WE ARE NEW YORK S LAW SCHOOL

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1 WE ARE NEW YORK S LAW SCHOOL Foreign students who attend school in the United States may need to apply for an F-1 student visa. The New York Law School will help you with this process and will work with you as long as you hold your F-1 student visa at NYLS. Information you provide will be entered into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a collection and monitoring system that creates an interface between institutions of higher education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, consulates and embassies abroad, and ports of entry. Schools are required to make regular electronic updates in SEVIS throughout each semester on the records of their students in F-1 status and the students dependents. Required updates include enrollment status, changes of address, and changes in level of study, employment, and school transfers. OBTAINING A STUDENT VISA 1. Obtain the I-20 Form from New York Law School (NYLS). Once you provide the NYLS with all the required information, we produce and mail an I-20 form to the address you provided. The NYLS Office of Student Life needs the following biographical and financial information to complete the I-20 form that you will need to apply for your visa: Biographical Information: Last name, first name, middle name Gender Date and country of birth Country of citizenship Address in the United States Home Address (from your country of citizenship) Address to which you would like the completed forms mailed Have you previously studied in the United States? If so: Where When (start and end dates) SEVIS ID number Admission Number Do you have dependents? If so, please list name and date of birth of each. Financial Documentation of your ability to pay tuition and other expenses (approximately $75,000): Copies of bank statements with U.S. dollar equivalents and supporting statements from bank officials are generally adequate. If you have a sponsor, please also have your sponsor write a letter stating that he or she will support you while you are a student at New York Law School. 2. Review and sign your I Complete the I-901 and print the receipt. Go to I-901 SEVIS and follow the instructions to complete the I-901 online form and pay the SEVIS fee ($200.00). Print the receipt. (Bring this receipt with you to your embassy or consulate interview and anytime you cross the border). 1

2 4. Schedule the Initial Entry Visa Interview. Once you have completed the I-901 online form and paid the SEVIS fee, schedule your Initial Entry Visa Interview with your local U.S. embassy or consulate. (F-1 entry visas cannot be obtained within the United States. Application for a new visa must be made in person at a U.S. consulate or embassy outside the United States.) Check with the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country to determine its policies and procedures. For additional information go to the U.S. Department of State website and select your city, then click the link for visa information. Wait times for student visa appointments at embassies and consulates worldwide can be found at Travel. State.Gov. Be sure to bring your I-901 SEVIS receipt with you to your interview. Bring required documentation to your student visa interview. Typically, you will need the following documentation: I-20 form SEVIS I-901 receipt Passport (must be valid for six months after entry into the United States) Letter of admission from New York Law School Transcripts or diplomas from current or previous institutions Program of study description (this can be found here. ) Evidence of funds to cover tuition and living expenses Your local U.S. embassy/consulate will require form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application), available here. 5. Arrival at a U.S. Port of Entry. Upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry, present: A signed I-20 form A valid passport A valid visa containing your SEVIS identification number and the name of the school you will be attending (usually stamped in your passport) Financial documentation submitted to obtain the I-20 form Please keep in mind that you can enter the United States no more than 30 days before your program start date. Special Instructions for Canadian Citizens Canadian citizens do not require an entry visa to enter the United States from Canada. Those wishing to enter the United States for purposes of studying should request F-1 status at the border and must always show the I-20 form to the Immigration inspector. Otherwise, the student will be in Tourist (B-2) status. When entering the United States for the first time, Canadian Citizens will need to present: I-20 form Valid passport Supporting financial documents submitted used to obtain the Form I-20 Letter of admission from New York Law School I-901 SEVIS receipt 2

3 Transfer by F-1 Students If you are currently in F-1 status from another U.S. institution and intend to begin your studies at NYLS, you are considered a transfer student for the purposes of issuing an I-20. A transfer of the supervision of your F-1 status from your previous or current school to NYLS is required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You will be considered a transfer student if one of the following applies to you: You are in the middle of a degree program and are leaving that program to begin at NYLS. You will have completed a degree program at your current institution and will begin a new degree program at New York Law School. You are currently authorized for Optional Practical Training (OPT) from another school and will begin a new degree program at NYLS. There are three steps required to complete the transfer process. Step 1. Transfer Request Once you have learned of your admission to NYLS and have accepted the offer, you will need to submit the required financial documentation and a completed F-1 Student Transfer Form, included below. You will also need to notify your current school of your intention to transfer to NYLS, request to have that school sign the F-1 Student Transfer Form, and inform that school of your selected release date. The release date is the date that your SEVIS record will become available to NYLS. The NYLS is not able to issue your I-20 before the release date. The transfer-out procedure (from your previous school to NYLS ) must be requested within 60 days of completing your program at the school you are leaving, though the actual release date may be later. F-1 regulations allow a student to work in the summer between programs so you may want to take this into consideration when choosing your release date. You should also consider any plans to travel outside the United States (e.g., if you have a release date of August 15 and are planning to re-enter the United States on August 20, this will not be enough time to get your new I-20 to you before you return). Step 2. NYLS I-20 Form Once the NYLS has received your financial documentation and the F-1 Student Transfer Form, and your previous school has transferred you out in SEVIS, the will create your I-20 form and send it to you. If you are traveling or moving during the break before coming to NYLS, remember to update the Office with your current address so the I-20 form is sent to the correct location. Step 3. Complete the Transfer Process Upon arriving at NYLS, you must report to the to complete the transfer process. You are required to report in person to the no later than 15 days after the start date on your I-20 form; we recommend that you come in to complete the transfer as soon as you arrive at NYLS. If you fail to report within this time frame, you will be in violation of your F-1 status. When you come to report to the, you must bring your passport and I-20 form. You are required to register for full-time studies at NYLS in the first available term after leaving your previous school or the first term after the summer vacation period. 3

4 Definitions F-1 Student Classification: Those who hold F-1 student visas are normally admitted to the United States for duration of status (D/S) by the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. government department responsible for administering regulations related to the stay of non-u.s. citizens. Under the terms of a student visa, one is required to pursue a full-time course of study during the academic year, September through May. I-20 Form: The Certificate of Visa Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status is the I-20 form. This is the document issued by a school through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) for presentation at a U.S. consulate abroad to apply for an F-1 Student visa. It must also be presented to an immigration official upon entry into the United States. When traveling outside the U.S., those in F-1 status must carry their signed I-20 and financial documentation if they intend to return to the United States in F-1 status to continue their studies or practical training. The I-20 and its corresponding electronic updates in SEVIS are a permanent record of one s activities as a student in the United States. It is your responsibility to keep all I-20s issued to you throughout your student status, no matter how long you stay in the United States or how many times you travel abroad. The initial I-20 used when you enter the country and stamped by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is a very important immigration document. Make a copy of both sides to keep with your records. If you were not issued an I-20, or if you lose it, please come to the. Under most circumstances, we can provide you with a replacement form within five working days. I-94 card: This small white card* is a record of your legal entry into the United States and immigration status. It is processed at a port of entry. Form I-94 notes name, date of birth, country of citizenship, and the date and port of your arrival in the United States. It also indicates how long you can stay in the United States. The notation D/S signifies duration of status and refers to the completion date on the I-20. The Form I-94 is also a record of your arrivals and departures. On your arrival in the United States, the customs or immigration official retains the Arrival portion of the I-94, notes your immigration status (nonimmigrant classification) on the Departure portion, and staples the I-94 (Departure) Card into your passport, usually to the same page on which the entry visa is stamped. Each time you leave the country, you surrender your I-94. Only in the case of short trips to Canada, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean do you keep this form. The I-94 is an important form; we recommend that you make a photocopy of both sides of the form to keep separately in case you need to replace it. *The I-94 may now be issued as an electronic form at air and sea ports of entry. Reentry: Before you leave the United States (vacations, holidays, etc.), have your form I-20 signed! It must be signed once each year. SEVIS: SEVIS is an acronym for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a data collection and monitoring system that creates an interface among institutions of higher education, the Department of Homeland Security, consulates and embassies abroad, and ports of entry. Schools are required to make regular electronic updates in SEVIS throughout each semester on the records of their enrolled students in F-1 status-and their dependents. This includes, but is not limited to, enrollment status, changes of address, and changes in level of study, employment recommendations, and school transfers. SEVIS I-901 Fee: Before you can take your form to the embassy/consulate (or border for Canadians), you will need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. You must have a complete and accurate I-20 to complete the Form I-901 online and to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. You must be able to print the Form I-901 payment coupon or I-901 payment receipt when you complete the form online. 4

5 F-1 Student Transfer Form (A) To be completed by the student: Last name: First Name: Date of birth: (mm/dd/yyyy) / / SEVIS ID number: I authorize a Designated School Official (DSO) at (current school) to complete section B transferring the supervision of my nonimmigrant status to New York Law School. Signature: Date: address: Do not transfer schools in SEVIS until you have completed your Optional Practical Training. Once your record has been transferred, you must stop working. (B) To be completed by the international student adviser (DSO) To the best of your knowledge, is the student in F-1 status and eligible to transfer to New York Law School s F-1 sponsorship without departing the United States? YES NO If not, briefly explain the circumstances and contact New York Law School before releasing the student s record to our program What will be/was the last date of the student s attendance at your school? Transfer Release Date Please release SEVIS record to New York Law School under the following school code in SEVIS: NYC214F Adviser name and title Signature: Date: Institution Phone number address Please completed form to sally.harding@nyls.edu 185 West Broadway, New York, NY T F