USC OIS — Office of International Services
![[Photo] A speaker addresses a full lecture hall while students seated in tiered rows listen and watch the presentation. Wood-paneled walls and classroom seating frame the indoor orientation session.](https://ois.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/student-orientation-auditorium-usc-1920x1080.jpg)
Attention New Students
Here’s how to prepare for your arrival — from travel planning to immigration requirements to resources to help you transition to life at USC.
![[Photo] Four students sit in a circle on a campus lawn, smiling and talking while other small groups stand and chat nearby. Trees and a brick academic building create a shaded backdrop.](https://ois.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/usc-graduate-students-sit-lawn-1920x1080.jpg)
Traveling Over Break?
Please review our pages on international travel to stay up to date on travel restrictions, precautions to take and requirements to reenter the United States.
Read the latest update: Duration of Status Rule Change
Stay Connected with OIS
Subscribe to OIS’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on important announcements.
![[Photo] Students laugh and celebrate at an outdoor festival, their faces and clothing covered in brightly colored powder. A crowd of participants fills the background amid a haze of vibrant colors. [Photo] Five students wearing matching red T-shirts smile and laugh together outdoors, with four playfully holding another student horizontally in front of them. Trees, trimmed hedges and brick landscaping create a sunny campus backdrop.](https://ois.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/usc-gould-school-ambassadors-pose-1280x720.jpg)
News and Updates
On Sept. 14, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order pausing the effective date of the Department of Homeland Security’s Duration of Status Final Rule while litigation concerning the rule continues.
From Hong Kong to the boxing ring, undergraduate student Audrey Cheng has found new connections and perspectives at USC.
On August 24, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued Broadcast Message 2608-02, further clarifying that CPT must be an integral and required part of an established curriculum that applies to all students (domestic and international) participating in the same program.
Effective September 15, 2026, F-1/J-1 students and J-1 scholars will be admitted to the U.S. until the program end date listed on their Form I-20 or DS-2019. There are no immediate changes to your immigration status or required actions at this time. Additional guidance and instructional webinar schedules will be forthcoming.