The Israel Travel Award is designed to financially support students who will be engaging in educational travel to Israel. Educational travel is defined as study, internship, volunteer, or research opportunities, as well as conference attendance. The Global Engagement and Education Abroad (GEEA) team at the International Center manages the Israel Travel Award.
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.
The International Center would like to warn you about phone calls and emails from criminals pretending to be from your home country consulate (or embassy), 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 "robocalls" making "urgent" callback requests.
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.
Are you a U-M international student interested in taking part in the upcoming Midterm elections? While international students, like other non-U.S. citizens, cannot vote in the midterm elections on November 6th, you can participate in other ways. For more information about getting involved, check out our recent blog post.
Christmas International House provides an opportunity for international students to be guests of a local community in one of a number of locations in the U.S. during the vacation between Fall and Winter Terms. Learn more about completing the application.
On August 9, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a new policy regarding “unlawful presence” for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors, as well as for their dependents.
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.
International Center staff and peer advisers are looking forward to welcoming new international graduate students and their families. Summer Orientation Peer Advisers will be available for questions at the Welcome Desk during its business hours (Monday - Friday):
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.
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 on the Orientation Overview page.
On June 26, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Trump v. Hawaii travel ban case. Since the Supreme Court ruled for the government, this decision means that the travel ban will continue to be in effect. After the decision was announced, U-M’s President Mark S. Schlissel issued a statement expressing the University’s disappointment in this decision, and reaffirming the university’s commitment to fostering an environment in which all members of the U-M community can flourish.
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.
Graduate Housing is offering two great opportunities for graduate students living on or off-campus to be engaged in community building through their newly posted Graduate Diversity Coordinator and their Transdisciplinary Fellow positions. Both positions are offered in Munger Graduate Residences and Northwood Community Apartments.
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.
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!
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 Mark and Myra Sorensen International Travel Scholarship is designed to support students who will participate in study, internship, volunteer or research programs abroad. The application deadline for Spring/Summer funding is Sunday, April 29th, 2018.
The International Center is hiring international students to assist with its Summer Orientation. Read the job description and submit your application by Friday, May 4 at 5pm.
USCIS processing times for H-1B petitions has slowed down significantly since the beginning of this year. USCIS indicates that the "normal" processing time for an H-1B petition is currently 3.5 - 5.5 months. Please take these increased processing times into account as you are preparing your H-1B requests and submit your petition requests as early as possible. Note that Premium Processing remains available for H-1B petitions submitted on behalf of cap-exempt employers, including the University of Michigan.
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.
The Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI) and the Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) are seeking diligent, well-connected, and committed graduate and undergraduate students to serve on the University of Michigan’s first API (Asian/Pacific Islander) Celebratory’s Student Advisory Board. Members will work to make the inaugural event characterized by the values of inclusivity, solidarity, and recognition as it applies to the API diaspora on campus.
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.
On October 8, 2017, the United States temporarily suspended nonimmigrant visa issuance at its consulates within Turkey. The United States Embassy in Turkey has now announced that the processing of nonimmigrant visas has resumed on a limited basis. For a detailed announcement and answers to common questions, please visit the U.S. Embassy website.
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.
Dear Parents,
It was wonderful to see so many families of our new students participate in Monday’s orientation. As a follow-up to our Panel of University Representatives, we would like to provide you with some additional information and webpages, and with responses to some of the questions raised yesterday, in order to clarify these important issues for you.
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 August 21, the U.S. Department of State announced changes to nonimmigrant visa processing at the US embassy and consulates in Russia. Beginning on August 23, 2017, all processing will be suspended. On September 1, 2017, non-immigrant visa processing will resume at the US Embassy in Moscow only.
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.
Nonresidents for tax purposes have two deadlines, April 18 and June 15, depending on their circumstances. Review the deadlines section of Non-Residents for Tax Purposes to see which deadline applies to you. Tax residents have only one deadline, April 18, 2017. If you will not be able to mail (or, for tax residents, e-file) your tax form by your deadline, you can extend your deadline to file your form, but you must still pay any taxes you owe by the deadline.
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.
The Peace Corps announced that the University of Michigan ranked No. 4 among large schools on the agency’s 2017 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are 60 Wolverines currently volunteering worldwide. The University of Michigan is also a top graduate school, ranking No. 4 with 15 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." 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.
The February 9, 2017 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals means that the temporary restraining order (TRO) described below will remain in place. However, an appeal is still possible, and lawsuits related to
