Cherry Blossoms

International Student Programs

COVID-19 Updates for F-1 Students

Check Foothill ISP website and your email frequently for updates and annoucements. You can also monitor the general Foothill COVID-19 Update Website for all-campus updates.

Virtual ISP Office 

The ISP office continues to service F-1 students virtually! 

For general questions, send an email to foothillinternational@fhda.edu.

Immigration Advising

Virtual Drop-in Advising Hours : every Tuesday 6AM - 7AM, 12PM - 1PM, 6PM - 7PM PT

(Refer to the Zoom link in your email.)  

You may also email your question or a Zoom appointment request any time to the Immigration Advisor, Stephanie Gross, at grossstephanie@fhda.edu.

FAQs

Most Updated COVID-19 FAQs - updated October 21, 2021 

Important Updates

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Foothill College COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and Return to Campus

Beginning September 20th, 2021, it will be mandatory for students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to be eligible to attend on campus classes or access in person services. Therefore, students who would like to study within the U.S. this fall should plan to either get the COVID-19 vaccination before leaving their home country or get vaccinated within 48 hours of arriving in the U.S. 

  • Acceptable COVID-19 vaccines are approved by the FDA or the World Health Organization (WHO) (including Astra Zeneca, SinoPharm BIBP, Serum Institute of India, etc.). 
  • If it is not possible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in your home country, we strongly recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine within 24-48 hours after arriving in the U.S. The vaccine is available in California free of charge and at many locations.
    • You may contact your local pharmacy stores: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc.
    • LifePlus Pharmacy (www.lifeplusrx.com) located in Santana Row is also available to our students. Contact them at (408) 606-8900 or visit 377 Santana Row, Suite 1145. San Jose, CA 95128
  • There may be limited exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Medical reasons will need documentation from a doctor and need to be translated to English, if applicable. More information on requesting an exemption will follow.
  • If you have received a vaccination in your home country, please bring your vaccine card/proof of vaccine with you.
  • Important - Are you under 18 years old? If so, you may need a parental consent form to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. You can find more information here.
  • If you do not plan to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and if you are not eligible for an exemption, you have the option to continue to study online outside the U.S. We will be offering in-person, hybrid, and online classes this fall. 

Please watch your email for official announcements and further instructions from the college in the coming week. Please note that proof of vaccination or exemption paperwork will not be submitted to ISP. You can also visit the official college website for updates: https://foothill.edu/healthservices/corona-virus.html 

 

Wednesday, May  5, 2021

Last week, SEVP/ICE released an announcement for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year, extending the same guidance announced in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What does this mean for you?  

  • If you were in F-1 status on March 9, 2020, and if you have maintained your status, you will be able to continue to study online either outside or within the U.S.  

  • If you have maintained your F-1 status, you can re-enter the U.S., even if you studied online from outside the U.S. for a quarter or more. If the travel signature/DSO endorsement on your I-20 is more than a year old by the time you plan to re-enter the U.S., please contact quittnermerry@fhda.edu for an updated signature.  

  • Maintaining your F-1 status requires that you register and complete a minimum of 12 units per quarter, even if you're studying online outside of the U.S. You are not required to register for classes during the summer quarter.  

  • If you will transfer to a new school this summer/fall, remember to request to release your SEVIS record to your new school no later than August 20, 2021. Please contact your new school for information about return to campus and vaccine requirements.    

 

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Important Update: Fall 2020 – SEVP/ICE Decision Rescinded

Dear Students,

You may have heard the news that the Trump Administration has rescinded the SEVP/ICE policy that was released on July 6th. This policy would have required F-1 students in the U.S. to take hybrid or in-person classes in Fall 2020 to remain in status and stated that F-1 students who had traveled outside the U.S. could stay in status only if their institution offered all online courses.

This policy was rescinded in court on July 14 during a hearing for a lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT and there is still no official guidance released by SEVP/ICE for colleges and universities; however, we want to communicate what this means for you. Please read the next steps based on the most recent information that we have below:

All  F-1 Students

  • Important: Please register for a minimum of 12 units as usual, according to your education plan, to ensure that you get the classes that you want and need. 

F-1 Students Studying in the U.S.

  • You do not need to register for hybrid courses unless it fits into your education plan or program requirements.
  • Remember to check the schedule and footnotes for details on how classes will be taught, including whether online classes will have regularly scheduled online meeting times.

F-1 Students Studying outside the U.S.

  • If you are currently outside the U.S. and still in F-1 status, please plan to register in at least 12 units that will allow you to make normal progress toward your academic goal. At this time, we do not have confirmation that you will remain in F-1 status; however, we advise you to plan for continuing in F-1 status by registering for 12 units. We will update you as soon as we know more.
  • Remember to check the schedule and footnotes for details on how classes will be taught, including whether online courses will have regularly scheduled online meeting times. Scheduled meeting times are listed in Pacific Standard Time (California time).

We are relieved that this unjust policy has been rescinded and we will continue to stand with you and offer our support. We understand that this has been a stressful and confusing time. We will continue to keep you informed with any further updates and instructions via email as soon as they become available.

Kind Regards,

Foothill-De Anza International Student Programs (ISP)

 

Monday, July 6, 2020

Important Announcement: Re. July 6 SEVP Update

The International Student Programs office at Foothill College is aware of a recent update released by SEVP regarding the ability of F-1 students to maintain their status in the fall if enrolled in all online courses.  

Please know that we are working hard to interpret the new guidelines, gather additional information, and collaborate with campus administration so that we can provide clear guidance to you about your options for fall quarter.  We will post and email this guidance as soon as possible.

We understand that this is a stressful time for many of you. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need additional support. If you are feeling stressed, lonely, or would just like to speak to someone, you can also contact Psychological Services

FoothillCollege remains committed to accommodating our F-1 students as much as possible and we will communicate with you soon about your options.

-ISP Staff 

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Virtual campus/online classes will continue through  summer & fall 2020

For the safety of our Foothill students, faculty and staff and all their families, summer and fall classes will be virtual/online—with a limited exception for select Allied Health labs.  Continuing students in active F1 status may take ALL online/hybrid classes and study from any location for the fall quarter.  We recommend registering for classes that end in a V or Z if you are studying outside of the U.S.  Courses that end in a Y will have an on-campus component.  You may maintain your F1 status from any location as long as you enroll and complete 12 units.

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Note about COVID-19 and tuition fees

We will continue to keep you informed about the status of our Fall 2020 in-person classes; however, there is a possibility that some or all instruction for all or part of the Fall 2020 quarter will be delivered online.

Many factors are taken into consideration when calculating tuition and fees, including our ability to offer access to leading faculty and educational resources. Tuition and fees also help us offer student support services such as tutoring, counseling, and International Student Programs, all while ensuring that your courses are transferable no matter how they’re delivered. There will be no changes or reduction of our tuition or fees based on instructional method. International students will continue to receive a high quality, affordable education from the top community college District in California.

 

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Virtual Drop-In Immigration Advising

Drop in advising  via Zoom will be held Mondays and Thursdays from 2 to 3 pm for spring quarter.  Please join this Zoom chat and ask your immigration questions, or send an e-mail to brownbarbara@fhda.edu to ask questions or request an individual Zoom appointment.

Health Insurance Update- Telemedicine & Co-pay Waivers

You can still get a referral to get the $50 doctor visit co-pay waived even though the campus health center is closed.  Click here view instructions on how to get a referral using Telemedicine.

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020 

Immigration Update- I-20 Travel Signatures

Due to COVID-19 we received notice that I-20's may now be signed electronically.  Until further notice, we will not be shipping I-20's locally or abroad.

If you need a travel signature, please email Merry Quittner at quittnermerry@fhda.edu and include in your email:

  1.  Passport name

  2. Student ID number

  3. SEVIS number

  4. Subject: Travel Signature

  5.  Please let us know if you will be studying in the U.S. or outside of the U.S. for the spring quarter

Friday, March 20, 2020 

It has been announced that remote instruction will continue through Spring quarter ending on June 26.  Please email us to let us know if you have questions about the spring quarter and check back here for regular updates.  We will hold a second chat for current students next week.  Stay tuned for details!

 

Monday, March 16, 2020


Foothill College Goes Virtual Due to COVID-19, as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020

ISP services will still continue virtually.  For general questions, email foothillinternational@fhda.edu.

For Immigration Advising, email Barbara Brown , Immigration Adviser, at brownbarbara@fhda.edu.

 

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Questions?
We're Here to Help!

International Student Programs Office

650.949.7293


foothillinternational@fhda.edu


Administration Building 1900 Room 1933

  

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