International Students & Scholars | UC Merced International

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Staff and Peer Advisors to help with your questions

Staff with extensive knowledge of visa services are always there to help answer your immigration related questions.

Meet with students and scholars from over 50 countries

UC Merced boasts a diverse student and scholar population

Beautiful Campus Setting

UC Merced is uniquely situated in the heart of the beautiful state of California and has one of the lowest cost of living rates in the state.

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Immigration Policy Updates

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COVID-19 UPDATES

The International Students and Scholars’ (ISS) staff will resume on-campus operations part-time beginning August 17, 2021.

Please see our ISS COVID-19 page for further information.

TRAVEL ALERT: Until travel bans are released and the US Consulates return to normal operations, ISS strongly discourages travel due to the changing nature of U.S. immigration policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. All international faculty, students and staff should inform us of any international travel so we can advise on possible implications to study and employment.

Garett Gietzen, Director of International Affairs: ggietzen@ucmerced.edu; 209-285-9780
Becky Mirza, Assistant Director for ISS (H, O, TN, E-3, Perm. Residency): bmirza@ucmerced.edu; 209-355-0913
Rico Johnson, Scholar Visa Specialist (J-1 scholars): rjohnson26@ucmerced.edu; 209-355-1018
Lacey Long-Vejar, Student Visa Specialist (F-1, incl. OPT & CPT, J-1 students): llongvejar@ucmerced.edu; 209-259-8913

ISS-related emergencies: 209-355-0913