各个学校对移民局通知的理解程度不同，这是匹兹堡大学研究生院的通知，供大家参考。
尊敬的（研究生）：
匹兹堡大学将继续致力于帮助您在下一学年取得学术成就。我们为您提供尽可能多的入学选择，以帮助您开始或继续您的教育经历，同时保护您的健康和安全。但是，您可能知道，美国政府昨天发布了2020年秋季国际学生指南。不幸的是，该指南与春季学期末发布的更为宽松的指南明显不同。以下是影响研究生的要点：
对于美国境内的人
如果您计划在秋季学期在美国学习，则必须参些线下课程。您无权选择完全远程课程。通知指出，您只能参加“在其学位课程中取得正常进展所需的最少在线课程”。因此，如果您在匹兹堡，如果可以选择在线课程和混合课程或完全面对面课的话程，则必须选择混合课程或面对面课程。如果您只选择在线课程，则需要回国学习。请与您的学术顾问联系，以获取有关秋季学期课程注册的更多信息。
请注意，该通知还指出，如果大学在秋季学期的某个时间更改为仅远程授课的选项，则您将需要在那时回国。因此，如果您本学期选择在匹兹堡，那么可能这个通知和应对的时间很短。。如果因此回国，您将可以继续远程上课，并且您的SEVIS记录将在您出国期间保持激活状态。
这里的说明非常全面。如果在某个时间，学校不能够继续线下授课，而改成仅有远程课，那么国际学生必须要离开美国，或者转学。这样的情况，希望不会发生。但是移民局的通知，的确是这个规则。
我们一是希望学校在学期中不要全部转成线上，二是如果不想临时回国，要做好转学的应急预案。厚仁的“学术护航”秋季学期计划，可以帮助到有这个疑虑的学生。
博士生注意事项
如果您已完成课程工作并且在从事论文工作时仍处于全日制状态，那么出于这些目的，我们认为这是面对面的选择。与往常一样，OIS将按照正常程序继续在SEVIS中注册您。请与您的移民专家联系，以确认您决定留在美国或返回原籍国的决定。
对于美国境外的人
如果您是美国以外的秋季新生，并且您的学术项目提供了远程上课的选项，则您可以远程上课。在这种情况下，您的SEVIS记录将无效。
如果您是一名继续学习的学生（老生），并且无法在2020年9月4日之前到达美国，且您远程学习为全日制课程，那么您当前的SEVIS记录将保持有效状态，并且为了SEVIC的注册，您需要继续向OIS报告。OIS需要记录您目前不在国外，因此必须就您的计划与OIS进行沟通。
CPT / OPT信息
请记住，要获得OPT或CPT的资格，您必须先注册SEVIS身份（或美国境内其他非移民身份）的全日制课程，为期一年。对于新生，这意味着只有在您进入美国并且您的F-1 SEVIS记录生效后，一年的要求才开始。对于继续学习的学生，我们的理解是，如果您在美国境外仍是全日制学生，则可以保持SEVIS记录处于激活状态。因此，您的CPT/OPT所需时长会继续累积。
一年的硕士新生，如果是在海外一个学期，可能导致学生无法享有OPT。
英文原文
Dear (Graduate Student):
The University of Pittsburgh remains committed to helping you achieve academic success this coming academic year. We are offering you as many enrollment options as possible to help you begin or continue your educational experience in a way that also protects your health and safety. However, you may be aware that the U.S. Government released its Fall 2020 international student guidance yesterday. Unfortunately, the guidance is a marked departure from the much more relaxed guidance issued at the end of the Spring semester. Following are the main points affecting graduate students:
For those inside the U.S.
If you plan to be in the United States for the Fall semester, you must take SOME in-person courses. You are NOT permitted to select a fully remote option. In fact, the guidance states that you are permitted to take only ‘the minimum number of online classes required to make normal progress in their degree program.’ Therefore, if you are in Pittsburgh and you have a choice between taking an online course and a hybrid or fully in-person course, you MUST take the hybrid or in-person course. If your program only offers online courses, you will need to take them from your home country. Please consult with your academic advisor for additional information regarding course enrollment in the fall term.
Please note that the guidance also indicates that if the university changes to a remote-only option sometime during the Fall semester, you will be required to return home at that time. Therefore, if you choose to be in Pittsburgh, there is a possibility that you will need to return home with very little notice in the middle of the semester. If you are required to do so, you will be able to continue taking your classes remotely and your SEVIS record will remain active during the time you are abroad.
Note to PhD students: If you have completed your coursework and you remain in full-time status as you work on your dissertation, we consider this an in-person option for these purposes. As always, OIS will continue to register you in SEVIS under normal procedures. Please contact your immigration specialist to confirm your decision to either remain in the U.S. or return to your home country.
For those outside the U.S.
If you are a new student currently outside the U.S., you may take classes remotely, if your program offers that option. With this scenario, your SEVIS record will NOT be active. If you are a continuing student and cannot arrive in the U.S. by September 4, 2020 , if you take full-time classes remotely, it is our understanding that your current SEVIS record will be kept active and you will be required to continue to report to OIS for SEVIS registration. OIS will need to note that you are currently out of the country, so it is imperative that you communicate with OIS regarding your plans.
CPT/OPT Information
Please remember that in order to be eligible for OPT or CPT, you must first be enrolled in full-time courses in SEVIS status (or other non-immigrant status within the U.S.) for one full year. For new students, this means that the one-year requirement will not begin until you have entered the U.S. and your F-1 SEVIS record becomes active. For continuing students, it is our understanding that you will be able to keep your SEVIS record active if you remain a full-time student while outside the U.S. Therefore, we expect that your CPT/OPT clock will continue to accrue as long as you remain a full-time student with no leave-of-absence gaps in your education.
