[Poscgrad] Fwd: no filing fee for international students - starting Winter 2026

Fri Dec 12 10:45:04 PST 2025

Dear graduate students,

Please note the following important update from Graduate Division
regarding *Filing
Fee status* for *international* students, effective *Winter 2026*:

Beginning Winter 2026, *international students may only use Filing Fee* if
they meet one of the following criteria:

   1.

   They are applying for *Optional Practical Training (OPT)*, or
   2.

   They will *depart the United States* within the grace period allowed for
   their visa status (e.g., F-1, J-1).

In both cases, the student’s I-20 end date will reflect the end of their
academic program, *prior* to the quarter of Filing Fee.

International students who do not meet either criterion should contact
*International
Students and Scholars (ISS)* to explore alternatives.

Additionally, students completing degree requirements by *December 23, 2025*
may still graduate in Winter 2026 without enrolling or paying fees for that
quarter.

You likely have already received communication on this matter, but I want
to make sure that those who might be graduating soon understand their
options. If you are an international student nearing graduation, please
discuss this change in policy with your advisor/dissertation chair soon.

Best,
MB

----
Marissa Brookes
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies,
Department of Political Science
Faculty Co-Director, Inland Empire Labor and Community Center
University of California, Riverside
Watkins 2223
(951) 827-5510

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kara Oswood <kara.oswood at ucr.edu>
Date: Wed, Dec 10, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Subject: Fwd: no filing fee for international students - starting Winter
2026
To: Amanda Wong <amanda.wong at ucr.edu>, Jessica Renteria <
jessica.renteria at ucr.edu>, Trina Elerts <trina.elerts at ucr.edu>, Kate Sweeny
<ksweeny at ucr.edu>, Lidia Kos <lidia.kos at ucr.edu>, Kelly Eldridge Hinosawa <
kelly.hinosawa at ucr.edu>, Michael Schmelzle <michael.schmelzle at ucr.edu>,
Marko Princevac <marko.princevac at ucr.edu>

Dear Grad Advisors and Grad Staff,

Please note the important policy update regarding Filing Fee status for
international students, forwarded below from Marko Princevac, Vice Provost
of International Affairs. After that initial communication, campus
discussions continued to identify criteria that would allow international
students to use Filing Fee in some capacity.

*Beginning Winter 2026:*
International students may utilize Filing Fee status if 1) they are
applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) or 2) if they will leave the
United States within the grace period for their specific status (F-1, J-1,
etc.). In both cases, the student's I-20 end date will reflect the end of
their academic program, prior to the quarter of Filing Fee.

Students who meet neither criterion should contact International Students
and Scholars to determine if alternatives exist.

Students can still graduate
<https://graduate.ucr.edu/graduation-procedures-phd-masters-degrees> between
Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 if they complete the requirements by 12/23/2025.
They will receive a Winter 2026 graduation date, but will not be required
to enroll or pay for Winter.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Kara Oswood

*Kara Oswood*

Director, Graduate Academic Affairs

Graduate Division | University of California, Riverside

University Office Building 125

Office: 951-827-3387 (office) | kara.oswood at ucr.edu

To book a Zoom meeting with me, please use this LINK
<https://calendar.app.google/NTN5xvG9cL2WjM599> to my calendar.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Marko Princevac <marko.princevac at ucr.edu>
Date: Mon, Dec 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Subject: no filing fee for international students - starting Winter 2026

Dear Deans and Colleagues,

I regret bringing this up right after the holidays, as it is an issue that
many—especially graduate students and their advisors—will not welcome.
Unfortunately, it is a serious, *UC-wide compliance matter*.

In a few words:
- To maintain compliance with federal regulations, international students
must be enrolled in a full course load, except in cases where a reduced
course load can be formally justified.
- At UC, students on “filing fee” status are not considered active
students. International students, however, must remain active to maintain
their immigration status. They cannot be “inactive” at any time.

Going forward:
- International students may not be placed on “filing fee” status.
- Instead, they may either:
         1. Enroll in Dissertation Research (or an equivalent course), or
         2. Apply for OPT.

Lidia and I already went over this and agreed on the next steps.  The
Graduate Division will reach out to graduate advisors in each program, and
the International Affairs team will contact  international students. From
your side, please inform your departments and programs Chairs as well.

We are aware that some students are already on filing fee for the winter
quarter and we will reach these individually.   The Graduate Division is
monitoring if there are any filing fee requests in the pipeline and those
will not be approved.

Rather than addressing this in detail over email, we can discuss it further
at the next Provost Cabinet meeting.

Thank you,
Marko

_______________________________________

Marko Princevac

Vice Provost of International Affairs

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

900 University Avenue

Student Services Building 2229

Riverside, CA 92521

Phone:  +1 951 827-5054

[image: https://international.ucr.edu] <https://international.ucr.edu>
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