The following are answers to frequently asked questions related to our international students here at Georgia Tech. While we are not able to provide legal advice, we can share helpful resources.
For support with understanding how to engage an immigration attorney, please review the Office of International Education (OIE) Legal Consultation resource online, https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/content/seeking-legal-consultation-us.
Q. As an F-1 or J-1 visa holder, what documentation must I carry with me while in the United States, including the Atlanta area?
A. United States federal law requires you to carry a printout of your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record and your original I-20 or DS-2019. We also recommend that you carry a copy of your F-1 or J-1 visa (not the original).
Q. What should I do if I am approached by a law enforcement officer?
A. We encourage you to consult with a qualified immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation. In addition, there are more general supplemental resources online that you can consult to better understand your rights. As an example, the American Civil Liberties Union offers an overview of immigrant rights when interacting with law enforcement, which can be found here, https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights.
Q. What should I do if I receive notice that my F-1 or J-1 visa is revoked?
A. If you receive an email from the U.S. Department of State informing you that your visa is revoked, you are encouraged to consult with a qualified immigration attorney as soon as possible. Please also inform OIE of the visa revocation by submitting the Report Visa Issue e-form in iStart, https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/isss/istart-help.
Q. As an international student, am I restricted from engaging in political protests?
A. Georgia Tech’s values related to safeguarding freedom of inquiry and expression are available online, https://students.gatech.edu/freedom_of_expression.
Q. I am concerned about international travel and need support with questions. What is the best way to get my questions addressed?
A. The Office of International Education (OIE) offers daily advising services via drop-in hours, appointment-based advising, and support for email inquiries at info@oie.gatech.edu. Please plan to join us for an upcoming advising session. You can learn more about how to join and available times online on our International Student and Scholar Services Advising page, https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/content/international-student-scholar-services-advising. You can also review the travel information provided by OIE online, here, https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/content/travel.
Q. What should Georgia Tech employees or students do if a local, state or federal law enforcement agent requests access to non-public areas of campus, ask questions, or seeks records?
A. Guidance on how to respond in these situations is available from Georgia Tech’s Office of the General Counsel, https://generalcounsel.gatech.edu/guidance-interacting-law-enforcement-agents-campus.
Q. What if I cannot get my visa due to the government pause on visa interviews?
A. If you have not already scheduled your visa interview, you may have questions about your ability to attend studies at our Atlanta campus at the beginning of the term. If you are unable to secure your visa by the start of term, the following options are available.
New students may choose one of the options below.
1. If you have a reasonable expectation that you will receive your student visa soon after the start of classes, after consultation with your academic advisor and professors, request approval to begin classes in the fall at the Atlanta campus within 30 days of the start of classes. To request approval for a late arrival, submit the OIE Arrival Confirmation e-form in iStart. This e-form will be published for entries beginning July 14, 2025;
2. Defer your program admission to a future academic term. Please see the resources below for more information about deferring your admission:
- Undergraduate students: Email the Office of Undergraduate Admission (admission@gatech.edu) within the first week of clases to notify them of your visa delay and to ask that a Defer Request Form be added to your application portal. You can then submit this form and specify your updated entry term which will be reviewed and considered. For further details, you can visit this site.
- Graduate students: Please visit Deferring an Application | Georgia Tech Catalog for more information and support with the admission deferral process;
3. Review options with your academic program for online courses you can enroll in from outside the US to begin your program;
OR
4. Consider applying for admission to an academic program offered at the Georgia Tech Europe instructional site in Metz, France.
Continuing students may choose one of the options below.
- Request a waiver of the in-person interview. Please see the U.S. Department of State guidance online at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/interview-waiver-update-feb-18-2025.html;
- Enroll full-time in a Georgia Tech education abroad program offering instruction outside the United States and maintain an Active SEVIS record. Find more information about Georgia Tech Education Abroad programs online at https://atlas.gatech.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Abroad.Home;
- Enroll in a Global Research and Internship Program and maintain an Active SEVIS record;
- Continue your program of study enrolled in online courses from outside the United States and request a temporary pause on your Georgia Tech studies with an inactive SEVIS record by completing the Intent to Depart e-form in iStart. Please also review the Registrar’s guidance on Leave of Absence online at https://registrar.gatech.edu/records/leaves-of-absence.
OIE will be offering weekly info sessions to discuss options and share resources available to support you.
International Student Info Sessions Location: Zoom, see https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/ for registration and join information.
- 9 a.m. Friday, June 6
- 9 a.m. Friday, June 13
Q. I am abroad while in a period of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) and need to renew my F-1 visa before I can return. What options are available for maintaining my visa status while my return to the US is delayed?
A. Please find the USCIS guidance on time spent outside the US during a period of Optional Practical Training at https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-f-chapter-7. We recommend that you speak with an immigration attorney to seek a legal opinion on your ability to maintain status while outside the US in a period of post-completion OPT. Please see the OIE Legal Consultation resource for more information about legal consultations.
Q. Are J-1 Research Scholar, Professor, Short Term Scholar, or Student Interns affected by the visa pause?
A. Currently, our understanding is that this pause applies to student visa holders, not to these J-1 categories. However, we are monitoring how this pause is implemented to understand the full effects. We recommend that J-1 Exchange Visitors avoid non-essential international travel if your J-1 visa is expired and you are ineligible for a waiver of the in-person visa interview. Learn more about the visa interview waiver online at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/interview-waiver-update-feb-18-2025.html. Please see the OIE travel guidance for information about international travel with an unexpired J-1 visa at https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/content/travel.
Q. I have an expired F-1 visa. If I depart the United States, will the temporary pause of visa interviews lead to challenges with my re-entry to the US?
A. It is best to avoid international travel if your visa is expired and you are ineligible for a waiver of the in-person visa interview requirement. For more information on the waiver of the in-person visa interview requirement please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/interview-waiver-update-feb-18-2025.html. If your visa is unexpired and you plan to travel internationally, please see the OIE travel guidance for important travel considerations, at https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/content/travel.