International Additional requirements after you are admitted

IELP Writing Assessment

If your Applicant Center indicates that you are required to take an IELP Writing Assessment, you will be given a date and time to complete the test at the mandatory check-in for international students presented by the Office of International Affairs (OIA). This one hour essay-based test will be evaluated to determine if you need to take English along with your regular graduate curriculum.

Graduate Teaching Associates

Graduate students for whom English is not their first language must certify their proficiency in spoken English before assuming associateship duties.

Additional language support

Read about Ohio State programs that provide English language support.

The financial review

Before we can issue a student visa, admitted international students are required by law to show clear evidence that they have sufficient funding to pay for all tuition and living expenses while at the university. Funds may come from the student, family, university or outside sponsors.

1. After you are admitted, you will be required to submit your request for a student visa.
   • To receive an I-20 for F-1 student status, complete the I-20 Visa Request Form.
   • If J-1 student status is required, email Graduate and Professional Admissions to confirm your eligibility and receive a DS-2019 Visa Request Form.
   
   Information about the differences between F and J study can be found at the U.S. Department of State.
2. You’ll be asked to identify where your financial support is coming from and to provide proof of this support by submitting financial documents (bank statements, sponsorship or award letters, etc.). For a complete list of acceptable documents, see Funding Source and Definitions.

Your passport, visa request form and financial documents can be submitted to Ohio State using the Admissions Uploader.

Note: If you need a special notice of admission to activate a scholarship, please contact esue-gpcounseling@osu.edu.

Receive your Certificate of Eligibility

Once you have successfully completed your financial review, Ohio State will issue your Certificate of Eligibility (form I-20 for the F-1 Student Visa, or form DS-2019 for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa) with your notice of admission. You’ll need to download this document: Watch your email for instructions from the Office of International Affairs. If your document contains any errors or you encounter difficulties with the download, please email Graduate and Professional Admissions.

You will be required to pay a SEVIS fee as part of the visa application process. You will need to have the receipt from this fee payment when you visit the embassy to obtain your visa — read more about that below.

Please keep copies of all financial documents to present to the U.S. consulate when applying for your visa.

If you are already in the United States and are uncertain of how to proceed, please contact Graduate and Professional Admissions. If you do not need an I-20 or DS-2019, state your status on the application.

Apply for your student visa

If you need a student visa (F-1 or J-1) to study at Ohio State and …

… you are currently attending an institution in the United States:

Your SEVIS International Student Transfer-in eForm will be emailed to you after successful completion of your financial review. Ohio State will instruct you to download your visa eligibility document — I-20 (for the F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for the J-1 visa) — after your SEVIS record is released from your previous school.

• If you will be traveling outside the United States prior to the start of classes, you must contact the Office of International Affairs to receive your new document prior to re-entering the United States.
• If you are staying in the United States between programs, you may pick up your document when you attend check-in with OIA.

Please follow the instructions in the SEVIS Transfer Information email and Transfer-in eForm to ensure you receive your visa eligibility document at the appropriate time. Read “Important visa issues” below.

… you are currently attending Ohio State in another program:

After successful completion of your financial review, an OSU Level Change Form will be sent to our Office of International Affairs. Ohio State will instruct you to download your visa eligibility document — I-20 (for the F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for the J-1 visa) — prior to the start of your new program. If you will be traveling outside the United States prior to the start of your new educational level, you must contact OIA to receive your new document prior to re-entering the United States. Read “Important visa issues” below.

… you are currently outside of the United States:

Ohio State will instruct you to download your visa eligibility document — I-20 (for the F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for the J-1 visa) — after successful completion of your financial review. You will need to make an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy to apply for a visa. Read “Important visa issues” below.

To obtain a visa, take the following documents to a U.S. consulate:

• passport (valid for at least six months into the future)
• I-20 (for F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for J-1 visa)
• proof of financial support (Visa Request Form containing private sponsor's agreement of support and bank statement, or support letter from academic department, or letter from sponsoring agency or government); documentation should be less than a year old and should match the funding stated on your I-20 or DS-2019
• proof of additional funding for family members who will enter the U.S. on the F-2 or J-2 visa, and marriage or birth certificates of family members applying for the F-2 or J-2 visa (accompanying family members need their own I-20 or DS-2019 in order to get a visa and enter the U.S.)
• receipt for payment of the I-901 SEVIS fee; for more information, visit OIA's SEVIS Fee page.
• your Ohio State notice of admission

Note for Canadian citizens: Canadian citizens do not need a U.S. visa. At the port of entry you will be asked to show your I-20 or DS-2019, Canadian passport, receipt of SEVIS payment, and proof of financial support. Please make sure your passport is correctly stamped with "F-1" or "J-1" and "D/S" upon entry.

Important visa issues

• In addition to the documentation listed above, you will need to demonstrate to the U.S. consular officer that you have a home address which you do not intend to abandon, that you have substantial ties to your home country, and that you will return there when you’ve completed your studies.
• The J-1 visa often has a two-year home residency requirement. This requirement means that the visa holder must return to his or her home country for two years after completing the exchange visitor program.
• Plan to enter the U.S. on the F-1 or J-1 visa. Those entering the U.S. on the visa waiver program cannot change status in the U.S.
• Apply for your F-1 or J-1 visa using the I-20 or DS-2019 for the university in which you intend to enroll. If you have been admitted and received an I-20 or DS-2019 from a university other than Ohio State, please be aware that if you apply for the visa and enter the U.S. on that school’s documents, you will be required to report to that school.

Information on U.S. consulate policies, procedures, requirements and visa wait times can be found at the U.S. Department of State website: travel.state.gov. Get more visa information: Office of International Affairs Visa Information page.

All international students who attend Ohio State are required to purchase Ohio State student health insurance. J-1 and J-2 visa holders are required by the U.S. government to have insurance coverage which meets specific requirements (exceptions may be granted for students who are fully financially sponsored under a government sponsor or international organization).

• Students who wish to submit a request for exemption from coverage must complete an online "Petition to Waive" form by the posted deadline.
• The university offers a subsidy of 50 to 100% of the student health insurance premium to eligible graduate associates (GAs), trainees, and fellows and their dependents. Consult your program for more information.

Find the "Petition to Waive" form and learn more about health insurance for international students and their families.

If you wish to defer admission or immigration, let your program know as soon as possible. If your request is approved, the program will contact Graduate and Professional Admissions to tell us which semester you are deferring admission or immigration to.

After you accept admission, and about two months before the start of classes, you will begin receiving email messages from the Office of International Affairs. These messages contain useful information as you prepare to study at Ohio State, including how to register for your mandatory check-in session. These pre-arrival emails will also be posted on the Graduate Pre-Arrival section of OIA's website.