New Students - Pre-arrival Info

F-1 Orientation and Check-In | Pre-arrival Info | Medical Insurance | Cultural Adjustment

Pre-arrival Info

FLORIDA   INTERNATIONAL   UNIVERSITY
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
Division of Student Affairs

SPRING 2010 NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION

WELCOME TO  FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY!

Please read the following information carefully before you travel to Miami.

• Pre-Arrival Checklist
• Arrival in the U.S.
• ARRIVAL at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
• Important Reminders
• FIU is Online

Pre-arrival Checklist

Obtain a Student Visa

Go to a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country to apply for an F-1 visa (with FIU I-20) or J-1 visa (with DS-2019). You will need to present these documents: I-20 issued by FIU or DS-2019 issued by your agency sponsor or FIU, passport (must be valid at least 6 months into the future), and financial documents to prove availability of funds to support your education (includes bank letter, sponsor’s letter, etc.). DO NOT ENTER ON B-1/B-2 Status. B-1/B-2 (tourist) visa holders are prohibited from enrolling for academic courses.

Note: Newly admitted F and J students who enter the U.S. for the first time and are first-time F/J visa applicants must pay the SEVIS Fee. To find out payment information go to https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml.

Make Housing Arrangements LONG BEFORE Arrival

ISSS cannot make housing arrangements for you. Please make such arrangements before your arrival.

FIU has on-campus housing for students but space is limited. If you are interested in on-campus housing, you must complete an application & pay a housing processing fee (US$100). After the Department of Housing and Residential Life receives the application & processing fee, you will be sent a Housing Agreement. Please read ALL HOUSING INFORMATION carefully & follow the instructions. If you want to verify your housing, contact the Department of Housing and Residential Life, Housing Office in University Park, UP Towers, Room 121, by e-mail at housing@fiu.edu or by phone at (305) 348-4190 (University Park) or (305)919-5587 (Biscayne Bay).

Only students who signed housing contracts and paid the required housing fees may check-in. (NOTE: Once you sign a housing contract, you will not be able to break or cancel it.)

If you have not reserved a housing space, contact the Department of Housing and Residential Life immediately to check on space availability. (Please read “Housing” in the latter portion of this Pre-Arrival Information).

If you are interested in off-campus housing, check the off-campus housing website at http://classifieds.fiu.edu/ which is provided by the Office of Orientation & Commuter Student Services to serve FIU students, parents, and faculty/staff. Please visit the new site to view the property listings, message boards to find roommates & furniture, and links to campus and local resources.

Arrange Short-Term/Overnight Stays

If you have a confirmed reservation for campus housing, we suggest that you do not arrive before your check-in time or you may need to stay in a hotel, which can be expensive and inconvenient because there are no hotels near campus. Average hotel rate per night runs from $75 - $150. You can make reservations before your arrival. The following hotels are near each campus:

(Note: Area codes for Miami-Dade County are 305 and 786 .  Area code for Broward County is 954.)

Keep in mind that the Housing Office is open only during business hours ( Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm). If you arrive after 5 pm or on a weekend, you will need to stay in a hotel until the Housing Office opens.

Prepare for Money Matters

You are expected to have sufficient funds for the period of your studies at FIU as you had shown on your Declaration & Certification of Finances.

Immigration rules and regulations are very restrictive with regard to employment options for international students. On-campus jobs are scarce and cannot cover any significant part of your expenses. Therefore, you will need to rely on the sources of funding support you documented when you applied for admission and as stated on your SEVIS I-20/DS-2019.

When you arrive, you will need cash or traveler's checks ( IMPORTANT: SEPARATE TRAVELER'S CHECKS FOR TUITION/FEES, INSURANCE PAYMENT AND BOOKS ARE REQUIRED.) in U.S. dollars to pay for tuition, medical insurance and living expenses. If you will be living on campus and have not paid your rent in advance, the full amount for your rent must be paid immediately upon arrival. Off-campus renters require you to pay a security deposit and 2 months rent before you move in. Your tuition & fees must be paid at the time of registration. We suggest you bring at least $7,000 in traveler's checks or arrange for a wire transfer of funds so your money is available immediately. You will not be able to write checks on uncollected funds, even those in U.S. banks, for weeks after you arrive. Do NOT carry large sums of money with you.

Ensure that important immigration documents (FIU I-20 or DS-2019, valid passport, F or J visa stamp, and original financial documents) are in order.

In addition, Florida State law requires all students to be immunized against measles and rubella.  You should bring medical certificates in English showing you received required immunizations or you will have to be immunized as soon as you arrive (at a cost to you)

Arrival in the U.S.

ARRIVAL IN THE  U.S.

Enter the U.S.: Complete Immigration and Customs Inspection

When you enter the U.S. with a school's I-20, you are required to attend that school.  If you plan to attend FIU, you MUST use an FIU I-20 to enter (reenter) the U.S.

At Port of Entry (ex., Miami Intl. Airport ), you will need to present the following documents to the Immigration Officer:

1. Passport with valid F-1 or J-1 visa, 
2. FIU I-20 or DS-2019, and
3. Form I-94 (which you will receive on the plane prior to arrival).

NOTE: Since your primary purpose for coming to the U.S. is to study, it is very important that you are admitted to the U.S. under the proper visa (F-1 or J-1).  You MUST NOT enter using a B-1/B-2 visa or the W-T (Visa Waiver).

Arrange transportation from the Airport to Campus

The following services will take you from Miami International Airport to either campus.

• TAXI: The cost to UP is about $35 and to BBC is about $50.
• AIRPORT SUPER SHUTTLE: This is a van/shuttle service which costs about $25 to UP and about $35 to BBC. The vans stop outside the airport baggage claim area in the lower level. For assistance, call (305) 871-2000.

When you arrive on campus, report to ISSS as soon as possible to have copies made of your FIU I-20 or DS-2019, your passport, visa stamp, and I-94 card. If you are transferring from another U.S. university, you MUST complete an immigration school transfer. When you arrive, please update your local address in Panthersoft, if necessary.

ARRIVAL at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Check in with ISSS as soon as you arrive on campus, preferably within 10 day from arriving in the U.S.

You are required to report to ISSS with your immigration documents : FIU I-20 or DS-2019, your I-94 card and your valid passport (Personal identification, validity date & visa pages). Copies of these documents must be kept in your ISSS files. You must also complete an ISSS SEVIS Data Sheet.

F-1 Transfer Students

If you are an F-1 student transferring from another school in the U.S. for Spring 2010, you will need to process an Immigration School Transfer. The procedure is simple but it must be completed within 15 days from start of classes. You must visit ISSS to complete your transfer before January, 19th. At the discretion of the advisor, you may be required to set up an appointment in order to complete the transfer. You must present one of the following:

1. your FIU I-20
2. previous school's SEVIS I-20
3. valid passport
4. I-94 card and
5. Copy of School Transfer form, if you have it.

If all is in order, your School Transfer will be processed through ISSS.  Failure to complete the procedure in a timely manner will require reinstatement to F-1 status, a costly & time-consuming procedure.

Attend ISSS (Immigration) Orientation as well as any required university-wide and departmental orientations.

All new international students must attend an ISSS orientation, as well as the appropriate University-wide orientation (i.e., Transfer or Freshmen orientation).  ISSS Immigration Orientation sessions will be held at both University Park (UP) and Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC)

Immigration Orientation Spring 2010
Friday, January 8th, 2010
Starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 12 noon
Modesto A. Maidique Campus: Room GC 243
or
Biscayne Bay Campus: Room WUC 155

or

Friday, January 13th, 2010
Starts at 2:00 p.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m.
Modesto A. Maidique Campus: Room GC 243
or
Biscayne Bay Campus: Room WUC 363

For information on University-wide orientation, call the Orientation Office at (305) 348-6414. You can also visit the Orientation & Commuter Student Services website to register for freshmen or transfer orientation. Please note that Freshmen orientation sessions are full-day programs held at both campuses.

Provide Local Address within 10 days from arriving in the U.S

Immigration regulations REQUIRE you to report your current local address in SEVIS and to ISSS (P.O. Box addresses are not acceptable.). You will also need to provide your foreign address to ISSS.

By University policy, your current address must appear in the FIU system. It is very important that you have a valid local/mailing address at all times so you can receive all important information sent to you. You may update your addresses directly in Panthersoft but you must also make sure you specify/update your address in the ISSS SEVIS Data Sheet in your ISSS file.

Provide Immunization Records & Medical Information

Proof of immunizations is required by Florida state law before you can register for classes. If by any chance you get registered without the proof, the University must cancel your registration unless you comply with the requirement. Submit your proof of immunizations & Medical Information Record to the University Health Services. Your medical information record will assist the University Health Services staff in providing you with appropriate medical care when you are sick. Be sure to fill out the immunizations and medical information forms you received in the mail and return them to the University Health Services before registration. For more information, contact the Immunizations Office at University Park (telephone (305) 348-3688 and fax (305) 348-3336) or at Biscayne Bay (telephone (305) 919-5675 or fax (305) 919-5312.

Obtain Medical Insurance Clearance

All international students at FIU are required to have medical insurance adequate to meet the expenses for medical care and cases of accident or illness.

The FIU-approved international student health insurance policy is available for purchase at University Health Services (UHS) from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. All international students at FIU are required to have medical insurance adequate to meet the expenses for medical care and cases of accident or illness. The insurance estimate listed on the Declaration and Certification of Finances Form reflects prices for the current academic year. Customarily, insurance premiums increase every academic year. Premiums for the following academic year are available after July 1st of each year. To get information about policy coverage, costs, and enrollment, read the insurance information on the UHS website at http://www.fiu.edu/~health/ Payment can be made on-line by credit card or in person at UHS by money order or cashier check. You must provide proof of payment to UHS in order to confirm that you are in compliance with the insurance requirement.

If you have your own policy, you will need to have your insurance company complete an Alternate Insurance Compliance form for 2009-2010 calendar year and fax it directly to University Health Services for evaluation at least 2 weeks before your registration. The form will be available for download here. The policy must be approved as meeting the minimum requirements as per University requirements before you can be cleared to register. The form MUST verify:

• that the coverage meets or exceeds minimum requirements,
• the name, address, & telephone number of a claims agent in the U.S.,
• that you are covered under the policy, and
• must provide at least through August 19, 2010

We will review your policy and, if it complies with the requirements, we will clear you to register for classes. If your policy does not comply with the requirements, you will NOT be cleared to register until you provide documentation of insurance coverage which meets University requirements. Alternate insurance policies cannot be evaluated without the completed Alternate Insurance Compliance Form.

NOTE: An insurance card is NOT valid proof for Alternate Insurance. UHS staff cannot evaluate individual plans without the alternate forms. If the insurance company refuses to fill out the form, the alternate insurance will not be approved.

*Note: A student in J-1 status is required to purchase the University-approved medical insurance policy for himself or herself and all accompanying J-2 dependents.

REGISTRATION HOLDS (also known as Service Indicators) WILL NOT BE CLEARED UNTIL YOU COMPLY WITH THE MEDICAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENT. WE CANNOT MAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

Register for classes

Remember: You must receive clearance for Insurance and Immunization before you can register.

After you are cleared to register, see an Academic Advisor to find out what courses you should take.  Check the catalog to see whether the courses you need have pre-requisites.  Read these guidelines from the Registrar's office before you register for classes.

You can register online at http://sis.fiu.edu. Click on "Login to PS - Click here" from any computer or kiosks on campus.  If you cannot register for all your courses on that day, register for at least one course to avoid paying a $100 late registration fee.  You may add courses to your course schedule until Monday, January 11. If you want to drop a course or withdraw from the University without financial liability, you must do so by Saturday, January 9th. If course sections are closed, you must check with the academic department for any other course section availabilities. NOTE: All international students are required to register full-time and maintain full-time enrollment. (See " IMPORTANT REMINDERS " for details.)

Pay Tuition and Fees

You must pay your tuition & fees IN FULL by 5:00 p.m. on January 8th, 2010 to avoid late fees and cancellation of your enrollment. You can pay in cash (traveler checks included), check, or credit card (Master Card and American Express).

Finalize Housing Arrangements either on campus or off campus

If you have reserved a space in University Housing and want to see if you have a place, check with University Housing Central Office in Room 121, University Park Towers at UP or call (305) 348-4190 or Bay Vista Housing at BBC or call (305) 919-5587.  If no space is available you may place your name on a waiting list but you should go ahead and arrange for off-campus housing in the meantime.  To find out about off-campus housing, you may

• check with Office of Orientation and Commuter Student Services for a listing of landlords seeking FIU students as tenants,
• check local newspapers to find suitable accommodations or get a free "Apartment Guide" available at supermarkets (Publix, Winn Dixie, etc.),
• ask other international students, especially those from your home country who may be looking for roommates or know anyone who is, and
• Check with your academic department to see if some of your classmates are looking for roommates or know of housing opportunities near campus.

Obtain FIU E-mail Address

As soon as you have registered and paid for your courses, you must activate your FIU E-mail account. University announcements are sent to students electronically. To get an email account, go to PC 414 (UP) or AC293 (BBC) or visit the University Technology Services website: http://uts.fiu.edu/

Open a Bank Account

It is not advisable to carry large sums of money with you.  Please open a bank account immediately for your cash and any checks you may be carrying.  You may open a bank account with the University Credit Union but you must first be registered at FIU.  Call them at (305) 284-4832 (UP) or (305) 919-5582 (BBC).  A listing of banks and documents needed to open an account is available at the ISSS Office.

Contact ISSS if you have further questions

If you have any questions or just need someone to clarify something for you, please come and see us in ISSS in GC 355 (at UP) or call (305) 348-2421 or in WUC 363 (at BBC) or call (305) 919-5813.  You can also send us an email at isss@fiu.edu . We'll be glad to help!

Important Reminders

Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
Regulations on Full-time Enrollment for F-1 Students

All students admitted as degree-seeking students at FIU MUST comply with IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS on FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT in order to maintain valid F-1 status.  This regulation requires F-1 students to be enrolled for a minimum number of credits hours as detailed below depending on initial semester as a degree-seeking student .

Undergraduate students (pursuing Bachelor's degrees):

• Must be enrolled for at least 12 undergraduate-level credit hours during each FALL and SPRING academic term. Only 1(one) fully on line course(3 credits) may count towards your full time enrollment. If you are beginning your program Summer B, you must enroll for a minimum 6 credit hours.

Graduate students (pursuing Master's and/or Doctoral degrees):

• Must be enrolled for at least 9 graduate-level credit hours during each FALL and SPRING academic term. Only 1(one) fully on line course (3 credits) may count towards your full time enrollment. If you are beginning your program Summer B, you must enroll for a minimum 3 graduate credit hours.

Failure to comply with this requirement will put you out-of-status (in violation of USCIS regulations) and ineligible for F-1 benefits (i.e., on-campus employment, etc.).  You are advised to clear ALL registration holds as early as possible so you can register on your appointed date and time and not risk being closed out of classes.

• ISSS online:
  http://isss.fiu.edu
  
• FIU Online:
  www.fiu.edu
  
• Complete 2008-2009 Academic Calendar:       www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/calendars.htm
  
• Department, College and School Directory:       http://academic.fiu.edu/docs/colleges.htm
  
• FIU Campus Online Tour:         
  http://dpb_lab.fiu.edu/docs/campus_tour.htm
  
• FIU Campus Maps:         
  http://www.fiu.edu/docs/campus_maps.htm
  
• FIU Campus Locations/Directions:        
  http://www.fiu.edu/docs/campus_maps.htm
  
• FIU Facts:
  http://www.fiu.edu/ugs/orientation/web_presentation/p07.html
  
• Office of the Registrar:       
  http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/registeronline.htm
  
• Student Fees:         
  http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/controller/UG%20Calculator.htm
  
• University Catalogs:       
  http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/catalogs.html

ATTENTION: Reminders to Students with Foreign Credentials

• All foreign transcripts MUST be OFFICIAL and SENT DIRECTLY to the appropriate office or company by the university/academic institution.
• Some of the credits you have earned may not count toward the requirements of your academic program.
• In order for your foreign credential to be fully evaluated by your academic departments, you must have the following document with you:
  • Copy of school transcript,
  • Copy of course syllabus and
  • Course descriptions.

You will need to meet with your academic Program Chair or Advisor to discuss your transfer credits and their applicability to your degree requirements.

• Above-listed documents MUST BE OFFICIALLY TRANSLATED into English if original is in another language.

Please be aware that your foreign credentials will need to be reviewed by an academic department to be officially equated to FIU courses. It may take at least one full semester before all your foreign credentials can be completely evaluated.