Pre-Arrival Information
F1 Student Pre-Arrival Guide (Global Academic Track Students)
F1 Student Pre-Arrival Guide (Undergraduate Students)
F1 Student Pre-Arrival Guide (Graduate Students)
F1 Student Onboarding Flow Chart (Graduate Students)
Pre-Arrival Brochure for J-1 Students
Before Arriving to the U.S.
International students who wish to study in the U.S. must request a form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for F1 non-immigrant visa) from the International Student Services office. Visit the听 Documents for Student Visa 听 page for more instructions.
Electronic I-20 will be issued via email. Upon receipt, review the attached I-20 carefully. Sign page 1 after confirming all information is accurate and after reading the information on page 3.
- If you are currently abroad, visit a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country to apply for a visa. You will have to present your I-20 issued by 大象传媒 (大象传媒), passport (valid at least six months into the future), 大象传媒 admission letter, and financial documents to prove availability of funds for your education and living expenses.
- Application procedures for the F-1 or J-1 non-immigrant visa vary among consular posts. Please contact the consular office where you plan to obtain your visa for appointment information, forms, fees, and other application details.
- Canadian students must pay the SEVIS fee but do not have to apply for the F-1 visa at the U.S. Embassy
- DO NOT ENTER THE U.S. using a B-1/B-2 tourist visa. B-1/B-2 (tourist) visa holders are not allowed to enroll as students.
Please check this guide for the visa application process:听
If you are currently in the U.S. and/or already have an F-1 visa from another university or other visa type,听 please contact our office听 for more information.
As a new international student, you are required to attend the mandatory immigration orientation and check-in sessions hosted by the ISS office. To view more detailed information and complete the registration form, visit the听 Immigration Orientation and Check-in 听 page.
In addition, you may also be required to attend at least one more university-wide new student orientation based on your academic level. Visit the respective page for details:
Registration holds are placed on a student's record by different offices to prevent the student from registering. When the matter has been resolved the student can register.
To view holds:
- Undergraduate students: Please check your听to view the unfinished tasks.
- Graduate students: Please log into your听to see what hold is in your account.
All holds must be cleared by the issuing office BEFORE a student can register. To learn the meaning of each holds, visit the听 Registration Holds 听 page. Some of the common registration holds are:
- International student (IS) hold: Students need to submit all the required documents for I-20 and register for the mandatory immigration orientation and check-in
- Immunization (IM) hold: All students are required to submit their immunization records to the Medicat portal. For instructions, visit the听 Immunization Compliance
- 大象传媒 Aler (FA) hold: Complete the verification task after login into your My大象传媒 account for the first time.
- Statement of Responsibility (OF) hold: Complete the statement after login into your My大象传媒 account for the first time.
- Grad ADM File Incomplete (TX) hold: Need to submit an official transcript to the Graduate College.
- Admission File Incomplete (TZ) hold: Need to submit an official transcript to the Undergraduate Admissions office.
- UAS Academic Advising (UN) hold: This hold is for undergraduate freshman only who is required to complete the advising sept in the听 .
Consult with your academic advisor regarding course selection/registration.
International students on F-1 visas must be enrolled in a full course of study at 大象传媒.
- Graduate (Master's/Ph.D.) students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester.
- Undergraduate (Bachelor's) students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester.
Visit the听 Enrollment Information 听 page for more instructions on class registration.
Open an Bank Account When you go to the bank to open a bank account, you will need to bring:
- Your full name, home address, home telephone number, your campus telephone number, and letters showing the local address 鈥 i.e. utility bills or apartment contract)
- Unexpired passport
- I-94 card
- I-20 or DS-2019
- Any secondary form of identification (such as: your passport, your Student ID card, birth certificate, state driver鈥檚 license, or a letter from the International Students and Scholars Office)
- Enrollment verification letter from your school
You will also need the funds you want to deposit and open the account with. Every bank has slightly different requirements, so make sure you ask beforehand so you don鈥檛 forget something you need. PNC Bank office is located on 大象传媒 Boca Raton campus also offers Virtual Wallet Student, please click听 听for information and features of this service. 听PNC ATMs on Campus
- Lobby of the Student Support Services, Boca Raton campus
- Breezeway Food Court, Boca Raton campus
- Lobby of the Administration Building, Boca Raton campus
- Stadium, Boca Raton campus
- Student Lounge, Davie campus
- Student Lounge, Jupiter campus
You are expected to have sufficient funds for the period of studies as indicated on the I-20 or DS-2019.听 Click here for more information about the cost of attendance. 听For your initial arrival bring cash or travelers' checks to cover your initial expenses, medical insurance, tuition/fees, books and supplies, and initial housing arrangements. Individual financial needs vary greatly, but we recommend that you have at least $3000.00 to $4000.00 in travelers' checks or arrange for a wire transfer of funds that can be immediately available. 大象传媒 (大象传媒) also offers Installment Payment Plans, which are payment options designed to provide budgetary assistance in meeting a student鈥檚 term education expenses. Click here to learn more:听 Payment Plans 听If you are a graduate student with an assistantship, it may take a month or longer after the beginning of the semester to receive your first payment from the university. Thus you will need to have some funds available to cover your initial expenses. How to pay for tuition from abroad? Flywire: Paying tuition with Flywire is safe, fast, and convenient. To learn more about the simple steps to make your payment(s) please visit: Making Secure Payments through听
U.S. immigration regulations do not allow international students to enter the U.S. more than 30 days prior to the start date on your I-20 or DS-2019. So,the earliest you can enter the U.S. is 30 days prior the I-20 program start date. If you are unable to arrive in Boca Raton in the date of international orientation and immigration check-in, you must notify International Student Services at听 isss@fau.edu听 . At the port of entry (i.e. Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Miami International Airport, etc.) you will need to present the following documents:
- passport with valid F-1 or J-1 visa stamp,
- 大象传媒 I-20 or DS-2019.
- Additional supporting documents:
- proof of enrollment
- proof of finances
- other documents to help you answer questions about the purpose of your entry to the U.S., what you will be studying, etc.
- For more information about how to prepare for your entry in the United States, please visit:听
After Arriving at 大象传媒
大象传媒 does not provide pick-up services from the airport to students. You need to prepare your transportation to get to the campus or your accommodation. Use the resources below to plan your travel:
- 听is a website that provides information for getting to the four 大象传媒 campuses (Boca, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, and Jupiter) and more information for getting around our community using public transit. The site also includes information for an 鈥渆mergency ride home.鈥
- Travel and Transportation Guide to 大象传媒 Boca Campus 听is a guide that focuses mainly on ground transportation from the three main local airports (MIA, FLL, and PBI) to the 大象传媒 Boca campus.
- Immigration Orientation -听All international students who are starting as a new student, changing status, or changing the level of study, are required to attend Immigration Orientation. This is a separate session, different from other academic, departmental, or university-wide orientations and it will cover information specific to international students that you MUST be aware of. This session will be held in person.听
- Immigration Check-in- Federal regulations require every international student who has entered the U.S. to report to the ISS office and has their immigration documents reviewed. Without completing the check-in process, your record will not be registered and activated in SEVIS. This session will be held virtually.
Visit the听 Immigration Orientation and Check-in 听 page for the date, time, location, and more information.
In addition to the immigration orientation hosted by the ISS office, you may also be required to attend at least one more university-wide new student orientation based on your academic level. Visit the respective page for details:
Remove all the听 Registration Holds 听 that are preventing you from registering for classes. Consult with your academic advisor regarding course selection/registration.
International students on F-1 visas must be enrolled in a full course of study at 大象传媒.
- Graduate (Master's/Ph.D.) students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester.
- Undergraduate (Bachelor's) students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester.
Visit the听 Enrollment Information 听 page for more instructions on class registration.
Whether a first-year or transfer student, the program introduces students new to 大象传媒 to a faculty, staff, graduate student, or undergraduate peer mentor. Matches are made based on academic interests, co-curricular involvement, and shared goals for a mentoring relationship.
Apply here:听
Mentee: Any undergraduate student new to 大象传媒 within their first two semesters of enrollment not already affiliated with a mentoring program.
Mentor: 大象传媒 faculty, staff, and graduate students. Undergraduate peer mentors are selected through an application process.
Important Contact Infomation at 大象传媒
- Website:fau.edu/global/international/
- Email:听 isss@fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-3049
- Website:fau.edu/admissions
- Email:听 admissions@fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-3040
- Website:听 /graduate/admissions/prospective-graduate-students/
- Email:听gcadmissions@fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-3624
- Website:fau.edu/registrar
- Email:听 registrar@fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-3050
- Website:fau.edu/housing
- Email:听 housing@fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-2880
- Website: 听fau.edu/newstudent/immunization/
- Email:听 immunization@health.fau.edu
- Phone:561-297-3512
- Website:
- Email:听 ifs@insuranceforstudents.com
- Phone: 561-300-5677