International Student Services (ISS) is here to support you throughout your entire time at the University of Arizona. Follow the tabs below from top to bottom to learn exactly how to start your academic and personal journey. We’ve provided everything you need to know — from immigration and housing details, to travel arrangements and orientation.
Upload your documents in MyGlobal (under "Newly Admitted Students") to request your I-20.
Passport biographical page
Funding documents (bank statements from checking or savings accounts, or proof of scholarship/sponsorship) - review the financial guarantee requirement
Declaration of Support (for funding from family or friends)
If you are transferring your F-1 SEVIS record from a school in the United States, you must provide the name and email address of the designated school official (DSO) at your current or previous school. You can find your DSO's name printed on your current I-20 under "School Attestation." SEVIS school codes:
If your spouse or children plan to join you in the United States as your F-2 dependents, you must submit copies of their passport biographical pages and proof of relationship such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate or passport listing the parents' names (for children).
After receiving your I-20, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee online (not required for SEVIS transfers). Print a copy of your receipt to bring to your visa interview.
Visa processing times vary, but visas can only be issued up to 120 days before your I-20 start date. Use the State Department website to find the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy, then submit the online DS-160 form to apply for your F-1 visa.
Review these resources to learn more about applying for your student visa:
SEVIS transfers are only required to apply for a new visa if you are outside the U.S. and your current visa has expired.
Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are not required to apply for a student visa.
Visa Delays and Expedited Appointments
Information about requesting an expedited appointment is available on the State Department website. You can use the Fall 2022 Visa & Entry Letter to try to request an expedited appointment. We cannot contact the embassy or consulate to request an expedited appointment on your behalf.
If you are outside the U.S. and unable to enter for your starting term, please contact Admissions to discuss options for beginning your program from home.
After you have scheduled your visa interview, submit Visa Appointment Update e-form to let us know.
Students with a new initial I-20 can enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the start of the semester.
After you have made travel plans, submit the Travel Update e-form to let us know.
You can request a free Lyft ride from the Tucson International Airport if you meet all of the criteria below:
You are a new international student for Fall 2022
Your arrival date is between August 6-20
Your arrival time is between 11 am and 11 pm, Arizona time
Our Global Wildcat Welcome Team will be at the airport to help with your arrival and arrange for your Lyft ride. If you are arriving outside these dates or times, please check the Tucson International Airport website for other options.
Registration will close on Monday, July 25.
Requests submitted less than 72 hours before arrival are not guaranteed.
IMPORTANT Please check the Announcements page regularly for the latest information about COVID-19 vaccination requirements for entry.
We recommend that you hand-carry the following documents to present at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. Port of Entry:
I-20 (don't forget to sign!)
Passport with a valid visa (if applicable)
SEVIS I-901 Fee receipt
Funding documents
Entry to the U.S. is at the discretion of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and CBP may require you to go through Secondary Inspection and/or choose to inspect your electronic devices to further verify the information. Since this may cause delays at your initial port of entry to the U.S., make sure you have enough travel time between any connecting flights.
Read more about entry to the U.S. on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website: Student Process Steps: How to Navigate the U.S. Immigration System.
Customs and Border Protection creates an I-94 record for every nonimmigrant who enters the U.S. The I-94 shows your date of entry, visa category, and D/S for Duration of Status. "Duration of Status" means you may remain in the United States so long as you are maintaining your I-20 SEVIS record. It also gives you a 60-day grace period to leave the U.S. at the end of your program.
Students Entering By Land: Within 7 days of entry through a land port of entry, you can apply and pay $6.00 for your I-94 online. Please be aware that the I-94 you obtain online is temporary and just the first step in completing the I-94 application. To obtain the final, legal-for-travel Form I-94, you will need to appear at a port of entry in person with your immigration documents. If you are entering via an airport, you do not need to apply for an I-94 in advance in order to access your record at the CBP website.
To access your electronic I-94 record after entry:
Go to the I-94 website.
From the menu at the top, click “Get Most Recent I-94.”
Enter all information exactly as it appears on your travel documentation you used to enter the U.S.
Click “Next” to get your most recent I-94 record.
You are required to carry evidence of your admission (entry) to the U.S. at all times. You can carry your passport with admission stamp, a print out of your electronic I-94, or your paper I-94 to satisfy this requirement.
If you received a University of Arizona I-20, you must complete a check-in with International Student Services by your I-20 start date, even if you plan to study remotely or defer. If you do not check-in by the deadline, a hold will be placed on your account blocking enrollment changes.
Students Enrolling in the U.S.:
Students Enrolling Remotely or Not Enrolling:
The deadline to check-in is your I-20 start date. Submit the Late Arrival Request e-form in MyGlobal (under "Orientation & Check-In") to request approval to arrive up to one week after your I-20 start date.
All University of Arizona students are required to have proof of 2 Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines. You may receive your immunizations in your home country, however the immunization documentation you submit to Campus Health must be translated into English with Western calendar format dates. Please review the New Student Immunization Requirements page for details about MMR vaccination criteria.
Campus Health acknowledges the current pandemic can present challenges to meeting university immunization requirements. You are encouraged to submit any immunization documents you may have. Medical Records staff will review the documents and contact you via your PatientLink portal regarding the status of your immunization hold and to establish a plan to meet any outstanding requirements.
All international students registered for at least 1 unit must purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan. You will be automatically enrolled in the health insurance plan after you register for classes.
If you will be in the United States before the effective date of the Student Health Insurance, we strongly recommend applying for early enrollment or purchasing private health insurance so you have coverage during the gap.
Campus Health offers 2-week and 4-week early enrollment options for students arriving before the effective date.
Living on campus in the dorms is a great way to become part of the University of Arizona community. Our dorms offer a great way to meet people, live close to your classes and campus activities and provide a strong support system to help you adjust to life in America and our university campus. Did you know that students who live in a dorm on campus at least one year have a 50% higher 4-year graduation rate than students who never live in a dorm?
Most of our dorm rooms are doubles (for two people). We also offer some single rooms (one person) and apartment-style options (up to four people). Most of the dorms have community bathrooms on their floor or wing, which are shared by students of the same gender. We also have a few dorms with different types of bathrooms: a suite-style bathroom, where two rooms of students of the same gender share a bathroom; and a private bathroom inside the room, where the students in the room share a bathroom. All of our buildings have a community kitchen which is mostly used for cooking small meals or snacks.
Rooms include all furniture, utilities (water, electricity, gas, air conditioning/heating), local telephone service (phone not included), and internet and Wi-Fi access.
If you choose to live off campus, the University of Arizona has an Off-Campus Housing department which offers free services for students. On the Off-Campus Housing website, you can search for places to live, learn about apartment contracts and questions to ask your roommate.
The closest hotels to campus are the Marriott Tucson University Park, Aloft Tucson University and Graduate Hotel. With a variety of lodging and dining options, the Visit Tucson website is another good resource for finding accommodations. In general, hotels require guests to be at least 18 years old to reserve a room.
After you have registered for classes, you are eligible to apply for your student ID, or Catcard. To obtain your CatCard, you can visit the CatCard Office in the Student Union. Please be prepared with the following:
A government or state issued photograph identification such as a driver's license, state identification card, or passport
A completed and signed CatCard Terms and Conditions Form
$25
When you apply for your CatCard, you will need to provide your 8-digit student ID number to verify your status at the university. This number will not appear on the face of your CatCard, but it will be encoded electronically on your card, to be used for necessary university internal purposes only. The number will not be provided to outside entities without your prior consent.
Verify Lawful Presence refers to a referendum approved by Arizona voters in November 2006. The referendum provides that university students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or who do not have lawful immigration status, are not eligible for in-state tuition status or financial aid that is funded or subsidized by state monies.
Your tuition award will not be disbursed to your account until after your Lawful Presence has been verified and FLP hold has been removed.
If you will be entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status, your lawful presence will be verified after the Check-In e-form in MyGlobal (under "Orientation & Check-In") is submitted and approved (3 business days).
If you are enrolling remotely on Main Campus, submit the Change of Plans e-form MyGlobal (under "Orientation & Check-In") so we can take action on your I-20 and update your visa type to show that you are enrolling remotely as a distance learner. Next, submit the Attestation of International Lawful Presence and supporting documentation demonstrating lawful presence in your current country of residence in UAccess. Additional instructions are available on the Registrar's website.
While you're waiting for the VLP hold to be removed:
