Announcements

May 21, 2020: Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order allowing gatherings of 10 people or fewer starting immediately, as long as participants practice social distancing. Beginning on May 26, retail businesses and auto dealerships can reopen for people to visit by appointment, and beginning May 29, health care providers can offer non-essential medical and dental services.

May 7, 2020: Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended her “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order through May 28, 2020. Under the new order, you still must not leave your home except to run critical errands, to engage in safe outdoor activities, or to go to a specified job.

University Health Service (UHS) now offers both in-person and virtual clinical services, and the UHS Pharmacy is offering curbside pick-up through Thursday, May 28, 2020. UHS has also posted information about COVID-19.

MPals is a peer-to-peer pen-pal initiative. Incoming international undergraduate students will be matched with current students at the University of Michigan. M-Pals will answer questions via email about all aspects of student life, such as: dorm-living, classes, extra-curricular clubs, banking, transportation, and more! Interested in joining M-Pals? Sign up today!

President Trump has issued a proclamation suspending the entry of certain immigrants for 60 days. This proclamation, which takes effect on 11:59pm EDT on April 23, 2020, only affects those who need to apply for an immigrant visa at a consulate abroad in order to enter the U.S. as permanent residents (green card holders). The proclamation does not apply to current permanent residents. There are also some other exceptions.

Congratulations from the International Center on your admission to the University of Michigan!  The mission of the International Center is to support U-M’s international community in many ways, but particularly when it comes to U.S. immigration and visa regulations. We know that you are concerned about getting a U.S. student visa and arriving in time for the fall semester.

The International Center is committed to supporting you during this global health crisis. The global COVID-19 situation is dynamic and quickly changing, and so is the guidance on how to minimize its impact on international scholars. Since we are in an environment of continuously evolving information, please make sure to regularly check the International Center's COVID-19 update page for important information and updates.

Dear International Students and Scholars,

Please read this email carefully for updated information regarding International Center services while the Student Activities Building is closed.

Effective Tuesday, March 24, the Student Activities Building (SAB) will be closed to the public based on the governor's "stay at home" order.

Dear International Student, Many developments have occurred in the past week regarding the COVID-19 situation. The University of Michigan International Center and Public Affairs websites detail this week's developments. However, I wanted to make sure that you understand these important highlights.

03/11/2020: In light of the University’s announcement regarding moving toward alternative forms of course delivery (including online formats), the International Center will follow Immigration’s established procedures that will ensure that F-1 and J-1 students maintain legal status. Please plan to participate in your classes in the format in which they are offered when they resume on Monday, March 16th. We will be posting additional information in the upcoming days.

On March 5, 2020 U-M President Schlissel sent an email to the U-M campus community to share the latest guidelines and information for students, scholars, faculty, and staff related to the COVID-19 virus, including some important COVID-19 updates, guidance for travelers coming to or returning to campus, recommendations for those planning future travel, and campus preparations.

On Saturday, February 29th, the U.S. government announced new travel restrictions for foreign nationals who have been in Iran the past 14 days due to COVID-19 related risks.  These restrictions will be implemented at 5:00 PM EST on March 2, 2020.

Dear International Students, I am writing to bring your awareness to the many medical, health, safety, and campus resources that have been developed in response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). As new information is shared, the International Center will continue to post announcements on our website. I also encourage you to reach out to the International Center with your questions about how restrictions related to COVID-19 may affect your immigration status or your ability to re-enter the United States after travelling abroad.

The International Center would like to remind all international students, scholars, employees, and dependents that they are responsible for following federal immigration regulations and federal laws, in addition to the laws of the State of Michigan.

(Jan 31, 2020) Today the White House Administration announced a suspension of the overseas issuance of immigrant visas for certain nationals of Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, and Nigeria; and will disallow Diversity Visa Lottery participation for Sudan and Tanzania. 

Are you a U-M International Student? Interested in taking part in the U.S. elections this year? Then read on!

The International Center and the Office of New Student Programs welcome new U-M international undergraduate students to U-M and to Ann Arbor. The International Center has posted information for new international undergraduate students on the Winter 2020 International Undergraduate Orientation event page.

The University of Michigan Office of Public Affairs recently posted some updated information about the international student fee described below. If you have additional questions after reading the updated information, you can email internationalstudentfees@umich.edu

Residence Education is beginning the search for next year’s ResStaff (live-in student employees) who will work in all of the Undergraduate Residential Communities as Resident Advisors (RAs) and Diversity Peer Educators (DPEs). Applications are due by Oct. 27 by 11:59 PM. Read more on the University Housing Jobs.

Are you looking for an amazing job at the University of Michigan? Well, look no further! Come work for the Center for Campus Involvement! CCI is looking for some students who want to develop skills in facilitation, adaptability, and relationship building while supporting student organizations on campus.

The University of Michigan International Center (IC) is proud to announce its Welcoming Month schedule of events for new and returning international students, faculty/staff, scholars, and their families. Throughout the month of September, the IC will host several events to help members of the international community learn about U.S. culture, get to know each other, and explore Ann Arbor.

Dear Students,

Welcome to the University of Michigan!

The International Center is currently looking to hire a Graduate Student ICSC Co-Leader for the 2019-2020 school year. ICSC Leaders facilitate ICSC meetings, manage ICSC communication (emails, social media, flyers, etc.), ensure deadlines by volunteer members are met, organize ICSC events, and serve as a liaison between ICSC members and the U-M International Center. ICSC Co-Leaders will be supported by the Global Engagement and Education Abroad (GEEA) team. For a full job description, click here. Those interested in applying must do so by August 19. Click here to access the application. 

The International Center and the Office of New Student Programs welcome new U-M international undergraduate students and their parents to LSA International Transfer Orientation and International Undergraduate Orientation. The International Center has posted information for new international undergraduate students and their parents on the Orientation Overview page.

The University of Michigan Conference & Event Services is looking for ambitious, customer service oriented student staff for a two-week conference from Friday, July 19th through Friday, August 2nd. Both U.S. and international students are encouraged to apply; this is on-campus employment and a work-study award is not required. The University will be hosting the National Training Institute (NTI), a 10 day educational training conference of electricians who will be our guests on the University campus.

The Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application  (Form DS-160) now requires applicants to provide information on all social media platforms they have used within the last five years. You will be required to provide your username, screen name, handle, or other identifier for each platform you have used, but you will not be required to provide your passwords. You will also be asked for your current email address and phone number and for any additional email addresses and phone numbers you have used in the previous five years, but you will not be required to provide your passwords.

4/11/2019 – USCIS announced that it has received enough cases to meet the FY 2020 H-1B quota and has completed the computerized selection process.

As members of the University of Michigan community embark on international and domestic travel this summer, the campus International Centers, Office of the General Counsel, and Office of the Provost have prepared this informational guide to promote safe and efficient travel. More detailed and expansive information, including emergency contact information while traveling, is available on the Global Michigan website. We encourage you to explore all the travel resources available on that site while planning your travel.

Recent events around the world and here on campus have been upsetting to many students, faculty, and staff. Although reports of an active shooter on the University of Michigan campus on Saturday proved to be unfounded (the noises were actually the sounds of balloons popping), this was a very frightening day for many. As such, the International Center would like to remind you about some resources that are available to the campus community. Students

The Institute of International Education (IIE) has released its 2018 Open Doors report, which is a comprehensive source of data on international students studying at higher education institutions in the United States, and on U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities.

On 8/31/18, USCIS announced that, effective 10/1/18, the fee for Premium Processing would increase from $1,225 to $1,410. All petitions postmarked on or after 10/1/18 will need to include the new fee.

The International Center would like to warn you about phone calls and emails from criminals pretending to be from U.S. law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, or from U.S. government agencies such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), or the Michigan Department of Treasury. The calls may also be "robo-calls" making "urgent" callback requests.

APRIL 25, 2018 UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in the Trump v. Hawaii travel ban case on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. The Court is expected to announce its decision by the end of June. Links to a written transcript and an audio recording of the oral argument are posted on the Supreme Court's website.

The Peace Corps announced that the University of Michigan ranked No. 8 among large schools on the agency’s 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are 61 Wolverines currently volunteering worldwide. The University of Michigan is also a top graduate school, ranking No. 5 with 14 alumni currently volunteering.

On March 6, 2017, President Trump signed a new executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States”, which revokes and replaces Executive Order 13769, issued on January 27, 2017.  The new order includes a revised 90-day entry ban on nationals of six countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – and is effective on March 16, 2017. Please refer to this page for clarifications as additional information becomes available, for updates on important and relevant changes, for information on how this order affects U-M’s international students, scholars, faculty and staff, and for Executive Order resources.

Do you have great photos from your experiences at U-M, the state of Michigan, or another country?  The International Center invites U-M international and U.S. students, scholars, faculty, staff, and dependents to participate in our 2017 Photo Contest!  Submit your photos and see if the judges pick you as a winner to be displayed in the 2017 Global Photo Showcase!   Winning photos will be used for the International Center’s website, social media, digital signage, or future event promotion material.

The International Center and the Office of New Student Programs welcome new U-M international undergraduate students and their parents to international undergraduate orientation. The International Center has posted information for new international undergraduate students and their parents, including PDF versions of the International Parent Orientation agenda and presentation. on the Orientation Overview page.

On Monday 7/24/17, USCIS announced that Premium Processing will resume for H-1B petitions filed on behalf of institutions of higher education as well as several other cap-exempt employers, effective immediately.

On March 15, 2017, the U.S. District Court in Hawaii issued a nationwide temporary restraining order, preventing the Government from enforcing certain provisions of the executive order that was scheduled to go into effect on March 16, 2017, including those related to visa issuance and travel to the U.S.

On March 6, 2017, President Trump signed a new executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States." The new order revokes and replaces Executive Order 13769 that was issued on January 27, 2017.  This new Executive Order includes a revised entry ban on nationals of six countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – and is effective on March 16, 2017.