Meet your Global Leaders!!

Our amazing Global Leader team hails from India, Myanmar, and Peru! They are a mix of both undergraduate and graduate students with majors ranging from various Engineering departments, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Urban Planning, and Business. While they may come from different cultural backgrounds and have different academic pursuits, one thing they all have in common is their commitment to supporting SJSU international students. They lead Global Leader chats, Campus Tour, plan events and are amazing. Read their welcome messages, and view their welcome video here!

Ambarish Govindarajulu Kaliamurthi

Major: MS Computer Science

Hometown: Chennai, India

Favorite spot on Campus?

MLK Library, SJSU Rose Garden

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Hey new Spartans, welcome to SJSU! Any Questions? Come to CPGE Front desk. Also, To Infinity and Beyond 🚀! 

 

Nick Shein

Major: BS Management Information Systems

Hometown: Myanmar

Favorite spot on Campus?

Gym, Bowling, Starbucks

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Welcome to SJSU! Make sure to make as many connections as you can! Trust me it will be worth it! If you see me on campus come say hi!

 

Piero Alejandro Miranda Mello

Major: BS Applied Mathematics

Hometown: Lima Peru

Favorite spot on Campus?

SRAC

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Hola Hola! I am Piero from Peru and I have been in San Jose for 2 years. I am excited to meet everyone!

 

Sanya Mandhyan

Major: BS Data Science

Hometown: West Bengal, India

Favorite spot on Campus?

Towe Lawn

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Hey there, global Spartans! We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome you to our amazing community. Dive in, enjoy every moment, and embrace all the new experiences ahead. Remember, it’s all about balancing fun and focus. Excited to see you around! Here’s to making the most of both!

 

Sarthak Chauhan

Major: BS Computer Science

Hometown: Delhi, India

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Welcome Global Spartans, I hope that you enjoy your time here at SJSU while elevating yourself through academics. Me and my team hope to see you at the future events.

 

Suhaa Ahmed

Major: Urban Planning

Hometown: Bangalore, India

Favorite spot on Campus?

Student Union

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Welcome to SJSU. Now you all are officially part of the Spartan community. Hope you all have a great time and accomplish your goals whilst enjoying. 

 

Suhaas Teja Vijjagiri

Major: MS Computer Engineering

Hometown: Hyderabad, India

Favorite spot on Campus?

MLK Library

What message do you have for our Global Spartan Community?

Welcome to San Jose State University! As an international student myself, the ISSS team and I are here to support you on your journey. Join us during ISSS events, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or just to talk about adjusting to life in the U.S.!

 

Meet the ISSS Staff!

Welcome to the Fall 2025 semester! We at International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) are very excited and thrilled to have you here at SJSU and a part of our Global Spartan Community! Our goal is to help ensure your success and make certain you are feeling well supported. So, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any point in time!

Click here to meet our amazing ISSS staff members as check out our Welcome Video! Read on below to find out more about what our office does, how to contact us and learn more about the many different events that we have to offer.

International Student Advising:

Our office is your main point of contact for any questions regarding your immigration record, how to maintain your status and employment authorization options. We are available to you in many different ways! You can email our office (international-office@sjsu.edu), if you have a quick question then you can join any of the Zoom Q&A sessions, for longer conversations you can schedule a Zoom appointment, or come by our office during designated Walk-In Advising times.

*Zoom Q&A sessions are for quick questions which can include topics such as: health insurance, travel, Social Security, enrollment verification, and if you are unsure of who to contact on campus we can help direct you.

*Walk-Ins and Scheduled Zoom appointments are for more in-depth questions where you can meet with one of our International Student Advisors. We can help with questions such as maintaining your visa status, enrollment requirements, and employment authorizations.

Contact us with any questions that you may have regarding your international student status!

 

Managing SEVIS Records:

We also manage student’s immigration SEVIS records, employment records, create/analyze data and make sure that we and our students are remaining compliant with immigration regulations. Also we manage and maintain our iSpartan Portal which is a portal where international students can submit e-form requests to our office such as for travel signatures, replacement I-20 requests, CPT work authorizations requests and also the New Student Immigration Check-In.

 

Programming and Events:

Throughout the semester we offer many events and workshops that you can join! Some of the programs that we have are International Welcome (upcoming on August 22st), Global Leader Chats, Global Connections (weekly meetups), Workshops and our iSucceed Peer mentioning program. 

*Some workshops that we are offering this semester include: Writing Workshops, Career Workshops and also Employment Workshops.You can see more information regarding these here.

*Our iSucceed Peer Mentorship program where new international students can be paired with a fellow Global Spartan who will become their Peer Mentor who can help guide them through their SJSU experience. To learn more about our iSucceed program click here.

Check our Events page and our Instagram (@sjsuinternational) for announcements and information about all the events!

DoS Issues F, M, J Visa Applicant Social Media Vetting Cable and Authorizes Resumption of Visa Appointment Scheduling

On June 18, 2025 the Department of State (DoS) announced that it has issued the expected “new guidance” on social media vetting, and that consulates will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa appointments soon. See the Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicant, U.S. Department of State press release, June 18, 2025.

Executive Order: Travel Ban Impacting 19 countries

President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation of June 4, 2025: Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats establishes a “full” travel ban on 12 countries (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen) and a “partial” travel ban on 7 countries (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela), effective 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025.You can read more by going to:  Proclamation on whitehouse.gov and White House Fact Sheet on the Proclamation. For a summary and details, see NAFSA’s page.

International students and scholars from the affected countries, particularly those seeking F, M, or J visas, will be unable to apply for a new visa, and may face challenges in entering the U.S.  Because the current situation is very fluid, we recommend against travel outside the U.S. for individuals from the 19 countries. We also urge impacted individuals with valid visas to consider entering the U.S. prior to the travel ban effective date of 12:01am EST on Monday, June 9, 2025. ISSS will continue to send updates as we learn more.

 

Temporary Delay in Scheduling New Visa Appointments for F, M, and J visa Applicants

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that it will temporarily pause new visa F, M, and J appointments as it expands its social media screenings. You can read more here. Based on a DOS press briefing that took place on May 29, 2025, DOS expects the pause to be brief. They are encouraging applicants to continue submitting applications and to check regularly for the resumption of appointment availability. 

This change may impact visa appointment availability and processing times at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. At this time, we are not aware of the timeline for when new appointments will be scheduled. We recommend checking the U.S. Department of State website and the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country for the latest updates. In addition, please be aware that the U.S. visa application process continues to include vetting of applicants’ social media activity. As always, we advise being mindful of all online activity.

We understand that these changes may raise questions or concerns. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is here to support you. We will continue to communicate as we learn more. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about your visa status, travel plans, or documentation.