July 8, 2021

Emory is proud of its international community members and is looking forward to welcoming our students, scholars, researchers and faculty from around the world back to campus next month. In the meantime, Emory’s Office of Government and Community Affairs and International Student and Scholar Services have been working together to advocate for our international colleagues. 

Specifically, Emory has been working with our partner associations and peer institutions, as well as our congressional delegation, to urge the U.S. Department of State to allow an international student/scholar to apply for a visa without an in-person interview, encouraging the use of Zoom and other virtual tools. In addition, we are asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide greater flexibility for continuing F-1 students who must enroll from abroad because they cannot return to the U.S. this fall due to the pandemic.  

Finally, Emory has signed onto an amicus  brief in support of F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the ongoing WashTech litigation. The higher education community weighed in on OPT due to its critical role in experiential learning, including the ability for international students to practice and implement the very educational skills developed on campuses. For more information on the litigation, here is a full list of  signatories, the press release, and the litigation page.

Source: Emory News Center