How does an international student get to UCI? Please review our F-1 Incoming Student Flow Chart.

A D M I S S I O N S   &   T R A N S F E R

If you are interested in applying for admission as an undergraduate to the University of California, Irvine, please visit the UCI Admissions website. For information about graduate studies, please visit the UCI Graduate Division Website.

If you are interested in studying English as a Second Language (ESL), please contact UCI Extension.

A D M I T T E D   S T U D E N T S

If you are an international undergraduate student, please read:

• Complete Confidential Financial Statement and submit to UCI Admissions Office
• Admissions Office will alert the International Center that you have requested an I-20
• The IC processing time is 15-30 business days for a new I-20.
• The IC will mail to your I-20 to the address you have provided to the UCI Admissions Office.
• If you are a new undergraduate student planning to change your status to an F1, please complete the steps listed above. You will receive an I-20 that is meant for you to travel to your home country and apply for an F1 visa. However, if you intend to change your status by not leaving the U.S., please contact the International Center and schedule an appt. to meet with a student advisor.

If you are an international graduate student, please read:

• Complete the CIAQ 2009-2010 form and submit to your academic department.
• The academic department will review your forms, and submit the paperwork to the International Center.
• The International Center will require 15-30 business days for processing of a new I-20.
• The IC will mail your I-20 via regular airmail, express mail (if you have included a $40.00 USD check.money order), or your department will pick it up from the IC and mail it to you themselves.

If you are an undergraduate/graduate transfer student, please read:

• To be considered as an international transfer student, you must be transferring your F1 status from your current institution to UCI.
• As an undergraduate transfer student, you must complete the steps listed above as an undergraduate student, and also complete SEVIS Record Release Form*.
• If you are a graduate transfers student, you must complete the CIAQ and submit that to your admitting academic department, in addition to completing the SEVIS Record Release Form*.
• *The SEVIS Record Release Form transfers your SEVIS record to UCI. The International Center needs this completed packet in addition to the CFS (undergraduates) or CIAQ (graduates) submitted to the UCI Admissions Office (undergraduates)/Academic Deparment (graduates) to issue you an I-20.
  
  

Once you have your visa document:

Please read the New Student Newsletter for important pre-arrival information.

Check in at the International Center:

Once you have arrived in the U.S. you are required to check in within 5 days of your arrival at the International Center. All new international students (including new, transfer, and EAP students) must visit the International Center upon arrival to the US.

At check-in bring with you the following documents as well as one set of photocopies:

• SEVIS I-20/DS-2019
• I-94 (front and back)
• Visa page
• Passport (picture and expiration page)
• Receipt of tuition/fees
• Proof of full-time enrollment
• Completed Online Orientation
• Quiz Completion Confirmation

Failure to check-in at the International Center may result in the termination of your SEVIS record and loss of your F-1/J-1 status.

The Online Orienation must be completed prior to your arrival in the U.S. Please complete only ONE of the following based on the type of visa document you have received:

• F1 Student Online Orientation
• J1 Student Online Orientation