Obtaining Your Visa

Applicants Residing Outside of the United States:

To enter the United States, international students residing abroad will need a passport from their government and a visa from the U.S. Consulate.

In order to obtain a visa for the purposes of studying in the United States, the applicant must present a Certificate of Eligibility form I-20 to the U.S. Consulate.

The University will issue this form to admitted students who have:

1) Submitted proof of having sufficient funds to cover the cost of a program of study (see Certification of Finances). If you have already submitted the Certification of Finances form and the required supporting documents, please confrim we have received these items by clicking on "Check Your Application Status" here. And,

2) Confirmed their enrollment.  Admitted students may indicate their intention to enroll online by clicking here.

IMPORTANT:   If all required information is not received, your admission may be cancelled. 

Admitted students who are sponsored by agencies, foundations, or their home government, or are participating in an established exchange program may be issued the Certificate of Eligibility form (DS2019) in order to obtain the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa.

Canadian Citizens: If you are a Canadian citizen who has been admitted to the University and you have confirmed your intent to enroll and you have proven funding, you do not need a visa. Instead, you are required at the port of entry to present your passport or proof of Canadian citizenship, a certificate of eligibility for non-immigrant status (which is the I-20 or DS-2019 we provide), and evidence of adequate funding for your proposed program of study. You will then be issued an I-94 card indicating your student visa status.


Applicants Currently Residing in the United States:

Applicants currently holding F-1 Student or J-1 Exchange Visitor status in the United States need to submit a photocopy of their I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, visa stamp, and current I-20 or DS2019 form along with proof of having sufficient funds to cover the cost of a program of study (see Certification of Finances). 

Applicants holding another type of nonimmigrant status need to submit a photocopy of their I-94 Arrival/Departure Record and visa stamp, and must indicate if they intend to seek a change to F-1 Student or J-1 Exchange Visitor status. Upon admission and submission of the appropriate financial support documentation, the university will issue the appropriate Certificate of Eligibility form (I-20 or DS2019) to the student.