International applicants are individuals who need a visa in order to study or live in the United States. Individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., regardless of where they live or go to school, are not considered international applicants.

SLCC International Student Services will create and send a Form I-20 after you have submitted required documentation to the College and have been accepted as an SLCC student. You then apply for the F-1 student visa by bringing your I-20 to the American embassy or consulate nearest your home. You can find tips for the interview and sample interview questions at NAFSA and International Student.

Once you receive the F-1 student visa, you are authorized to travel to the U.S.; however, a visa does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the U.S. USCIS has the authority to grant or deny your admission to the U.S. The immigration officer at the port of entry will also determine how long you may stay in the U.S.

The Form I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility issued to prospective students who meet admissions and financial requirements for SLCC. Students present this form to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in order to receive the F-1 student visa. Form I-20s are prepared by International Student Affairs upon receipt of completed applications and acceptance to SLCC.

1. Form I-20 Overview
   Once accepted into an SEVP-certified school, the designated school official will send you a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” This form is a paper record of your information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. Each school that accepts you will send you a Form I-20.
2. Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee
   After receiving your Form I-20, you must pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee. Federal regulations require all F, M, and J students to pay this fee before applying for a U.S. student visa. You can pay online at FMJfee.com or through Western Union Quick Pay. Ensure the SEVIS ID number on your I-901 SEVIS Fee receipt matches your SEVIS ID number on your Form I-20. For assistance, contact SEVP at fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov or call the I-901 SEVIS Fee customer service hotline at 703-603-3400.
3. Apply for a Visa
   With your I-901 SEVIS Fee receipt, apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This process includes an in-person interview where you must establish that you meet U.S. visa requirements. Note that a visa allows you to travel to the U.S. port of entry, but the final entry decision is made by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer.
4. Prepare Required Documents
   Before departing, familiarize yourself with the necessary documents: your passport, visa, and Form I-20. Make two sets of copies—one to leave with family and one for school officials. Carry the originals with you, not in your checked baggage. Additional helpful documents include your acceptance letter, proof of financial ability, and other supporting documentation.
5. Arrival in the United States
   At the port of entry, a CBP officer will verify your information. If there are issues, you may be directed to "secondary inspection" for further verification. Have the contact information for your school's designated school official (DSO) on hand, including an emergency or non-business hour phone number.
6. Entering the U.S. and Reporting to School
   You may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before your program start date as listed on your Form I-20. Report to your school immediately upon arrival to avoid any issues with your SEVIS record. If you cannot enter the U.S. for the term listed on your Form I-20, contact your school officials as soon as possible to update your record.
7. Maintaining Your Status
   As an F or M student, maintaining status means fulfilling the purpose of your visa and adhering to the associated regulations. Your student visa allows travel to the U.S., but maintaining student status is crucial once you are in the country.

A visa is a permit to apply to enter the U.S. It is normally obtained at an American embassy or consulate outside the U.S. There are both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. A nonimmigrant visa is given to someone who is a citizen of another country and wishes to come temporarily to the U.S. for a specific purpose. Nonimmigrant visas are given to people such as tourists, business people, students, temporary workers, and diplomats. An immigrant visa is given to someone who intends to live and work permanently in the U.S.

Anyone who is traveling to the U.S. to become an immigrant must have an immigrant visa. In addition, most people who want to travel to the U.S. as nonimmigrants are required to have a visa. In order to study full time at SLCC, you will need an F-1 student visa. Visit United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for more information about visa requirements for citizens of other countries.

U.S. embassies and consulates are located in most countries. You can access U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions to find the location nearest you.

Yes. All international students must have a valid passport. If your passport is expiring within six months, you should apply for passport renewal as soon as possible.

Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is an online database of information about international students in the U.S. It’s maintained by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

F-1 and M-1 international students are required to register in the federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and must maintain legal status by following federal regulations.

You must have a complete and accurate Form I‑20 to complete the online Form I‑901. You must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee at least three business days prior to your visa interview, and have proof that you paid it. Print a receipt when you pay online and keep the receipt as proof.

You can pay the SEVIS fee in three ways:

• A credit card online
• Mail an international money order or U.S. bank check
• Western Union Quick Pay service in your country

Student information maintained in SEVIS includes: name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, overseas permanent and U.S. local addresses, program and major, program start and end dates, level of study, funding requirements, and funding sources.

• Failure to arrive or enroll
• Failure to obtain permission for part-time enrollment
• Withdrawal or termination from your program and reason for termination
• Change of address
• Change of other relevant information such as name, completion date, school or site of activity
• Early graduation
• Recommendations for employment authorization or reinstatement
• Failure to maintain nonimmigrant status

If you have SEVIS questions, call 801-957-4528 or email international.affairs@slcc.edu. Include your full name and Student Number in your email.

The I-94 is the Arrival and Departure Record, in either paper or electronic format, issued by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign visitors entering the U.S. Since April 30, 2013, most Arrival and /or Departure records are created electronically upon arrival. Instead of a paper form, the visitor will be provided with an annotated stamp in the foreign passport. If provided a paper form, the admitting CBP Officer generally attaches the I-94 to the visitor's passport and stamps the departure date on the form. In each circumstance, an electronic I-94 or paper I-94, the visitor must exit the U.S. on or before that date stamped on the form or in the passport. If a visitor departs by a commercial air or sea carrier (airlines or cruise ships), their departure from the U.S. can be independently verified and it is not necessary to take any further action, although holding on to the outbound boarding pass - if they still have it - can help facilitate reentry when coming back to the U.S. If a visitor departs by land and has a paper form I-94, the I-94 must be turned in to a CBP Officer at a land border when exiting the U.S. If it is not turned in to a CBP Officer at the land border, the visitor will be considered an "overstay" and they may be denied entry when they attempt to reenter the U.S. in the future. How to print your I-94

Orientation is presented by International Student Services prior to every semester. You will get answers to many questions, meet SLCC staff, and get prepared for the upcoming semester. It is required for all new international students to attend New International Student Orientation. For more information, visit our New International Student Orientation Page.

Dependents (spouse and minor children) of an F-1 student will be permitted to join you in the U.S. provided you demonstrate that there are sufficient financial resources for their support. SLCC estimates it will cost $2,000 per dependent per year. A spouse and/or dependent children of F-1 students hold F-2 status and are not permitted to work in the U.S.

Your credits must be evaluated before they can be reviewed by SLCC to determine eligibility. Contact an academic credit evaluation company in the U.S. to have your foreign credits evaluated. You may choose whichever company you would like, but be sure to request a comprehensive report. A list of transcript evaluation companies can be found here.

Students wanting to transfer credits from a previous school are required to have their transcripts evaluated. The Transcript Evaluation Office evaluates a student’s official transcript from another school, applies course credits to their SLCC transcript for placement and graduation purposes. Transcripts are evaluated based on the program of study selected when applying to SLCC. For more information on the submission of transcripts and the transcript evaluation process, visit the transfer evaluation process page.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requires Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) to verify that an international student submits evidence of financial ability for the length of time necessary to pursue an education in the United States. A realistic financial plan is required for the issuance of the USCIS Form I-20. Official financial documents from the student or the student’s sponsor are used to demonstrate financial ability.

International students are considered non-residents and pay non-resident tuition. Full time tuition rates can be found at: SLCC Tuition and Student Fees. This does not include books, health insurance, room and board or other personal expenses. Students enrolled in ESL Levels 1-3 are billed per class hour. One semester consists of 300 hours of class. Tuition rates for ESL can be found at: School of Applied Technology: English as a Second Language