Welcome
To the Office of International Services
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Traveling Internationally over the Thanksgiving or Winter Break?
International students and scholars who are planning to travel outside the United States should visit the Office of International Services before leaving. Stop by OIS during Walk-in Hours, Monday through Friday, 1 - 4 PM, to have us review your documents, answer any questions you might have about traveling, and provide travel signatures on Forms I-20 or DS-2019 for those in F or J status, if necessary (in most cases travel signatures are valid for up to one year). Remember to bring your passport and Form I-20, DS-2019, or other immigration documentation with you. For additional information on travel, please visit http://www.ois.pitt.edu/Travel.html.
- Exchange Visitors Skills List Revised, Effective 06/28/2009
The U.S. Department of State has revised the Exchange Visitor Skills List, effective 06/28/2009. 16 countries have been added to the list and 34 countries have been removed. To see the complete list, click here.
UPDATED 09/02/2009: Exchange Visitors whose countries were removed from the revised 2009 Skills List are retroactively NOT SUBJECT to the two-year home residence requirement based on the Exchange Visitor Skills List, even if they entered the United States prior to the effective date. For residents of countries who remain on the revised 2009 Skills List, if the exchange visitors obtained a J-1 visa based on a previous Skills List, they remain subject to the two-year requirement. This is true even if their country has been removed that skill from the revised 2009 Skills List.
The Exchange Visitor Skills List is a list of specialized knowledge and skills that a foreign country has deemed are necessary for the development of that country. A J-1 exchange visitor whose country of citizenship or last permanent residence has listed on the skills list the skill that the exchange visitor is coming to the United States to exercise, is subject to the INA 212(e) requirement to be physically present in that country for a period of two years following the visitor's exchange in the United States, before being eligible for an H or L visa or U.S. lawful permanent residence.
Please contact your Immigration Specialist in OIS with any questions regarding these changes. (09/02/2009)
- To see older posts click here.
OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00pm
WALK-INS for Immigration Services are accepted Monday-Friday, 1-4pm.
For more information on making appointments and walk-in hours please click here.
General Disclaimer:The information contained herein is for the use of the University of Pittsburgh community. Some of the information is very general and some is specific to Pitt. Information contained herein should not be used as the sole source of information for making decisions that may affect one's legal status in the US or one's right to study, teach, conduct research, or work.