Dear NYU International Students and Scholars:
Our international students are valued members of our scholarly community, and are integral to our identity as one of the world’s leading global universities.
You may have seen recent media coverage regarding pauses and possible delays in the processing of visas for students and exchange visitors (those on F-1 and J-1 visas) who are planning to study, research, or teach at US colleges and universities this fall, enhanced “social media screening and vetting” for visa applicants, as well as statements suggesting the potential revocation of visas for some Chinese students. It has caused considerable uncertainty, and we are sure it must be unnerving.
First, let us start with what we know:
- As things currently stand, the new vetting procedures should not affect current visa holders – unless you need to renew your visa at some point during your time at NYU. And if you do need to renew your visa, please be in touch with OGS, and we’ll help you navigate the process.
- It is our understanding that embassies and consulates will continue to honor previously scheduled visa appointments (so if you already have an appointment, you should plan on attending, as long as you don’t receive a communication indicating that your appointment has been postponed).
- As things currently stand, this should not affect current visa holders – unless you need to renew your visa at some point during your time at NYU.
- If you do not yet have your visa, please make sure to review our Office of Global Services website for information on navigating the visa application process (information for students | information for scholars).
There are many details we are still waiting to learn more about from the US federal government, including how long the pause on scheduling new visa appointments will last, how the new screening processes will affect the visa application process, and which students and scholars may be impacted.
We fully appreciate that this newly introduced uncertainty may be causing you some concern, but we want to assure you that we are closely monitoring these developments. We will follow up with you by the end of next week – of course sooner if we have any time-sensitive updates, and we also encourage you to visit our Supporting our Global Community page for a wide range of information and resources.
We are proud that you have decided to make NYU your academic home. We are here to support you through your scholarly journey.
Sincerely,
Sherif Barsoum,
Senior Associate Vice President, Global Services
