Preparing to Arrive at Texas A&M University-

Commerce

Sponsored by the International Student Services Office (ISSO) at A&M-Commerce. There are 55 slides in this presentation.

Why is this presentation important?

The purpose of this presentation is to provide information about the process to receive the form I-20, information about the SEVIS I-901 fee, how to apply for

the F-1 visa, vaccination and health insurance information, and arriving at a U.S. port of entry.

Pre-Arrival Information

All new international students will be subscribed to the newintlstudents@tamuc.edu list serve.

This list serve is how the ISSO will provide important pre-arrival and arrival information to new students. Your university email

and personal email provided on the admission application will be added.

Be sure to read your emails!

Links in this Presentation

All website links mentioned in this presentation are provided on the previous ISSO page, the Online Orientation page.

In this Presentation

• Different U.S. agencies involved with F-1 students

• Orient students to the form I-20 and how to receive the I-20

• Information about the SEVIS I-901 fee

• Process for applying for the visa and information about the visa interview

• Vaccination requirements for all new students to A&M-Commerce and health insurance information

• Information about the I-94

• When to arrive in Commerce and the process through port of entry (customs) when you arrive in the U.S.

Online Resources

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has created a website, Study in the States, that provides step-by-step

information about studying in the U.S. and how to maintain your F-1 visa status.

http://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Online Resources

You may also visit the ISSO website at www.tamuc.edu/isso and select New Students for important information for our new

students.

There are two U.S. agencies that are involved with F-1 international students.

U.S. Department of State

• Oversees all U.S. Consulates and Embassies abroad

• Responsible for issuing visas

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

U.S. DHS

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

USCIS

Customs & Border Protection

CBP

Immigration & Customs Enforcement

ICE

Student & Exchange Visitor Program

SEVP

Student Exchange Visitor Information System

SEVIS

SEVIS maintains your official F-1 record and is the system that the ISSO uses to issue and update your I-20.

Orientation to the I-20

Page 1 of the I-20

Page 2

Page 3

Section 1: Personal information on the I-20. Information is matched to the passport.

SEVIS number for I-20 for SEVIS I-901 fee

Section 2: School information and A&M-Commerce’s School Code for

SEVIS I-901 fee

Section 4 & 5:

Academic information

including academic

level, major, and program start date and

end date.

Section 7 & 8:

Financial information

All expenses are estimated

Section 9: Remarks section include important pre-arrival information. Students must attend orientation , meet the bacterial meningitis requirement, and students will be required to enroll in the SSHIP health insurance unless they meet one of the allowed exceptions.

Section 11: Be sure to sign and date your I-20 once you have received .

Academic Major on I-20

Some students may notice that the name of their academic major on their I-20 does not match the name of their major at A&M-Commerce.

All academic majors have a code (CIP code) and the ISSO must match the CIP code and majors at A&M-Commerce with the CIP code and majors listed in the SEVIS system.

Sometimes the name of an academic major in the SEVIS system will not match the name of the major at a school.

Academic Major on I-20

For example…students majoring in the graduate Computer Science program will have an I-20 with the academic major name Computer and Information Systems, General. The code for the CIS General major in the SEVIS system matches our CSCI major’s code. This student’s major is Computer Science.

This will not create any issues for students.

How to receive the I-20

• Once you are admitted to the university your admission file will be forwarded to the ISSO for review and to issue the I-20.

• You should have already received an email from the ISSO with important information and a New Student Questionnaire that must be submitted along with a copy of your passport to intl.stu@tamuc.edu.

How to receive the I-20

• It will take the ISSO up to 10 business days to issue the I-20.

• We understand the importance of students receiving their I-20 as soon as possible to apply for the visa.

• We will process the I-20 as soon as possible and we appreciate your patience.

How to receive the I-20

• The ISSO will not send scanned copies of the I-20. Once the I-20 is issued we will email the student the SEVIS number and the school code so the student may pay the SEVIS I-901 fee and schedule a visa appointment.

• Friends or family may not pick up the I-20 for new students (see mailing options for more information).

Mailing the I-20

The ISSO uses a third party (Eshipglobal) for DHL or FedEx express mail for the I-20:

• Email instructions are provided by the ISSO in the first email you received.

• Express mail will be at your expense.

• Once express mail has been set-up the ISSO will receive notification, print the shipping label, and mail your I-20.

• Shipping takes an average of 3-7 business days once picked up but delivery time may vary.

Mailing the I-20

• To set-up express mail go to www.tamuc.edu/isso and select Express Mail Documents on the left side.

• Be sure under Reference to state “New Student I-20” or “I-20.”

• Due to possible delays in scheduling pick-up on campus with DHL we recommend students use FedEx for shipping the I-20.

Mailing the I-20

If a student chooses to not set-up express mail then the I-20 will be mailed by U.S. Postal Service Air Mail.

• Delivery will take an average of 2-3 weeks but it may take longer

• I-20’s sent by USPS Air Mail may be lost during transit

• No tracking number is provided for USPS Air Mail

Students are strongly encouraged to set-up express mail for the I-20 delivery to ensure the I-20 arrives in a timely manner.

SEVIS I-901 Fee

• Once the I-20 has been issued a student will be emailed their SEVIS number and A&M-Commerce’s school code so the student may pay the SEVIS I-901 fee and schedule the visa interview.

• Students will need to go to https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.jsp for more information and to pay the $200 SEVIS I-901 fee.

• Once the SEVIS I-901 fee has been paid the student will need to print a copy of the payment receipt for their records and for the visa interview.

Applying for the F-1 Visa

There are several steps to applying for the visa and the order of these steps varies depending upon the U.S. consulate or embassy where you apply.

Be sure to follow the steps listed on the U.S. consulate or embassy where you will apply for your visa.

Go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html for more information about the visa process.

Links in this Presentation

All website links mentioned in this presentation are provided on the previous ISSO page, the Online Orientation page.

Applying for the F-1 Visa

Complete the Non-Immigrant Visa Application DS-160 found on the U.S. consulate or embassy website and provide any additional documentation as required with the application.

A YouTube video providing step by step instructions is provided on the Online Orientation page.

Visa Appointment Information

• Visa appointments are scheduled online through the U.S. consulate or embassy website.

• Arrive early for your appointment.

• The consulate officer will want to keep the interview brief and he/she may not look at your documents.

• Answer all questions honestly and completely.

Visa Appointment Information • If you are asked to submit additional

information provide the documents as quickly as possible and follow instructions.

• If your application will have administrative processing please email the ISSO at intl.stu@tamuc.edu with your full name, campus wide ID number, and a brief description of your situation.

• Your passport with your visa will likely be mailed or sent to you by courier in an average of 3-5 business days (may be longer at some consulates or embassies).

Remember: A visa entitles you to travel to the U.S. and apply for admission into the U.S. The visa does not

guarantee entry to the U.S. An immigration officer at the port of entry will determine your eligibility for

admission into the U.S.

The Visa Interview

A YouTube video providing information about the visa interview is provided on the Online Orientation page.

Documents for the Visa Interview

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your I-20 end date

• DS-160 application fee payment receipt

• Photo

• I-20 from A&M-Commerce

• I-901 fee payment receipt

• Acceptance letter from A&M-Commerce

• Financial documentation to show proof of funding for one year of study at A&M-Commerce

• Documentation to show intent to return to home country after completion of degree

Be sure to follow the instructions and provide all documents for the visa process and interview as stated on

the U.S. consulate or embassy website.

Please note that the U.S. consulate or embassy may issue your visa up to 120 days prior to your program start date on line 5 of the I-20.

However, students may not enter the U.S. more than 30 days prior to their I-20 program start date on line 5 of the I-20.

Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination Requirement

All students (under the age of 22) entering an institution of higher education in the State of Texas are required to either receive a vaccination against bacterial meningitis or meet certain criteria for declining the vaccination.

Information regarding the rules and the process are included with your I-20.

For more information please review our Bacterial Meningitis and Health Insurance Requirements presentation.

Health Insurance

The Texas A&M University System requires all international students to be enrolled in the System Student Health Insurance Plan (SSHIP).

There are very few exceptions to this requirement and non-SSHIP health insurance will only be accepted if the student meets one of the limited

exceptions. Students DO NOT need to purchase health insurance prior to their arrival for their time at A&M-Commerce unless they meet one of the

limited exceptions.

For more information visit our website or review our Bacterial Meningitis and Health Insurance Requirements presentation.

All new international students (initial and transfer) will be required to attend the international student orientation and check-in with an international advisor in person at the ISSO

before they can register for classes.

Students will need to arrive on time to attend one of the orientation sessions and check-in in person prior to the start of

the semester.

Please review the presentation Orientation, Check-in and Course Registration for more information.

When do I need to arrive in Commerce?

Arriving late to Commerce

The ISSO will not grant permission for students to arrive late regardless of the circumstances.

If a student is unable to enter the U.S. by the program start date on line 5 of their I-20 then it is recommended that they defer their admission to the next semester.

Arriving late to Commerce

Students who arrive late:

• May be detained at port of entry to verify status.

• Will not be allowed to register for classes until they check-in with an international student advisor.

• May have a difficult time enrolling in enough courses to meet USCIS requirements (classes fill up quickly at the start of the semester).

Arriving in the U.S.

• Customs and Border Protection has created a YouTube video to provide information about the entry process. This video may be found on the previous Online Orientation page.

• When you arrive at the airport, land border, or sea port in the U.S. this is called a Port of Entry (POE).

• Be sure to keep the following items with you and not in your suitcase when you travel:

– Passport with F-1 visa

– I-20

– Proof of financial resources

Arriving in the U.S.

• At port of entry you may complete a CBP form I-94 (Arrival/Departure record) and you will complete a CBP Declaration Form.

Important Changes to the I-94 Card

• Effective April 30, 2013, non-immigrants entering the U.S. at air and sea port of entries will no longer be issued a paper copy I-94.

• An electronic I-94 record will be created and the non-immigrant will be able to access the record at www.cbp.gov/I94 within two days from the date they enter the U.S.

• All information for the electronic I-94 record will be updated automatically.

• Non-immigrants entering the U.S. at land port of entries (example…Mexico/U.S. border) will be issued a paper copy I-94.

Accessing your I-94

Once you have entered the U.S. and arrived in Commerce you will need to access your electronic I-94

record and print a copy (for check-in with ISSO) and save a copy for your records.

www.cbp.gov/I94

Arriving in the U.S.

A CBP Officer will guide you through the process. You will need to have your documents with you- I-20, passport, visa, and I-94 (if applicable)

The officer will review your documents and ask you questions like “Why are you visiting the U.S.?” or “How long do you plan to stay?”

Arriving in the U.S.

If you are admissible, the officer will stamp your passport and visa and write your visa status “F-1” and the length of your stay in the U.S. “D/S.”

The officer will scan your fingerprints and take your photograph.

Arriving in the U.S.

D/S stands for duration of status which means you may remain in the U.S. as long as you maintain your F-1 status and your I-20 is valid.

You will then be instructed to collect your luggage and proceed through Customs.

Arriving in the U.S.

Collect your luggage, submit your declaration form, and get your luggage inspected before proceeding to your connecting flight or leaving the airport.

As soon as you have reached your destination be sure to access your I-94 at www.cbp.gov/I94 and print and save a copy.

Arriving in the U.S.

Visit below for information about arrival

documents, prohibited/restricted items, and navigating

customs.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/c

gov/travel/clearing/

Arriving in the U.S.

If you experience any problems at the port of entry or have an emergency you may contact the University

Police Department at 903-886-5868. UPD may contact an ISSO staff member in an emergency so we may

provide assistance.

Please note this number is only for emergencies.

For More Information

Please review the other presentations provided by the ISSO on important pre-arrival and arrival information for new students.

If you have any questions email intl.stu@tamuc.edu.