International Students

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Rutgers is home to more than 9,000 international students and scholars from about 125 countries around the world. They bring rich perspectives to campus that help to globalize our classrooms, labs, and clinics, contributing significantly to advancements in education, research, and service. 

Rutgers Global - International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is committed to providing superior services and enriching experiences for our international community. We are here to support the journeys of our international students and scholars, from arrival to graduation/completion and beyond. Our core services include providing advice and counsel on US immigration regulations and compliance, immigration application processing, cross-cultural programming, advocacy, and outreach.

If you are an international student at Rutgers University–Camden, please visit the Office of International Students. If you are an international student or scholar at Rutgers University–Newark, please visit the Office of International Student Services. All RBHS international students and Rutgers–Camden international scholars are serviced by Rutgers Global–International Student and Scholar Services, regardless of campus location. 

UPDATES & REMINDERS

New Student Check-in

• All new international students (including transfer students) must check-in online with our office to have your SEVIS record activated. Review our post-arrival guide here.

Updated Advising Services & Walk-In Hours

Please be sure to review our Advising Services webpage for the most up-to-date information, including our new walk-in advising hours.

• New Brunswick Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30am-5pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
• New Brunswick Walk-in Advising Hours: Monday & Thursday 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Tuesday & Friday 10:00 am-2:00 pm

On-Campus Employment

• If you are looking to work on-campus, please review our On-Campus Employment webpage for updated information and for the process on how to get your necessary forms.

Off-Campus Employment

If you want to learn about off-campus employment or OPT, please plan to attend an employment workshop. Click here to see our employment workshop schedule.

OPT PROCESSING DELAYS

F-1 students who have applied for OPT are facing unprecedented delays in receiving their EADs (employment authorization documents). These delays are being experienced across the country and can affect all recent graduates or those looking to receive their degrees in the near future. F-1 students are not permitted to begin working until they get their EADs. They cannot travel outside the US and reenter without their EAD and a job offer. Therefore these delays can result in loss of opportunities or jeopardize a student’s legal status in the U.S. While in previous years, OPT applications have taken an average of 2-3 months to be processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), processing times this year are much longer than in previous years. Recent estimates are that OPT processing times could take as long as 5+ months.

Follow these links for more information on these delays:
-- Check USCIS Case Processing Times
-- Contact USCIS for a status update (if your OPT/STEM application has been pending for more than 90 days)

Once an OPT application goes to the USCIS, Rutgers has no control over the progress of the application. We would like to advise all our students who are considering applying for OPT, to plan well in advance. OPT applications can be sent to the USCIS up to 90 days before the end of a student’s coursework, and for up to 60 days after. This means that with enough advance planning, a student can apply in a timeline such that they receive their EAD card in time and can begin working according to their plans. Please attend a post-completion OPT workshop offered by ISSS to learn more about the process and also review the information on our website. It may also help to inform potential employers about the possibility of a delay in receiving work authorization. Finally, it is important to note that students still have legal status in the U.S. during the OPT adjudication period as long as they filed in the correct time frame.

Feel free to contact an international student adviser during our advising hours or via email us with any questions or concerns.

Check our LEGAL UPDATES AND ADVISORIES page frequently for guidance and resources to all members of the Rutgers community regarding immigration policies, executive orders on immigration, and other regulatory updates that impact international students and scholars as well as Rutgers’ ability to host them. 

For legal status related DEADLINES AND ALERTS, read all the IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS sent out via email, and also saved on our website.