International Already Accepted

Already Accepted?

Congratulation on being accepted at SMSU! We are looking forward to welcoming you on campus. However, there are still several steps you need to take to come yo the USA and start your academic studies at SMSU. We will do our very best to help you make a successful transition and if you have any question during the process, please do not hesitate to contact Juan Tavares, the Director of International Student Services.

To begin, we must have your personal email account. We are requesting this, even though it is on your application, as a back-up and confirmation of your receipt of your I-20. Please send your email immediately to either Juan or Michael. We ask to have you resend your personal email to make certain that we have it for continued communications.

To get to the U.S., you would require to fill in many forms and provide information to many agencies. So, to help you, read the following to acquaint yourself with these important documents and procedures.

• I-20 Form
  This form will be sent to you at the mailing address you provided us during your application process. This form serves as a "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status". What this basically means that this form is used to prove that you are eligible to apply for and F-1 student visa. This form is extremely important in many parts of your transition to the U.S. like your visa interview, going through U.S. customs, and traveling in the U.S. Learn more about the I-20 form officially at the official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
   
• F-1 Student Visa
  In most cases, to study in the U.S. with a foreign passport, you will need a special visa called the F-1 student visa. As many would already know, an international student will require a F-1 student visa to be admitted into the U.S. Applying for an F-1 student visa is frankly very tedious and lengthy but fret not, we will help you with our best efforts in applying your f-1 student visa. Here is information on your F-1 VISA interview and process that will benefit you.  Also, learn more about the F-1 student visa at the official website of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs.
   
• DS-160 Form
  The DS-160 form or also known as the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form, is the form that you must complete BEFORE heading for your F-1 student visa interview. This form is an electronic form whereby the information presented in the form paired with your visa interview will be used to determine your eligibility for your F-1 student visa. To learn more about the DS-160 form, you can visit the official U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs specifically on information about the DS-160 electronic form. Also, you can access the online DS-160 form by clicking: Consular Electronic Application Center Website. Note that the DS-160 form also requires an electronic photo submission which has specific format requirements that is explained in the Photograph Requirements.
   
• I-901 SEVIS Fee
  All students applying for an F-1 Student Visa are required to pay a $200 fee to cover the costs of administering and maintaining the the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). This fee will apply to any potential academic students who are initially issued a I-20 Form. Learn more about paying the i-901 SEVIS Fee at our Visa Application page or learn more about I-901 SEVIS Form from the official U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Also, SMSU provides the following information about the SEVIS Fee
   
• I-94 Form
  The I-94 is the Arrival/Departure Record issued by the U.S. government to foreign visitors entering the U.S. Luckily for you, this would be the second-most easiest form to handle (behind the I-20 Form) for you would only need to concern yourself with I-94 Form when you arrive in the U.S. To learn more about the I-94 form, visit the official U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website.

You will also receive information in your acceptance email from the department that directs you to several other forms and pages for you to visit.  In addition to the links already listed above regarding your SEVIS Fees and your F1 VISA interview, there is information regarding payment options and requirements for your health records. They are below.   Please investigate each link as there are forms you need to fill out and return and other valuable information that will help you plan for your arrival.  

Here is Information on Bank Drafts, Peer Transfer, and payment options at SMSU.  

You will also need to fill out several forms regarding your immunization and medical history.  

* Immunization letter and requirement
* Report of Medical History 
* Immunization and Vaccination Information 

All of the three above forms are REQUIRED of you to fill out and return prior to attending SMSU.   If you have questions, please contact our office: 
InternationalStudentServices@smsu.edu  

Now that you are well acquainted with all the official forms, know that once you are accepted, we will send you your I-20 Form from SMSU. Once you do, there are still a number of things that you have to do. Click one of the links below to learn more about them.

Apply for your F-1 Student Visa International Student Orientation and Arrival Information Make Housing arrangements Money Matters Getting to SMSU What to Bring from Home