Coronavirus & ICE Updates

Questions and answers related to COVID-19

Students who are already in the U.S. with a valid F1 visa must enroll and meet immigration requirements (12 credits and 2.0 GPA). Please work with the International Admissions (international@tacomacc.edu) and Advising (international_advising@tacomacc.edu) teams to register and enroll in your classes.

Students who are in the U.S. on a tourist visa or J1 visa must request a change of status petition and be approved before they can enroll in classes at TCC.
New students who are in their home country are encouraged to remain there and begin their courses at Tacoma Community College online. Any student who plans to travel, must notify the International Admissions team to ensure they have the proper documents to do so. Please complete the new student registration:

New Student Registration Form

Students who do not want to begin their classes online have the option to defer their studies (at no cost) to a future term (i.e. Spring 2021, Summer 2021 or Fall 2021). To defer your studies, click below:

Defer your admission
New International Student Orientation will be offered online through TCCs eLearning software, Canvas. All students who have applied, gained admission and completed account activation will receive an invitation via email to join New Student Orientation.
Your international advisors are available for virtual appointments. You can email them or schedule a time through their online booking system:

Ashley Bush: https://calendly.com/ashleybush/appointment
Ryan Gallagher: https://calendly.com/rgallagher-3/30min
In the U.S.? Yes, you are still required to meet the 12 credits and 2.0 GPA requirement.

Outside the U.S.? Not necessarily, but taking less than 12 credits will require us to terminate your active SEVIS status. Be sure to speak with the International Advising team before dropping classes or enrolling in low credit.
Check the "mode of instruction" for your course. If it lists "online", then you can disregard the day and time. For classes that are "hybrid", you may not meet every week at the same time, but you will have requied in-person components. Watch for information from your professor for when you need to be on campus.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE for the coverage?
- An international student, scholar, visiting faculty or other person with a current passport or non-immigrant visa (valid F, J, M or B) temporarily located outside His Home Country as a non-resident alien, engaged in educational or cultural activities of the educational institution.
- One medical reduced-course load term per policy year, at the request of a treating physician and approved by the participating institution.
- One approved vacation term per policy year (up to 90 days per 12 months of coverage if they return to their home country, under the Home Country benefit), providing the required premium has been paid.
- A student who has completed their program may continue the coverage for up to 60 days, providing they are in the U.S. awaiting to return home and have paid the necessary premium.
- All practical training students (OPT/CPT) that have had continuous coverage prior to applying for OPT/CPT, is on the school’s I-20 and coverage remains continuous during their OPT/CPT period with no gaps in coverage. If there are any gaps in coverage during their OPT/CPT period, eligibility for coverage will terminate.
WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE for the coverage?
- A student who has been approved for permanent residency in the U.S.
- A student who departs the U.S. and has NOT been approved for a vacation term, such as a Leave of Absence (not to be construed as a reduced-course load term) if required to depart the U.S.
- A student applying for additional medical reduced-course load terms after the initial allotted term, within the same policy year.
- A student taking online courses from their home country and is NOT on an approved vacation term. – Due to current circumstances, we understand that SEVIS has allowed students to do this, whether as a partial quarter or for the full quarter. Should your students opt to pay for the premium to avoid gaps in coverage, they must acknowledge their understanding (preferably in writing so you have record) that they DO NOT have benefits/coverage in their home countries during this time. Also, if a student has returned home to take classes online for the spring term and chooses to stay for the summer term as well, even if they are eligible for a vacation term, will NOT be eligible to continue coverage as they are already OUTSIDE of the U.S.
Firebird Eligibility Chart
The decision to return home is yours to make, but there may be risk involved both related to your health as well as your immigration status. Many countries have and continue to implement travel restrictions. Additionally, students who leave the country will need to be terminated in SEVIS.

TCC strongly recommends that you do not travel during this time, but regardless, DO NOT leave without consulting us.

As this is a fluid situation, we also urge you to regularly monitor the official sources of information we have provided you including the CDC, U.S. Department of State and the World Health Organization: