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
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), proposing a new $70,000 fee for initial applications for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT), as well as a new $30,000 fee for subsequent extensions. The proposed fees are under consideration through the regulatory process and are not yet final.
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.
With the MS in Engineering Management program, Nishitha Nomula hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of technology and management to make a positive impact on the world around her.
From Hong Kong to the boxing ring, undergraduate student Audrey Cheng has found new connections and perspectives at USC.