News Articles
Q&A with Hugo Leo, President of the Assembly of International Students (AIS)
By: International Student & Scholar Services Hugo Leo (left) at the 2019 Penn Indonesia Conference, hosted in November 2019 at Perry World House. As part of Penn Global Week, during which we recognize and celebrate members of our community who make Penn a global campus, we interviewed Hugo Leo, a Wharton/SAS junior from Indonesia. In addition…
CDC Introduces New COVID-19 Testing Requirements for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States
By: ISSS On January 12, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to…
Updates on SEVP Spring 2021 Guidance for International Students
By: ISSS The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) guidance issued for Fall 2020 will remain the same for the Spring 2021 semester. We would like to remind you of this guidance and address what SEVP will permit in certain key areas based on when and/or if you have come to the U.S. in F-1…
Federal judge blocks DOL and DHS rules that targeted H-1B program
By: ISSS On December 1, a federal judge vacated the US Department of Labor (DOL) rule which had temporarily raised the required wage for almost all H-1B petitions. The DOL rule, which was published and went into effect on October 8, 2020, amended how prevailing wage rates are calculated for H-1B and Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programs,…
ISSS Director Dr. Rudie Altamirano discusses the importance of social justice in international education
By: ISSS As part of International Education Week 2020, our director Dr. Rudie Altamirano appeared as part of a NAFSA Association of International Educators panel to discuss how international educators can advocate for social justice on university campuses and create spaces for international students that go “beyond immigration”: “We’re not just dealing with international students as demographics,…
In the midst of COVID-19, Penn sustains a global mission
By: Penn Today
Important Travel Requirements and Reminders from ISSS
By: ISSS As we approach the Thanksgiving break and the transition of the University to fully remote instruction, we would like to provide information and reminders about travel outside of the United States. Due to the continued unpredictability of COVID-19’s impact on travel, we do not recommend international travel for those currently in the United States.…
Beware of scammers targeting international students and scholars
By: International Student & Scholar Services There have been reports of Penn international students and scholars being targeted by scammers impersonating officials from IRS (Internal Revenue Service), ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), CBP (Customs and Border Protection), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), a U.S. Consulate, law enforcement, or other government agencies. These scammers, who manipulate…
DOL and DHS issue rules tightening requirements for H-1B and Permanent Labor Certification programs
By: ISSS On October 8, 2020, the US Department of Labor (DOL) published a rule amending how prevailing wage rates are calculated for H-1B and Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programs. A prevailing wage rate is the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a specific occupation in the area of intended employment, and the…