BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF Boston College International INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND Student Welcome Guide SCHOLARS (OISS) Fall 2017 Boston College Welcome New International Students! On behalf of the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), congratulations on your acceptance to Boston College! As an international student at Boston College, you are joining a community of more than 2,200 international students, scholars and their family members from more than 90 countries around the world. We hope that you will find Boston College a welcoming place and your home Bowman House away from home. This guide has some of the basic information you will need as you 72 College Road prepare for your time at BC. PLEASE BRING THIS GUIDE TO THE U.S. to use as a Chestnut Hill, MA resource until you are given additional information at International Orientation. 02467 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bc.edu/oiss Office hours: OISS International Student Orientation 2017 Mon - Fri 9AM-4PM We will post the exact schedule on our website during the summer. OISS International (All BC offices will Orientation is MANDATORY for Freshmen and Exchange students. The orientation is close at 3PM on Fridays designed to supplement your other orientations and to give you useful information May 26th– Aug. 11th) specific to international students. The orientation will also provide you with the opportunity to meet other international students from different programs. Phone: 617-552-8005 Orientation is free of charge and some meals will be provided. Fax: 617-552-2190 Undergraduate and Exchange Students*: August 22nd (afternoon)-24th *Master of Law (LLM) exchange should follow all instructions for graduate students Inside this guide: Graduate Students: August 23rd (Graduate students may also attend the Graduate Student Orientation on the 24th. Please see www.bc.edu/gsc for more details.) Visa Information 2-4 Arriving in the 5 Please respond online if you will attend International Orientation at www.bc.edu/oiss U.S by Friday, August 4th. We understand that some graduate students will have conflicts. You do not have to participate in all days and or sessions. Transportation 6-7 Required English writing assessment for ALL non-native English speaking Freshmen: Housing 8 Freshmen attending Session 7 of Freshmen Orientation should check in on Sunday Health Care 9 August 20th and take the mandatory English Placement Test from 11am-12pm in Employment Cushing 001. For more information about the English Writing Assessment, please contact the Director of English Language Learning at [email protected]. Cell Phones and 10 Boston What is an “IA”? Undergraduate and Exchange Students will be matched with an International Assistant (IA). IAs are international and U.S. upperclassmen who serve Map of BC Area 11 as mentors to new international students. They will serve as a support network while you adjust to Boston College & life in the U.S. and will organize social activities throughout the year. Your IA will be in contact with you prior to your arrival. Take this guide with you to the U.S.! Page 2 Applying for a Visa We recommend that you schedule an appointment at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible. The website of your particular Consulate or Embassy can be found at www.usembassy.gov/ Select the city and country where you will apply for a student visa (“non-immigrant” section) to learn what the procedures are for your particular consulate. You can also find information regarding your visa application at the U.S. Department of State website: http://travel.state.gov/ Required Documents: Certificate of Eligibility : I-20 or DS-2019 form Passport valid for at least 6 months into the future Form DS-160 Proof of admission to the U.S. university One 2 x 2 inch photo: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/photos/photo-examples.html Receipt for visa processing fee Evidence of ties to your home country Evidence of financial support Evidence of sufficient knowledge of English during interview May require evidence of academic credentials qualifying you for admission (such as TOEFL, transcripts from previous schools, etc.). Originals not required. Proof SEVIS fee payment (See details below.) Requirements can change frequently. Be sure to check with your consulate or embassy for details. SEVIS Fee Payment Required All NEW students and exchange visitors are required to pay a SEVIS fee ($180 for J-1 visa holders and $200 for F-1 visa holders) to the Department of Homeland Security PRIOR to applying for the J or F visa. You will need to bring proof of payment with you to your visa interview. Proof of payment can include an internet receipt, Western Union Receipt, or mailed receipt. Canadian students will be required to show receipt of payment at the port of entry. This fee is in addition to any other visa fees you will be required to pay. Payment by internet: It is strongly recommended that you pay the fee over the internet by credit card so that you can immediately print the receipt needed for your visa appointment. Payment by credit card can be done at www.fmjfee.com. The fee must be paid at least 3 business days in advance of your appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate and presented at your visa interview. Payment in local currency using Western Union Quick Pay: As of April 15, 2014 students are required to fill out Form I-901 at www.fmjfee.com prior to visiting Western Union. The instructions can be found on SEVP website at www.fmjfee.com. Payment by mail: (NOT recommended) If you must complete the form by mail you can download the PDF form at: www.fmjfee.com The form must be completed and mailed to the U.S. address indicated on the instructions. You will have to wait for a receipt to be mailed to you by airmail. Courier service is provided at an additional fee. Please contact our office if you are unable to download the form or do not have computer access. Note: The following students and scholars DO NOT have to pay the SEVIS fee: Dependents (spouses and children) Continuing students F-1 students transferring between schools/OPT (Line #3 on your I-20 should state “transfer pending”) J-1 exchange visitors transferring between programs in the same exchange visitor category Page 3 Tips for a Successful Visa Interview 1. TIES TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY. Under U.S. law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your home town, homeland, or current place of residence, such as a job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. 2. ENGLISH. Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do NOT prepare speeches! 3. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. 4. KNOW THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT FITS YOUR CAREER PLANS. If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. You should also be able to explain how studying in the U.S. relates to your future professional career when you return home. 5. BE BRIEF. Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Keep your answers to the officer's questions short and to the point. 6. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION. It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time, if you're lucky. 7. NOT ALL COUNTRIES ARE EQUAL. Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the U.S. as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the U.S. 8. EMPLOYMENT. Your main purpose in coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after graduation. While many students do work off-campus during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. 9. DEPENDENTS REMAINING AT HOME. If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. 10. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Do not engage the consular officer in an argument. If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.