International Student Services 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.
After admission, the first thing you should do is create your NetID, NetID+ and password using the 8-digit student ID and PIN in your admission email. Your NetID will also be used for your university email (Catmail) in the format: NetID @arizona.edu. As an admitted student, this is the official means of communication between you and the university.
After you create your NetID, you must wait 48 hours before requesting your UArizona I-20.
If you are a first-year or transfer admit, secure your spot in the Next Steps Center by paying the Enrollment Fee and registering for orientation. We will not issue your I-20 until completed.
Instructions
Launch MyGlobal.
Open the Undergraduate I-20 Request e-form.
Upload your passport biographical page.
Upload your funding documents (bank statements from checking or savings accounts, or proof of scholarship/sponsorship).
Upload your Declaration of Support (for funding from family/friends).
For funding documents, review the Financial Guarantee Requirement.
Transferring your F-1 SEVIS record from a school in the United States?
Provide the name and email address of the designated school official (DSO) at your current or previous school so we can send them an email with transfer instructions. You can find your DSO's name printed on your current I-20 under "School Attestation."
Our office is paperless, and we do not have a transfer-in form for your DSO to complete.
SEVIS school codes:
Are your spouse or children planning to join you in the U.S. as your F-2 dependents?
You’ll need to submit copies of their:
The SEVIS I-901 fee, paid to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), is separate from visa application fees. After receiving your I-20, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. Print a copy of your receipt to bring to your visa interview.
Special Considerations:
Visa Appointments
Visa processing times vary. 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 2023 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.
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.
Free airport rides will be available for new international students arriving between 2 pm and 10 pm, Arizona time between August 8-18th.
You can request a free ride from the Tucson International Airport if you meet all of the criteria below:
Our Global Wildcat Welcome Team will be at the airport to help with your arrival and coordinate your ride. If you are arriving outside these dates or times, please check the Tucson International Airport website for other options.
Submit this form by Tuesday, July 25th.
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:
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.
If you're entering the U.S. for the first time, Customs and Border Protection may check that you plan to attend the school specified on your F-1 visa. This requirement only applies to initial entry in F-1 status.
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.
As a new international student, you must attend a half-day Global Orientation the day before your University of Arizona orientation. During the Global Orientation program, you will learn about International Student Services, immigration requirements, cultural adjustment and the international student experience.
You can register for your virtual Global Orientation and University of Arizona orientation programs with one click in the Next Steps Center. Global Orientation will be the first day from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (MST).
May 18 Global & May 19 Transfer Orientation
May 30 Global & May 31 New Student Orientation
June 26 Global & June 27 Transfer Orientation
June 27 Global & June 28 New Student Orientation
July 5 Global & July 6 Transfer Orientation
July 6 Global & July 7 New Student Orientation
August 3 Global & August 4 Transfer Orientation
August 7 Global & August 8 New Student Orientation
August 10 Global & August 11 Transfer Orientation
August 14 Global & August 15 New Student Orientation
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, defer or transfer out. 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 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.
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.
Arizona law requires consent of a parent/legal guardian for medical and mental health care of minors. If you will be under 18 when classes begin, ask your parent/legal guardian to complete the Consent to Treat Minor form so you can be treated by Campus Health.
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.
Once you complete your orientation process, you will see the CatCard item in your Next Steps Center. Distribution of the CatCard ID will happen once you are on campus. You will receive an email to your CatMail with the time and location for pick-up.
