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June 23, 2025

TO: Campus Community

FR: Erik Williams, Director, Office of International Students and Scholars

RE: {OISS] Important Visa Updates for F and J Students and Scholars

Dear Global Allies,

The Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the many campus partners who have reached out to express concern and support for UCSB’s international community.

As federal immigration enforcement continues to shift rapidly, our team remains committed to providing timely and relevant updates to keep our campus community informed and prepared.

With that in mind, I want to share that the following message has been sent to all international students and scholars, including those preparing to arrive this fall.

Thank you again for your continued partnership and dedication to creating a welcoming and informed campus for our Global Gauchos.  

Dear UCSB Global Gauchos,

OISS is pleased to share that the U.S. Department of State has reopened visa appointments for F and J visa categories. If you haven’t done so already, we strongly encourage you to apply for a visa appointment as soon as possible to help ensure your timely arrival to campus.

Estimated wait times can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s Global Visa Wait Times page. Please note that visa screenings now include digital surveillance of your online presence, so we encourage you to review the updated guidelines before your appointment.

To help us track and better support students currently seeking appointments, we kindly ask that you complete this short form at your earliest convenience.

If you have questions about your individual situation, please reach out to your assigned student immigration advisor. You can find them in our OISS People Directory — advisors are assigned based on the first letter of your last name.

As always, please review our News and Announcements page for up-to-date immigration information.