Pre-Arrival
Information
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION:
All new international students at UMDNJ are
required to attend the International
Student Orientation program. Please check back after April 15, 2008 for the Fall 2008 Orientation schedule.
VISA
INFORMATION:
A visa is a label attached to your passport which
gives you permission to enter the United States. The
United States consulate overseas issues
it. Visa requirements can change with little advanced
warning. Please consult with the US
consulate nearest you to ensure
that you meet the proper criteria at the time of application.
F-1
STUDENT STATUS:
By entering the U.S.A. under the F-1 status, you have
stated that your sole purpose for being in this country
is to be a student. Therefore, you must be registered
full time every semester (Undergraduate students are
required to enroll for at least 12 credits. Graduate
students must check with their academic advisor/registrar
for full-time requirements in their program). Read
the information on page 2 of the FORM I-20 AB that
you received. Then, sign and print your name at the
bottom of page 1.
You will
be allowed to apply for the F-1 visa at any point
in time. The U.S. consulate will issue the visa up
to 120 days prior to the program start date as stated
on the form I-20. Due to delays in the visa issuing
process, students are advised to apply for their visas
as early as possible. For a listing of visa processing
times, visit the Department
of State website. You will be allowed
to enter the U.S. under the F-1 status no earlier
than 30 days prior to the start date of your program
as indicated on the form I-20.
What
is needed to apply for a student visa?
- A form I-20 obtained from a U.S. college, school
or university;
- A completed nonimmigrant visa application form
(DS-156) with a photo for each person applying.
A separate form is needed for children, even if
they are included in a parent's passport. These
forms are available at the Embassy at no charge;
- A passport valid for at least six months after
your proposed date of entry into the United States;
- A receipt showing payment of the visa application
fee for each applicant, including each child listed
in a parent's passport who is also applying for
a U.S. visa, is needed;
- Proof of payment of SEVIS fee. In accordance with
federal regulations, individuals whose forms I-20
are issued on or after September 1, 2004 and who
will apply for a student visa must first pay a SEVIS
fee to the U.S. government of $100. Proof of payment
must be presented to the U.S. consulate
at the time the application for the visa is submitted.
Be
prepared to provide:
- Transcripts and diplomas from previous institutions
attended;
- Scores, from standardized tests required by the
educational institution such as the TOEFL, SAT,GRE,
GMAT, etc;
- Financial evidence that shows you or your sponsor
has financial capability to cover your tuition and
living expenses for the entire length of your studies.
For example, if you or your sponsor is a salaried
employee, please bring income tax documents and
original bank books and/or statements. If you or
your sponsor owns a business, bring business registration,
licenses, etc., and tax documents, as well as original
bank books and/or statements.
- If accompanied by dependents, proof of the student's
relationship to his/her spouse and/or children (e.g.,
marriage and birth certificates.) It is preferred
that families apply for F-1 and F-2 visas at the
same time, but if the spouse and children must apply
separately at a later time, they should bring a
copy of the student visa holder's passport and visa,
along with all other required documents.
PLEASE
NOTE: A visa allows you to enter the United
States. The form I-20, allows you to stay in the U.S.
If you lose your form, you have no proof that you
may legally stay in this country. If you lose your
I-20, please visit International Services
immediately.
CANADIAN
STUDENTS ONLY: Please note that Canadian
citizens are not required to obtain an F-1 visa stamp
from the U.S. consulate. You will, however, be required
to present your I-20, admissions letter, and financial
support information upon entering the United States.
Remember
that you must attend the college/university whose
form I-20 you use to enter the United States. Otherwise,
the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service
(USCIS) will consider you to be "out of status". You
will then need to apply for reinstatement to student
status.
I-94
FORM: On board the plane, you will be asked
to fill out an I-94 Form. This form is given to a
customs official at the airport. She/he will stamp
it and staple it to your passport. You are permitted
to stay in the US until the date stamped on this form.
For F-1 students the official writes "D/S" or "Duration
of Status". This means you can stay in the U.S. as
long as you are in student status.
OUT-OF-STATUS:
This term means that you are no longer in the U.S.A.
legally. Being "out-of-status" usually means that
you have violated one or more of the conditions for
maintaining your F-1 status.
REMAINING
IN STATUS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. PLEASE CONSULT WITH
INTERNATIONAL SERVICES WHEN IN DOUBT ABOUT YOUR IMMIGRATION
STATUS.
US
CUSTOMS DECLARATION: You will also be given
a "Customs Declaration" form to complete. Give this
to the customs official as well. You may be asked
to present your luggage to be searched.
MEDICATION:
If you are required to take medication, please be
prepared to show a prescription written in English
from your doctor. This minimizes the possibility of
the medication being mistaken for an illegal drug.
WHEN
YOU ARRIVE IN THE U.S., AN IMMIGRATION OFFICER WILL
ASK TO SEE:
- Your passport and visa stamp
- Your I-20 form
- Your US Customs Declaration form
- Your statement of finances (Canadian Students).
PLEASE
NOTE: Upon entry to the U.S. an Immigration
officer will ask to see your I-20 form, and process
it by indicating on it that you have F-1 status. It
is very important that you do not leave the airport
until your I-20 has been processed correctly.
WHEN
YOU ARRIVE ON CAMPUS, REPORT TO THE FOLLOWING PERSON:
Newark
Campus:
Piscataway Campus:
(Monday thru Friday)
(Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
Cheryl
Green, International Specialist
Ruimin Zhang, Coordinator
65 Bergen Street, Room GA-72
335 George
Street, Suite #3404
Newark, NJ 07101
Piscataway, NJ 08854
(973) 972-6138
(973) 972-6138
IMMUNIZATION
AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
The following
is a summary of UMDNJ's policy. A complete description
of the official policies of UMDNJ is available on-line
through The Office of Policy and Project Management.
See Student Affairs, Students
Immunization & Health Requirements.
Each student
shall undergo a complete history and physical examination
prior to matriculation or enrollment and at annual
or other appropriate intervals thereafter if indicated
by the initial findings.
Each student
shall receive tuberculin testing (intradermal PPD)
with appropriate follow-up of positive reactions prior
to matriculation or enrollment. Annually thereafter,
students with negative reactions shall be re-tested.
Those with positive reactions shall be followed and
treated as appropriate.
Each student
born on or after January 1, 1957, must submit documented
proof of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella prior
to matriculation or enrollment. (People born before
1957 are considered to be immune from childhood exposure
to the naturally occurring diseases.)
Before being
permitted to work with materials or procedures that
pose potential risk of exposure to HIV or HBV (hepatitis
B), appropriate training in practices and operation
of facilities shall be provided, proficiency in biosafety
must be demonstrated, and students must be immunized
against HBV.
HEALTH
INSURANCE:
All full-time students and part-time students who
participate in a clinical experience are required
to have health insurance coverage, and will be automatically
enrolled in the Student Medical Benefit Plan. The
cost of this insurance is $1821.00. If you are in
one of these categories, you will be billed by UMDNJ
for coverage through Aetna, unless you complete a
waiver proving comparable coverage. Your proof of
comparable coverage must be received prior to enrollment
in classes.
You can
access the insurance waiver form by clicking
here.
CLASS
REGISTRATION:
Before you register, consult with your program
director or adviser via phone, e-mail, regular mail
or in person to discuss your course selection for
the term.
Your program director or academic adviser will tell
you whether you have to register for individual courses
or if your program is block registered (all students
take the same courses.)
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