For Joabe Barbosa, his Chicago run is not over just yet.
The Brazilian native, 25, who has gained notoriety for his mission to run through every street and neighborhood in the city, was in danger of having to leave the country due to his visa status, as the Tribune first reported in early April.
But the Guinness World Record holder, who lives in Chicago on an F-1 student visa, was offered another path to stay from Roosevelt University, the school where he is working toward his doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
“It feels fantastic to get so much support and so much love,” Barbosa said.
Barbosa’s status was in flux after he did not match in a clinical internship program, the essential next step toward his degree.
While Barbosa’s visa is valid through 2027, F-1 visa holders who are not in class are required to leave the country within 60 days of their program ending, regardless of the expiration date of the visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.
To fulfill the needed school requirement for his visa, Barbosa will continue in unpaid training programs for his doctoral degree, teaching two undergraduate courses at Roosevelt University and taking a zero-credit-hour course.
“My university helped connect me with a lot of different opportunities to be able to stay,” Barbosa said.
“It was truly a team effort, and I am proud that those at RU were able to find alternative ways to continue to support Joabe,” said Dr. Courtney Kibble, psychology program director and clinical assistant professor at Roosevelt University.
Barbosa said he plans to reapply for clinical internship opportunities next year. However, in the meantime, the zero-credit-hour course means Barbosa can keep his student visa without having to pay for credit hours, which cost upward of $1,000, according to Roosevelt University. The financial burden of classes is more complicated than navigating the visa process itself, according to Barbosa.
International students are not eligible for federal student aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Barbosa was planning on a clinical internship to continue paying for school, as well as the application fees for his needed clinical internship program next year.
“There are so many financial barriers to stay here and be here,” Barbosa said.
In the meantime, while Barbosa remains without the internship to finish his degree, he looks to keep exploring Chicago on social media now that he is allowed to stay. Barbosa will complete his goal of running every street in the city with a celebration on June 14, when he will run in the Loop, something he called a “victory lap.”
Afterward, Barbosa looks to embrace social media, where he will post videos of neighborhoods across the city, where he plans to highlight their unique histories along with local businesses.
“I really want to challenge people’s narratives of what Chicago is,” Barbosa said. “You can go anywhere in Chicago and feel safe and loved.”
