International Student Advising For Dummies
Download
Report
Transcript International Student Advising For Dummies
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT
ADVISING
“FOR DUMMIES”
Presenters:
Molly Heidemann
Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor
Miami University
Sarah McNitt
Study Abroad Advisor
Miami University
Charles Schwartz
Senior Admissions Officer
University of Cincinnati
Introduction
Who are we?
Who is our audience?
Why International Student Advising for Dummies?
Visa Types
F-1 Visa
Eligibility:
An alien having a residence in a foreign country
No intention of abandoning their home country
Full-time student
Entering the US temporarily and solely for the purpose of
studying
At an established academic institution or language training
program in the United States,
F-2 Dependent: An alien spouse or minor children
following to join the F-1 student
Visa Types
J-1 Visa
Part of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (Fulbright-Hayes Act) of 1961
"to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges."
Eligibility:
J-visa category of visitors most common in higher ed:
An alien having a residence in a foreign country
No intention of abandoning home country
Student (Non-degree, Associate, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, Intern)
Scholar (Research, Short-Term)
Professor
Specialist
Physician
Other Categories: Teacher, Au Pair, Camp Counselor, Government Visitor, Summer
Work/Travel
J-2 Dependent: An alien spouse or minor children following to join the J-1
exchange visitor
SEVIS
What is SEVIS?
Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System
SEVIS
SEVIS is the internet-based system by which P/DSOs and A/ROs interact
with ICE, process F-1 and J-1 records, and track changes
P/DSO = (Principal) Designated School Official – for Fs
A/RO = (Alternate) Responsible Officer – For Js
Managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) – a unit of
ICE (which is a unit of DHS)
Became fully operational in 2003
Used to process I-20s and DS-2019s, and track changes in students’
personal, financial, and academic information
Requires a password to log in
SEVIS II: Coming soon!
Immigration Documents
I-20/DS-2019
Passport
Visa stamp
I-94 card
Immigration Documents
I-20/DS-2019
Issued by
host
institution
Student should keep
this document with
their passport
Immigration Documents
Passport
Issued by
home country government
Should be valid for at least 6 months in the future
when entering U.S.
Must be kept valid
Immigration Documents
Visa stamp
Issued by
US Consulate/Embassy
Stamped into
passport
Entry document
only (can expire)
Immigration Documents
I-94 card
Filled
out on plane by student
Stamped by US Customs & Border Patrol at Port of
Entry
Stapled into
passport
Shows visa status
and how long they
can stay (duration
of status)
Admission and Document Issuance
An I-20 or DS-2019 does not automatically
grant a visa; it is more like a “certificate of
eligibility” to obtain F-1 or J-1 status
Admission and Document Issuance
I-20 Issuance
To
issue an I-20 to a school must:
Be
approved by DHS to admit F-1 students and be enrolled
in SEVIS
Receive a written application from the student for
admission
Receive and review the applicant's academic credentials
for admission
Accept the student a full-time program
Assess the student's ability to meet all expenses during the
course of study, and specifically examine documentation
showing finances for at least the first year of study
Visa Application
School issues I-20/DS-2019
Student pays SEVIS fee and schedules visa interview
If visa interview results in approval, student receives
visa and can travel to the US
Visa Application
Required at visa interview:
I-20/DS-2019
Passport valid for at least 6 months
Proof of proficiency in English (if necessary)
Proof of financial resources to cover the cost of education
and living expenses in the U.S.
Proof of SEVIS fee payment
Admission letter
Evidence of ties to home country
Entering the U.S.
U.S. Customs & Border Patrol officer checks
documents
Passport
is valid
I-20 is valid
Visa is valid
Ask for purpose of entry
U.S. Customs & Border Patrol official stamps I-94
card, which is stapled into passport
Maintenance of Status
Attend the school listed on the I-20/DS-2019
Pursue a full course of study (12 credits for undergrads;
institution-specific for grads)
Make normal progress toward completion
Report changes of address within 10 days
Don’t work without authorization
Follow proper procedures for extension, change of level,
transfer, etc.
Abide by grace periods
Keep passport valid
What else does an International
Student Advisor do?
Orientation
Challenges:
Erratic arrival times
Motivation
Range of communication skills
Key Concepts
Goals:
Provide info that US students
already have
Provide tools for finding info
on their own
Provide basic understanding
of US and Academia
Practical matters
US Academia
Housing
Transportation
Communication
Recreation
System Structure
Student expectations
Student services
Cultural Adjustment
What else does an International
Student Advisor do?
Programming
Examples: Friendship programs, conversation
partners, film series, city tours, etc.
Goals:
Long-term
awareness
Transition to campus and American life
Entertainment
Personal, professional, and cultural needs
What else does an International
Student Advisor do?
Cultural Adjustment
Intercultural Communication
D.I.E.
Description: “what I see”
Interpretation “what I think about
what I see”
Evaluation “what I feel about what
I see and think”
Obstacles:
Assumptions of
similarity/difference
Language/communication
Ethnocentrism
Anxiety
Be a Bridge
Listen to the person
Through the accent
Allow them to finish
Ask clarifying
questions
Ask how it works at
home/explain how it
works here
Be directive, inclusive,
personal
Questions & Answers