<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><p>Dear graduate students,</p>
<p>Please note the following important update from Graduate Division regarding <em>Filing Fee status</em> for <b>international</b> students, effective <strong>Winter 2026</strong>:</p>
<p>Beginning Winter 2026, <strong>international students may only use Filing Fee</strong> if they meet one of the following criteria:</p>
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<p>They are applying for <strong>Optional Practical Training (OPT)</strong>, or</p>
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<p>They will <strong>depart the United States</strong> within the grace period allowed for their visa status (e.g., F-1, J-1).</p>
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<p>In both cases, the student’s I-20 end date will reflect the end of their academic program, <b>prior</b> to the quarter of Filing Fee.</p>
<p>International students who do not meet either criterion should contact <strong>International Students and Scholars (ISS)</strong> to explore alternatives.</p>
<p>Additionally, students completing degree requirements by <strong>December 23, 2025</strong> may still graduate in Winter 2026 without enrolling or paying fees for that quarter.</p>
<p>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.<br><br>Best,<br>MB</p><p><span style="font-size:12.8px;color:rgb(0,0,0)">----</span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Marissa Brookes</span><br></font></div><font color="#000000">Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies,</font></div><div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000">Department of Political Science</font></div><div><font color="#000000">Faculty Co-Director, Inland Empire Labor and Community Center</font></div><div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000">University of California, Riverside</font></div><div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000">Watkins 2223<br>(951) 827-5510</font></div></div></div></div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Kara Oswood</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:kara.oswood@ucr.edu" target="_blank">kara.oswood@ucr.edu</a>></span><br>Date: Wed, Dec 10, 2025 at 1:20 PM<br>Subject: Fwd: no filing fee for international students - starting Winter 2026<br>To: Amanda Wong <<a href="mailto:amanda.wong@ucr.edu" target="_blank">amanda.wong@ucr.edu</a>>, Jessica Renteria <<a href="mailto:jessica.renteria@ucr.edu" target="_blank">jessica.renteria@ucr.edu</a>>, Trina Elerts <<a href="mailto:trina.elerts@ucr.edu" target="_blank">trina.elerts@ucr.edu</a>>, Kate Sweeny <<a href="mailto:ksweeny@ucr.edu" target="_blank">ksweeny@ucr.edu</a>>, Lidia Kos <<a href="mailto:lidia.kos@ucr.edu" target="_blank">lidia.kos@ucr.edu</a>>, Kelly Eldridge Hinosawa <<a href="mailto:kelly.hinosawa@ucr.edu" target="_blank">kelly.hinosawa@ucr.edu</a>>, Michael Schmelzle <<a href="mailto:michael.schmelzle@ucr.edu" target="_blank">michael.schmelzle@ucr.edu</a>>, Marko Princevac <<a href="mailto:marko.princevac@ucr.edu" target="_blank">marko.princevac@ucr.edu</a>><br></div><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><span><div>Dear Grad Advisors and Grad Staff,</div></span><div><div><br></div><div><span style="color:inherit"><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Beginning Winter 2026:</b></div></span><div>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. </div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Students who meet neither criterion should contact International Students and Scholars to determine if alternatives exist.</div><div><br></div><div>Students can still <a href="https://graduate.ucr.edu/graduation-procedures-phd-masters-degrees" target="_blank">graduate</a> 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. </div><div><div style="margin:5px 0px"></div><div style="color:inherit"><div><br></div><div>Please let me know if you have any questions.</div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Kara Oswood</div></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:1.2">Kara Oswood</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)">Director, Graduate Academic Affairs</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)">Graduate Division | University of California, Riverside</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)">University Office Building 125</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)">Office: 951-827-3387 (office) |<span> </span><a href="mailto:kara.oswood@ucr.edu" title="mailto:kara.oswood@ucr.edu" style="color:rgb(0,120,215)" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">kara.oswood@ucr.edu</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span style="color:black;background:yellow">To book a Zoom meeting with me, please use this </span><span style="background:yellow"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193);border:1pt windowtext;padding:0in"><a href="https://calendar.app.google/NTN5xvG9cL2WjM599" target="_blank">LINK</a></span><span style="color:black"> to my calendar.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><span style="background:yellow"><span style="color:black"><br></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:16px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><br></p></div></div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Marko Princevac</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:marko.princevac@ucr.edu" target="_blank">marko.princevac@ucr.edu</a>></span><br>Date: Mon, Dec 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM<br>Subject: no filing fee for international students - starting Winter 2026<br></div><br><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Dear Deans and Colleagues,</div><div><br>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, <b>UC-wide compliance matter</b>.</div><div><br>In a few words:<br>- 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.<br>- 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.</div><div><br>Going forward:<br>- International students may not be placed on “filing fee” status.<br>- Instead, they may either:<br> 1. Enroll in Dissertation Research (or an equivalent course), or<br> 2. Apply for OPT.</div><div><br>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br>Rather than addressing this in detail over email, we can discuss it further at the next Provost Cabinet meeting.</div><div><br>Thank you,<br>Marko<br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">_______________________________________</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Marko Princevac</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Vice Provost of International Affairs</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Professor of Mechanical Engineering</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">900 University Avenue</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Student Services Buildi</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:10.5pt">ng 2229</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Riverside, CA 92521</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Phone: +1 951 827-5054</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><a href="https://international.ucr.edu" target="_blank"><img style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36)" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wwET5i1skZkgB4rzpQYPTNed_gjoSzBEKkz9IuqgR5V3Ph-JbJAkdfOXJHpyEY6_Zi4g59cHw6loZo" alt="https://international.ucr.edu"></a></p></div></div></div></div></div>
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