IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE U.S. TO STUDY, YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR A F-1 OR A J-1 STUDENT VISA
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
You must be admitted to a full-time program of study. Part-time study is not permitted while
holding a F-1 or
a J-1 student visa.
You need show that you will have sufficient funds to meet the tuition, fees, and living expenses
for your program. You also need to show that you will have sufficient funds to
meet the living expenses of your dependent family members, if applicable. Click
her to download the estimated cost.
Students outside of the U.S. who are planning to enter to begin a full-time program at URI must follow the procedures outlined below:
1. If you have been admitted to
URI and decided to attend as a full-time student, you must apply for a Form I-20 (for F-1 status)
or a Form DS-2019 (for J-1 status).
To apply for I-20 or DS-2019, complete the
Application for Certificate of Eligibility sent to you with your admission letter. Submit the completed Certificate of Eligibility form to the OISS for processing of
your I-20 or DS-2019. We will mail your I-20 or DS-2019 after receiving the
Certificate of Eligibility form.
We will also send you a separate I-20 or DS-2019 for any dependent family member(s) (spouse and/or children)
including their information. If you did not receive an application of Certificate of
Eligibility with your admission letter, you can download from the link -
Certificate of Eligibility or contact the OISS to receive the form. You can also request
the form through email address to issoff@etal.uri.edu.
2. Once you have received your I-20 or DS-2019, apply for a F-1 or J-1 student visa from a U.S. consulate, preferably in your home country or 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 submitted along with the payment via mail or the Internet at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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 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 (ICE) website.
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 URI. You are prohibited from studying in the U.S. under these categories. If you intend to study, you should enter as a 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. with a F or a 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 valid passport at least six months into the future, your F-1 or J-1 entry visa, your I-20 or DS-2019, 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.
4. Following your arrival at URI, check in with the OISS. Immigration regulations require anyone who has used a school's I-20 or DS-2019 to enter the U.S. to check in with that school. If you enter the U.S. using URI's I-20 / DS-2019, you must check in with the OISS within 10 days of arriving at URI. It is essential that you do so: students who fail to check in with the OISS may be reported to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as non-arrivals, leading to the termination of their student status.
February 4, 2008 Spring 2008 OPT, CPT workshops are announced.
