We are very much aware of your unique challenges and that a growing number of US Embassies and Consulates are putting Visa appointments on hold. We encourage you, however, to continue to submit your paperwork to us as soon as possible, so that we can issue your I-20 and you can explore options for scheduling an appointment at the earliest date possible, either at the embassy in your home country or the nearest one outside your home country. We are making plans for you to still be able to start the program, even if you are delayed in physically getting to Durham.

Below is some advice we have about getting your visa paperwork completed:

• We strongly urge you not to delay in submitting your visa documentation in your student portal. Our team is working hard to quickly process documents so that your I-20 can be mailed as soon as possible. (for security reasons, the U.S. cannot send I-20s electronically). Note: please do NOT wait for your Re Vera credential verification to complete, as the verification process can sometimes take months.

• Once you receive your I-20, please schedule your visa interview at the US embassy or consulate in your home country as soon as possible. If that is not possible, you may want to inquire about scheduling an interview at another US embassy or consulate outside your local area that IS scheduling appointments.

• Through our communication with government agencies, we know that some areas may experience a backlog in requests or wait times that are longer than expected. To ensure that your visa will be processed in time to start the program, we ask you to complete this process as soon as possible.

• We would also suggest you check daily with the US consulate or embassy in your home country to see if appointments open up and you are able to get an earlier date.

• We cannot advise you on whether it is better to take the 1st available appointment (even if it is after the start date of the program) or to continue to check for an earlier appointment. The best advice is to speak to someone directly at your nearest US Embassy or Consulate to inquire.

• Since many embassies and consulates remain closed, we know there are also concerns about the visa process timeline. Please be aware that many embassies offer expedited visa interview appointments, and we encourage you to look at that option. If you can schedule an expedited appointment, Fuqua will credit your bursar account for any fees you have to pay, once you start the program. You will receive additional information about this process in a separate email once your 1-20 documents are shipped to you.

• In the past, incoming students have reported that checking for cancellations right after midnight, local time, increased the chances for some students for scheduling an interview.

• Please do your part by submitting your paperwork to us as quickly as possible. This will allow us to do our part in mailing the I-20 to you and put you in a position to schedule a visa appointment as soon as something is available. We understand that some students may encounter challenges while gathering all the necessary documents for their visa process. We will continue to work with students on an individual basis to ensure that their visa is processed in a timely manner. Please note, the visa paperwork deadline is only a soft deadline. However, if you need to request an extension, please contact admitted@fuqua.duke.edu and we will be happy to work with you.

• If you were issued an I-20 prior to the change in in program start date, Duke Visa Services will issue a new I-20 reflecting this updated information. You are not required to notify the U.S. consulate of this change and you will receive your new I-20 within 2 weeks. This update will not change your SEVIS number or affect the I-901 SEVIS fee that you already may have paid. Please be certain when entering the country to begin your program that you present only your new, reissued I-20.