropriate visa to study in the United States. Email us if you have questions about your visa status.

The rules vary for undergraduates and graduate students. If you are currently outside the country or intend to leave the U.S. for Cornell-related travel, please consult pandemic travel policies to learn about steps for Cornell travelers and how to petition for travel approval when required.

Please see Cornell's COVID-19 Response page for more information and policies regarding travel. If you are at Cornell Tech, see Cornell Tech's COVID-19 Updates.

The May 29, 2020, proclamation only applies to certain graduate students and postgraduate researchers. Read our May 2020 message about the proclamation.

Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding coronavirus. The Federal Trade Commission outlines steps to protect yourself from these scams. Learn more about avoiding scams.