International - COVID-19

Please read this important message from SJCC President Tomaneng.

Dear Students: 

On Tuesday, August 31, 2021, the San José Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) Board of Trustees approved a resolution requiring all students to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19.  This mandate applies to Evergreen Valley College and San José City College, including the Milpitas Extension. 

This means that all students, regardless of the modality of instruction (online, hybrid, or in-person), will need to provide proof of receiving the full dosage of vaccination against COVID-19 no later than Monday, October 18, 2021.  (See exemption information below.) 

At this time, if you have not already been fully vaccinated, you should:  

1. Schedule your first vaccination appointment as soon as possible.
2. Schedule your second vaccination appointment at the time of their first vaccination. 
3. Safeguard and duplicate vaccine documentationcards.  

You may learn about vaccination resources by:

 Visiting VaccineFinder.orgto find vaccination providers.

Checking with local pharmacies to learn if vaccination appointments are available.

Learn of pharmacies are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

International Students 

International students are eligible to receive the vaccine in the United States. International students living in the United States can follow the steps above to book a vaccination appointment. Students arriving from abroad will be able to receive a booster vaccine upon arrival. 

International students currently abroad and have completed a World Health Organization (WHO) authorized vaccine series in their home country are considered fully vaccinated if they received the following WHO authorized vaccines:  

Pfizer (two doses)  

Moderna (two doses)  

Johnson & Johnson (one dose)  

AstraZeneca (two doses)

BIBP/Sinopharm (one dose) 

Sinovac (2 doses)  

There may be additional vaccine requirements from employers for international students who would like to work in the United States. Furthermore, international students who complete a vaccine series are not required to complete the travel quarantine upon arrival. 

Exemptions as a Reasonable Accommodation 

With proper documentation, the San José Evergreen Community College District will consider vaccination exemptions for students who are unable to be vaccinated due to a medical condition/disability or sincerely held religious belief on a case-by-case basis.  Any student granted a medical/disability or religious accommodation may be required to submit to mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing. 

Medical exemption requires a licensed physician or advanced practice nurse licensed in a jurisdiction of the United States to provide documentation on the reasons for requesting an accommodation due to a disability or serious medical condition.  The COVID-19 Medical Exemption Request Form can be accessed here.  More information on how to submit requests will be forthcoming.   

Religious exemption requires a written statement describing the reason for the exemption and must include:  

Submitting Your Proof of Vaccination  

Students who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine may submit their vaccination documentation beginning the week of September 27, 2021.  More information on how to submit your proof of vaccination will be forthcoming.   

Non-Compliance 

Students who do not comply with this mandate will have a HOLD placed on their educational record and may not be able to attend classes until they submit proof of vaccination or request an exemption as a reasonable accommodation.  Students who falsify information may face discipline up to and including expulsion under the Student Code of Conduct. 

On behalf of San José City College, I appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we make the College a healthy and safe place for all of our Jaguars to pursue their academic and career goals.  

For questions, please get in touch with my office SJCCPres@sjcc.edu 

Sincerely, 
Rowena M. Tomaneng, Ed.D.
President, San José City College 

You may visit the SJCC Current Students webpage for the latest updates and community resources available: SJCC Covid-19 Webpage.

If you are feeling sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, please call the Urgent Care facility to inform them of your symptoms before you attempt to visit the facility. They will inform you of the next steps. To locate an urgent care facility, please visit your Member Portal at www.4studenthealth.com and/or view the following Video.

If you feel you are having an extreme life-threatening emergency, please call 911.

If you are currently subscribed to the college’s international health insurance plan and are a candidate for COVID-19 testing, it will be covered at 100% if you are at an in-network facility. If an in-network facility is not viable/accessible (too far away or cannot administer the test), coverage will be at 100% for testing at out-of-network hospitals/facilities. All copays and deductibles will be waived. The virus is treated as any other sickness or illness covered under the plan.

San José City College is committed to providing a safe, inclusive environment that values diversity and respect. If you feel you have experienced stigmatization, discrimination, or any bias, please contact the International Student Program so we can assist you. You may also visit the following link to report any incidents associated with the college. Report here.

F-1 International students studying in the U.S. are required to take a full course load of 12 units each academic term to maintain their status. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, F-1 international students were eligible to enroll in one online course as part of their full course load. For example, 9 units of courses in-person and 3 units or more could be in the online modality or concurrently enrolled at another institution. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there may some flexibility with this requirement.

In addition, SJCC F-1 international students must attempt to enroll in all available in-person courses that work towards their degree or certificate completion to comply with immigration and school policies. 

Please consult with the ISP Academic counselor if you need to take more than one online course or have other concerns about this requirement. 

Students will remain in active F-1 visa status as long as they continue their courses online or in alternative format. However, if students withdraw from their course(s) resulting in a course load below 12 units, it may jeopardize their F-1 visa status. Please contact the International Student Program if you would like to discuss your circumstances via email at internationalprogram@sjcc.edu.

It is an uncertain time for international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you decide to travel, please be prepared, understand the risks, and be advised that you might not be able to return to the U.S. for an unidentified period of time. Your trip could be disrupted, or you may be quarantined upon your return. Stay informed about travel updates by checking with your country's embassy, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. State Department website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html.

Yes, there have been no updates from SEVP regarding any changes in the processing of OPT or CPT applications. If you would like to apply for OPT, please send your inquiry to maria.tcha@sjcc.edu or follow this link: https://sjcc.live/ISPnonacademicAppt to schedule a meeting to review your eligibility and I-765 application. We will continue to send updates regarding CPT and OPT, so please continue to check your email for notifications and updates.