Heather Tytor, M.S
Admission Counselor
Yolanda Johnson
International Advisor
Identifying an
international student
 A student who is not a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. permanent resident
(green card holder) who is using an F-1 student visa to study in
the U.S.
 Other common types of visas:
 F2
 B1
 H1B
 J
Immigration 101
 Two different government departments are involved when
someone wants to come to the U.S.
 Department of State (Embassies overseas)
 Responsible for issuing visas
 Department of Homeland Security (former INS)
 Decide whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay
for any particular visit.
Immigration 101
Immigration 101
Once student has
entered the US, the visa
stamp in the passport is
no longer important.
Student can stay in
the US as long as the
visa status is valideven if the visa stamp
expires.
International
Admissions
 The application is
the same for both
domestic and
international
students.
 The visa question
will determine
whether a student is
coded as an
international
student once it is
submitted.
International
Admissions
 Determining the status of an application
 The first evaluation status an application is in is known as ‘IP’ or In
Progress. The application is in this stage until the initial checklist is
complete.
 In order for an international applicant to complete this stage
he/she must have submitted the following:
 Official transcripts-High School, College, and/or Universities attended
 Certified Evaluation-NACES evaluation of any/all non-US schools
attended
 Proof of English proficiency.
International
Admissions
 Proof of English Proficiency
 Applicants whose native language is not English must provide official
TOEFL, IELTS, Michigan Exam test scores to the Office of Admissions.
 Student’s who do not have proof of English proficiency may choose
‘ESL’ as their major on the application. In this case proof of English
proficiency is waived.
 Transfer students (students attending a US college or university) may
use completed course work in Freshman Composition equivalent to
UNLV’s English 101 (grade of C or better) as proof of English
proficiency.
International
Admissions
 Proof of English Proficiency
 We require the following scores for general admission into UNLV:
 TOEFL: score of 61 iBT version
 IELTS: overall band of 6 with no band below 5.5
 Michigan Exam (offered by UNLV’s English Language Center): score
of 76
 Hotel College Requirements:
 TOEFL: total score of 80 with 20 on the writing section
 IELTS: overall band of 6.5 with a 6.0 on the writing section
 Michigan Exam: total score of 81 with a 40 on the writing section
 SAT: 510 (CREAD) ACT: 21(ENGL)
International
Admissions
 Foreign credential evaluation
 Students who have completed coursework at a non-U.S. high school,
college, or university are required to have their documents evaluated
 Course by course with GPA calculation
 Translation necessary if transcripts are not in English
 Must be completed through a NACES (www.naces.org) member
 Most commonly used companies:
 Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
 Josef Silny
 World Education Services (WES)
I-20
 An I-20 is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) form that
the school gives to an international student:
 A student overseas needs the I-20 to apply for the F-1 student visa at
the U.S. Embassy
 A student already in the U.S. in F-1 visa status must keep his/her I-20
valid and accurate (right school, right major) so student will need to
transfer I-20 to UNLV
 I-20s have a SEVIS number that follows the student as they transfer
schools in the US.
I-20
I-20 page 2
I-20 page 3
I-20
 Requirements to get an I20:
 Be admitted to a full-time academic degree program
(Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD) which is taught in-class.
 UNLV cannot issue an I-20 for a non-degree program, nor for a
certificate program, nor for a program that is taught mostly on-line
 Demonstrate that the student has ready access to the funding
necessary for paying full-time tuition and living expenses for at
least one year.
 http://www.unlv.edu/admissions/confidential-financial-certification
 Undergraduates: $38, 528 (2014-2015)
 Graduates: $40,122 (2014-2015)
Obtaining the F-1
Visa
 After receiving the acceptance letter and I20 from UNLV:
 Pay the SEVIS fee at www.fmjfee.com
 Will be required to show receipt at the visa interview
 Contact the local US Consulate/Embassy to schedule interview
 Bring the following documents to the visa interview:
 Letter of admission to UNLV
 UNLV signed I20
 SEVIS fee receipt
 Valid passport
 Financial support documents
About the Office of
International Students and
Scholars (OISS)?
OISS:
 Answer students immigration questions.
 Assist with student’s transitions from their home country to the U.S.
 Assist with cultural and personal needs.
 Respond to questions and concerns from the various departments.
 Report to Department of Homeland Security(DHS) through the SEVIS
internet database system.
 Provide Immigration orientation and various workshops to incoming
and current students.
F-1 -Vs-J-1
Visa
SEVIS Monitors:
 Department of Homeland Security manages the F visa classification
 F-2 Visa is the dependent of the F-1
 M Visa (UNLV do not enroll)
 Department of State manages Exchange Visitor Programs,
nonimmigrant exchange visitors in the J visa classification
 Professor or and Research Scholar
 Short-Term Scholar- Visiting scholars
 Intern
Maintaining F-1
Student Status
Students Should:
 Not enter the US no more than 30 days from the date the program of
study begins.
 Immediately contact the DSO when they arrive in the US and no later
than the program start date on the I-20.
 Attend and pass all courses
 Complete their program of study before the end date on the I-20.
 Enroll in and complete all course of study each semester
 12 credits undergraduate
 9 credits graduate
 One 3 credit online course counts towards full-time enrollment
 Not withdraw from courses without speaking with an international
student advisor.
 Not work without prior authorization
Maintaining F-1
Student Status
 Student have a 60 day grace period after they complete their
program of study.
 After Program completion student should prepare to:
 transfer to another school
 Change educational level
 Change visa status
 Return home
Immigration 102
 I-20
 USCIS
 PASSPORT
 SEVIS
 VISA
 F-1 STATUS
 I-94
 D/S (I-94)
 DSO
 Customs and Border Patrol
(CBP)
 Travel Signature
 DHS
 U.S Immigration and
Customs Enforcement(ICE)
Employment and
Training
Training Opportunities:
 Curricular Practical Training(internship)
 CPT is authorized by DHS through SEVIS
 Has to be an integral part of an established curriculum and related to your major
 Must request DSO authorization
 Optional Practical Training
 OPT can be pre- completion and post-completion graduation
 OPT is authorized by USCIS
 OPT is approved for 12 months and must be related to the students' major
 On-Campus Employment
 Students can begin on-campus employment 30 days from the date classes begin, they must
apply for a work permit through OISS.
Note: Students should not work under any circumstances until they speak with their
international student advisor.
Hiring an International
Student to Work on Campus
Student Must:
 Apply for the work permit
 The student should NEVER begin work until you receive a copy of the
permit
 The work permit is an email sent from OISS to the students REBELMAIL
 Get the Social Security letter signed (if necessary)
 Some students may already have a card, they will not need to
complete this step
 Print a copy of the I-94 arrival record
 Part 1 of the I-9
Hiring an International Student to
Work on Campus
You Must:
 Fill out and Sign the Social Security letter printed on your letterhead
 Only necessary if the student does not already have a card
 Verify the student has required documents
 I-20
 Passport
 I-94
 On campus work authorization letter issued from OISS
Things to remember:
 F-1 students are only eligible to work on campus 20 hours (total) per
week during the Fall and Spring semester.
 If the student has multiple authorizations (on campus, GA, or CPT) the
TOTAL hours per week for on campus work cannot exceed 20 hours.
 During the Summer and Winter vacation period F-1 students are
eligible to work up to 40 hours.
 Students must request a new On Campus Work Authorization Letter
each semester. A new I-9 or section 3 will need to be filled out
again whenever a new letter is issued.
 Questions about the I-9 can be directed to Human Resources or
consult the M-274 Handbook for Employers
 Questions about the requirements for F-1 students can be directed
to OISS
Questions ?
International Admissions (Office of Admissions)
Building SSC-B
Phone: 702-774-8003
Fax: 702-895-4046
Email: internationaladmissions@unlv.edu
Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)
Enrollment Services Center – Building SSC-C
Phone: 702-774-6477
Fax: 702-895-0155
Email: OISS@unlv.edu