INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

STEPS TO STUDYING IN THE U.S.

STEP 1: APPLY TO CITS

Apply to CITS and receive acceptance into a visa-eligible degree program.

STEP 2: PREPARE DOCUMENTS

Form I-20 is a government form that allows you to obtain a student visa (F-1) from a U.S. Consulate or Embassy and enter the U.S. as an F-1 student. It has been produced by Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and is an acknowledgement that your record is in the SEVIS system. The form includes your SEVIS ID number, which is the number in the upper corner above the bar code, (usually starts with an N).

To be eligible to receive a Form I-20, submit a complete I-20 Request no later than three months prior to the start date of your program (we recommend filling out the form using Adobe Reader). Upon proper completion of the application, CITS will send you an I-20 (please allow two weeks for processing) in the mail.

A complete I-20 Request will include the following:

Application Form
Copy of passport biographic page (applicant and all accompanying dependents)
Proof of Funds
Transfer Release Form (for F-1 students wishing to transfer to CITS from a SEVP approved school ONLY)

Upon receiving your I-20, thoroughly review to make sure all of the information is correct. Sign the form at the bottom of page 1. If you have any questions, please contact us.

STEP 3: PAY SEVIS FEE

The SEVIS fee ($350.00) is required of all foreign nationals who come to the United States for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study. The fee is paid one time for each continuous, uninterrupted period of F-1 or J-1 status. SEVIS fee payments will be used by the United States Department of Homeland Security to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information system).

You will need to pay the SEVIS fee if you have been issued an I-20 AND one of the following conditions applies:

You are seeking an F-1 or J-1 student visa from a United States Embassy or Consulate to begin a new program of study. In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE visa issuance.
You hold a valid F-1 or J-1 visa, but have been absent from the US for a period of more than 5 months (not working on your studies during this time with the prior approval of your school or returning from a leave of absence), and will re-enter the US with a new “Initial Attendance” or “Begin a new program” document. In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE re- entry to the US.
As a citizen of Canada, or certain adjacent islands, you are exempt from the visa requirement and will apply for admission at a port of entry to begin your studies at a US school. In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE application for entry at the US border.
You are a non-immigrant holding another status in the US, and you will apply for a change of status or reinstatement through the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). In this case, you will need to pay the fee before submitting the change of status application to the USCIS.

You do not need to pay the SEVIS fee if you are:

Most current, continuing F-1 students including those transferring from another school in the US (unless the student has failed to maintain F-1 status)
F-2 dependents (spouse and/or children) of the F-1 student

STEP 4: SCHEDULE A VISA INTERVIEW

Schedule a visa interview with the U.S. Consulate or embassy. Bring your I-20, passport, financial documents, CITS acceptance letter and SEVIS Fee payment receipt to the interview. Also be sure to check with your local embassy to verify whether they require any other documents for the visa interview.

STEP 5: ENTER THE U.S.

When coming to the U.S. to begin a program at CITS for the first time, you may be asked to present the following documents at the Port of Entry:

Form I-20
Valid student visa and applicable dependent visa(s)
Valid passport for each member of your family traveling with you
Proof of Funds

** You must pay particular attention to the starting date noted on your I-20, as you must enter the U.S. no more than 30 days prior to this date. If you try to enter the U.S. more than 30 days before this starting date, you may not be permitted to enter the U.S. **

Upon being admitted to the U.S., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will create an electronic I-94 admission record that will be available immediately only at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. We recommend that students print out a copy of the I-94, which will be necessary in the case of employment and to apply for benefits such as a Social Security Number (SSN) or driver's license. Arrange housing ahead of time.

STEP 6: REPORT TO CITS

Report to the Administration Office within 7 days of your arrival. To complete your check-in, please bring the following for yourself and any dependents:

Form I-20
Passport and U.S. Visa
U.S. Address
I-94 Admission Record

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B2 ⇨ F1

B1/B2转F1身份申请材料 B1/B2转F1身份首先必须向欲就读学校提出申请，成功录取后会取得一份I-20表格，接着就必须开始着手准备以下申请材料，缺一不可！ 1. G-1145表格：USCIS系统发出的提交申请确认通知，但此电子通知并非USCIS的正式确认文件。 2. I-539表格：请根据USCIS提供的指示完成填写。 3. I-94表格：双面扫描/图片档（也可直接于网上打印） 4. I-20表格（由学校正式发放） 5. 财力证明文件（赞助人若为美国公民，需额外填写I-134表格） 6. 有效期内护照、B1/B2签证：扫描、图片档 7. 正式录取通知（由学校正式发放） 8. 370美元申请费移民局不接受现金，须用银行支票、汇票或个人支票支付，抬头为国土安全部，并于备注栏中注明“USCIS I-539” 若您有家属一起申请改变身份，费用必须一并缴纳。若支票非来自申请者，请于支票左下角注明身份变更申请者的姓名和SEVIS号码。 9. SEVIS费用缴纳证明完成填写I-901时缴纳将该证明与申请表一并寄出 10. 变更身份说明信解释申请变更身份的原因，应该包含以下内容：目前身份、学习计划、长期规划。必须说明或提供相关文件，证明您移民倾向，包括永久居住地址、预期工作规划、家庭关系等信息，须随时准备好这些文件供查验。在美国境内申请B1/B2转F1身份申请程序是十分繁复的，有很多细节必须特别留意，所需材料及文件也都须谨慎准备，建议与可信任的在美专业中介合作，不仅能省下许多时间，在材料的准备上也能获得指导，申请过程会轻松许多，同时也能大幅提升申请成功率。
I-901 SEVIS Fee

SEVIS 全称 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System（学生和交流访问学者信息系统），是通过互联网对F类、M类和J类签证持有人及家属进行追踪的系统，追踪期间是从其收到初始文件（I-20或DS-2019表）开始，直至毕业/离校或完成/退出交流项目。 SEVIS I-901费用有效期为12个月，若申请人的F-1签证遭拒签，可以在这12个月内重新申请不需再缴费。注意：SEVIS费用是不能退还的。请上网至https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.jsp#缴费或查询更多相关细节。
如何维持 F-1 身份？

为了确保你遵守 F-1 法律，你必须知道以下基本小知识点：随时保持你的护照有效。在大多数情况下，至少还要有6个月的有效期。在公布的注册截止日前完成课程的注册。及时更新你的居住地址。每个秋季和春季学期都应该有足够的学分数，即本科生12个学分，研究生9个学分。如果你需要报读少于足够学分的课程，请征求学校的许可。退掉所有你的课前请先征得学校的许可。保持正常完成学业的进度，这包括在有资格毕业时就毕业和不因为非学术原因延迟毕业。不让你的 I-20 过期。你必须记住 I-20上的到期日期，如果你无法在那时完成学习，请在当前列在 I-20 上的过期日之前处理延期。在你事先从学校或移民局（USCIS）获得必要的授权之前，请勿开始校外工作。如果要在美国境外旅行，请确保你具有有效的签证和 I-20 上有近期旅行的签名。如果你要在美国境外停留超过5个月，请通知你的学校。如果你想转学到另一所美国学校，请与你的学校联系。完成学业后，除非你被授予了选择性实习训练（OPT），否则将无法工作。完成学业的60天内离开美国。
What is an FAQ section?

An FAQ section can be used to quickly answer common questions about you or your business, such as “Where do you ship to?”, “What are your opening hours?” or “How can I book a service?” It’s a great way to help people navigate your site and can even boost your site’s SEO.

MAINTAINING STATUS

All international students are responsible for remaining "in status" by complying with the following regulations and policies.

B2 ⇨ F1

B1/B2转F1身份申请材料 B1/B2转F1身份首先必须向欲就读学校提出申请，成功录取后会取得一份I-20表格，接着就必须开始着手准备以下申请材料，缺一不可！ 1. G-1145表格：USCIS系统发出的提交申请确认通知，但此电子通知并非USCIS的正式确认文件。 2. I-539表格：请根据USCIS提供的指示完成填写。 3. I-94表格：双面扫描/图片档（也可直接于网上打印） 4. I-20表格（由学校正式发放） 5. 财力证明文件（赞助人若为美国公民，需额外填写I-134表格） 6. 有效期内护照、B1/B2签证：扫描、图片档 7. 正式录取通知（由学校正式发放） 8. 370美元申请费移民局不接受现金，须用银行支票、汇票或个人支票支付，抬头为国土安全部，并于备注栏中注明“USCIS I-539” 若您有家属一起申请改变身份，费用必须一并缴纳。若支票非来自申请者，请于支票左下角注明身份变更申请者的姓名和SEVIS号码。 9. SEVIS费用缴纳证明完成填写I-901时缴纳将该证明与申请表一并寄出 10. 变更身份说明信解释申请变更身份的原因，应该包含以下内容：目前身份、学习计划、长期规划。必须说明或提供相关文件，证明您移民倾向，包括永久居住地址、预期工作规划、家庭关系等信息，须随时准备好这些文件供查验。在美国境内申请B1/B2转F1身份申请程序是十分繁复的，有很多细节必须特别留意，所需材料及文件也都须谨慎准备，建议与可信任的在美专业中介合作，不仅能省下许多时间，在材料的准备上也能获得指导，申请过程会轻松许多，同时也能大幅提升申请成功率。
I-901 SEVIS Fee

SEVIS 全称 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System（学生和交流访问学者信息系统），是通过互联网对F类、M类和J类签证持有人及家属进行追踪的系统，追踪期间是从其收到初始文件（I-20或DS-2019表）开始，直至毕业/离校或完成/退出交流项目。 SEVIS I-901费用有效期为12个月，若申请人的F-1签证遭拒签，可以在这12个月内重新申请不需再缴费。注意：SEVIS费用是不能退还的。请上网至https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.jsp#缴费或查询更多相关细节。
如何维持 F-1 身份？

为了确保你遵守 F-1 法律，你必须知道以下基本小知识点：随时保持你的护照有效。在大多数情况下，至少还要有6个月的有效期。在公布的注册截止日前完成课程的注册。及时更新你的居住地址。每个秋季和春季学期都应该有足够的学分数，即本科生12个学分，研究生9个学分。如果你需要报读少于足够学分的课程，请征求学校的许可。退掉所有你的课前请先征得学校的许可。保持正常完成学业的进度，这包括在有资格毕业时就毕业和不因为非学术原因延迟毕业。不让你的 I-20 过期。你必须记住 I-20上的到期日期，如果你无法在那时完成学习，请在当前列在 I-20 上的过期日之前处理延期。在你事先从学校或移民局（USCIS）获得必要的授权之前，请勿开始校外工作。如果要在美国境外旅行，请确保你具有有效的签证和 I-20 上有近期旅行的签名。如果你要在美国境外停留超过5个月，请通知你的学校。如果你想转学到另一所美国学校，请与你的学校联系。完成学业后，除非你被授予了选择性实习训练（OPT），否则将无法工作。完成学业的60天内离开美国。
What is an FAQ section?

An FAQ section can be used to quickly answer common questions about you or your business, such as “Where do you ship to?”, “What are your opening hours?” or “How can I book a service?” It’s a great way to help people navigate your site and can even boost your site’s SEO.