How to Enter the U.S. to Study as an F-1 or J-1 Student

• First, you must be admitted to a full-time program of study. Part-time study is not permitted while on an F-1 or J-1 student visa.
• Additionally, you must be able to show that you will have sufficient funds to meet the tuition, fees, and living expenses for your program. You must also be able to show that you will have sufficient funds to meet the living expenses of your dependent family members, if applicable.

With this in mind, students outside of the U.S. who wish to enter to begin a full-time program at NYU must follow the procedure outlined below:

1. Apply for and receive an I-20 or DS-2019 from NYU, once you have been admitted to a full-time program at NYU. Once you have been admitted to NYU as a full-time student, you must apply for a Form I-20 from NYU (for F-1 status) or a Form DS-2019 from NYU or a sponsoring Exchange Visitor organization (for J-1 status). To apply for NYU's I-20 or DS-2019, complete the Application for Certificate of Eligibility (AFCOE) online as soon as you have your NYU Net ID and password. Submit the completed AFCOE to the OISS for processing, and we will express mail your I-20 or DS-2019. We will also send you a separate I-20 or DS-2019 for any dependent family members (spouse and/or children) provided you included their information on your AFCOE.

Most students will enter the U.S. in F-1 status. The J-1 Exchange Visitor category is used to sponsor students who are participants to an exchange or study abroad program, or are sponsored by a government organization or other institutional source for the purpose of international exchange. J-1 Exchange Visitors cannot derive their primary source of funding from personal or family sources.

2. Once you have received your I-20 or DS-2019, apply for an F-1 or J-1 student visa from a U.S. consulate, preferably in your home country. Once you have received your I-20 or DS-2019, you must apply for an F-1 or J-1 student visa from a U.S. consulate in your country of citizenship or country of permanent residence.

• New students applying for a visa with a SEVIS form I-20 or DS-2019 issued on or after September 1, 2004 will be required to pay a $100 fee.
  
  The SEVIS fee must be paid at least 3 business days prior to a visa interview or the filing of the change of status application in the U.S. In order to pay, Form I-901 must be completed and submited along with the payment via mail or the Internet. Citizens of Canada or Bermuda must pay at least 3 days prior to their entry to the U.S. A receipt is issued via mail or can be printed by the student or exchange visitor from the Internet. This receipt can be brought to the visa interview or submitted with a change of status application as further evidence of payment. For more detailed information, please visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.
  
• Visa processing times and procedures may vary depending on location and time of year. View the U.S. Department of State's Visa Services website for more information.
  
• DO NOT enter the U.S. as a B-1 visitor for business, B-2 visitor for pleasure or B-2 "prospective student" if you intend to be a full-time student at NYU. You are prohibited from studying in the U.S. under these categories. If you intend to study, you should enter as an F-1 or J-1 student.

3. Enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before and no later than the beginning date indicated on your I-20 / DS-2019 . You are allowed to enter the U.S. in F or J status only 30 days prior to the beginning date indicated on your I-20 or DS-2019; however, you should plan to enter no later than the beginning date so indicates.

• When entering the U.S., you must carry a passport valid at least six months into the future, your F-1 or J-1 entry visa, your I-20 or DS-2019, and copies of your admission letter and financial documents, and evidence that you have paid the SEVIS fee if you are a new student.
  
• Upon entry, an immigration inspector will review your documents, and give you an I-94 departure record granting you F-1 or J-1 student status for duration of status ("F-1 D/S" or "J-1 D/S").
  
• Canadian citizens do not require a passport or entry visa to enter the U.S., but must present all of the documents listed above and obtain an I-94 departure record to obtain F-1 or J-1 student status.
  
• You are required to attend the institution indicated on your F-1 or J-1 visa, if you are entering the U.S. for the first time on the basis of that visa.
  
• Please be prepared for US-VISIT, a program to monitor the entry and exit of all nonimmigrants to the U.S. At the port of entry, you will be fingerprinted and photographed. See US-VISIT entry instructions (PDF) for more information.

4. Following your arrival at NYU, check in with the OISS. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires that all new and transfer F-1 and J-1 students report their arrival to NYU. You must attend a mandatory Check-In Workshop as soon as you arrive to the United States and BEFORE your program start date. Failure to attend a Check-In Workshop may jeopardize your ability to remain legally in the U.S. Sign-up online to attend a Check-In Workshop.

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