Application Year 2009/2010 International Admissions Workshop for Graduate Departments

1. Application Year 2009/2010 International Admissions Workshop for Graduate Departments Updated by Adam Julian Presented by the Office of International Admissions

2. International Admissions • The Office of International Admissions (OIA) is a unit within the Office of Admissions. • We coordinate the international graduate application process for IUB. • We recruit and admit international undergraduate applicants for IUB. • We assess the academic credentials of international applicants for 3 of IU’s regional campuses. • We issue the majority of visa documents for new international students to IUB and 3 of IU’s regional campuses. • We process overseas studies records for all non-IU programs (about 30% of all IU students who study abroad).

3. Who We Are • We have approximately 14 full-time staff members, and 6-8 student workers in the office to handle credentials evaluation, visa documentation issuance, application fees processing, data entry, and communication in person,via phone, e-mail, and letter correspondence. • We have one full-time staff member devoted to international recruitment (both undergraduate and graduate). • Three of these staff members are authorized by the federal government to access SEVIS in order to issue visa documentation and manage immigration records. • Several of our staff members serve roles in both the international unit as well as the domestic unit of the Office of Admissions.

4. Last Season (2007/2008) • There was a growth in international graduate applications for the 2007/2008 season. We saw an 8% increase over fall 2007. We brought in over 600 new international graduate students for Fall of 2008. • We expanded our recruitment of international graduate students with travel to India, Asia, and the Middle East. We expanded collaboration with overseas alumni and maintained a strong print presence in various publications. • We still face an increasingly more competitive environment to recruit the best and brightest international students.

5. Important PeopleSoft (SIS) Terms

6. Pre-Department Decision • APPL/(blank): The student has submitted application. • APPL/ARTD : The student’s application and application materials have been routed to a department. • APPL/INMM : Application is incomplete because materials are missing. • DDEF/RAIN : Decision deferred/ Request Additional Information; this is used when a CA (Credentials Analyst) has to do an extensive evaluation.* • PRGC : Program Change *This Does NOT mean the same thing for undergrads!

7. Post-Department Decision • DENY/ACDP : Student has been denied due to poor academic performance; there are no other reasons available in SIS so we use this for all denials. • APPL/COAD* : Department’s decision has been returned to us, and the application is under final review for official university admission. • COND/IFIN : Conditional Admit/ Insufficient Financial Information; the student will need to submit proof of finances for 12 months. • COND/STIP : Conditional Admit/ Stipulation College Transcript; the student will need to send in final transcripts, or other necessary documents. • ADMT/AFQL : Admit/ Admit Fully Qualified. *Does NOT mean the same thing for undergrads!

8. Post-Student’s Decision • MATR : Matriculated; student’s record has been transferred to the Registrar, and the admission record is frozen with the reason AFQL or STIP. Students will not be able to register until they have been matriculated; our office will matriculate incoming fall admits in batch on or around August 1st. • ADRV : Admission Revocation; Registrar code used to unmatriculate a student. This code is rarely used because of the difficulty of this process. • DEFR : Deferral of initial enrollment semester. • WAPP/WBFR : Withdrawn Application/ Withdrawn Before Admission • WAPP/WAFT : Withdrawn Application/ Withdrawn After Admission

9. Service Indicators • A02 : Non-degree student here for 1 term only • A11 : OIA needs academic records (could mean from a U.S. or foreign school) • A20 : Transfer of visa is incomplete • A21 : Visa status needs clarification • A19 : International Student Orientation – This will be removed by the Office of International Services after the student has checked in at International Student Orientation. • NOTE: This will prevent early registration of new admits. • OIA does not use positive service indicators because they do not affect a student’s enrollment. NEGATIVE POSITIVE

14. The Graduate Application Process

15. How Students Apply 1. IU’s Online Application (Preferred Method!) 2. Download and print the International Graduate Application from the Admissions website. http://admit.indiana.edu/international/apply/?student=graduate&option=main Note: Per IU Treasury policy, we are no longer allowed to accept application fee payments by check.

16. Application Fee • Our application fee policies mirror that of the University Graduate School as closely as possible: • If the student applies to two or more programs within the same school for the same entry term, then the application fee is paid only once. If the student applies to two or more different schools, such as Music and HPER, then the application fee is paid for each school that receives an application. Please note that all PhD applications are considered Grad School applications. • If a student is admitted to a graduate or professional program and chooses to defer her/his enrollment, no new application fee is required as long as the student enrolls within two years of the semester for which s/he were originally admitted. The fee is also still good for one year if the student was denied, and reapplies to the same program.

17. Initial Review • Once we receive the application, it is loaded into SIS, generating the student’s SIS record and University ID number. • We then review the application for bachelor’s equivalency based on the information that we have. • NOTE: If we do not have enough information to make that determination, we will attach the Incomplete slip and send it over to you without stamping the application. • We stamp the International Grad App Data Sheet BACH EQUIV or NO BACH EQUIV, and route the dossier with all of the materials that we have received to you for your review and decision.

20. Requesting Additional Information (DDEF/RAIN) • Many international student’s educational records are easy to interpret, due to their similarity to U.S. transcripts. The country profiles on our graduate department website are designed to assist you with international academic record review. http://admissions.oes.indiana.edu/intlgrad/index.shtml • You can also request a full evaluation from our office by filling out the Departmental Request for International Education Evaluation form, also available for download at the website listed above.

23. Staying Informed • We have grad rosters/reports that we can send to you via e-mail to keep you up-to-date about the status of your applicants. Just e-mail us if you want to receive those reports! Reporting will start in November. • The University Graduate School also has the ability to set up video conferencing to interview students. Please contact them if you are interested in pursuing this possibility! • Remember that time is an essential tool for recruiting your international students- the sooner you admit them to your program, the sooner we can send them their I-20s, and they can make visa appointments. To check the wait time on visa appointments around the world, visit the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php .

24. Returning your decisions • After your department makes a decision, the complete dossier should be returned to us with a copy of your decision letter. • The Data Sheet, complete with the decision clearly marked and with the proper signatures in place, should be on top of the dossier. • For deny decisions, please return the full dossier back to our office with a copy of your letter and the Data Sheet. We will then code the SIS record accordingly. • If the student is NO BACH EQUIV, please also note that we will not be able to admit the student unless you have the Dean of your school’s signature on the Intl Grad App Data Sheet.

25. Admits • For admit decisions, we only need the following documents returned to our office: • The International Grad App Data Sheet with the proper signatures • A copy of your decision letter • The application • The academic records • A resume/timeline of activities • All other documents, including test scores, personal statements, writing samples, recommendation letters, etc. are for the department’s use only, and therefore donot need to be returned to us, unless the student has been denied or declines admission. • NOTE: If sending your admits to the College for approval, please send them the student’s test scores.

26. Deferrals and Withdrawals • When sending lists of deferral requests to us, please include SIS ID numbers and/or birth dates, as well as the semester to which the student is deferring. • If you have students whose applications are incomplete, but whose records you wish to hold for the following application season, please notify us and we will simply defer the record and code them INMM in SIS for the following semester. This will ease the yearly purging process for both our office and yours. • If a student’s request for a deferral has been approved, we need to be notified whether or not you are extending funding offers for the new enrollment term. • If a student withdraws his/her application before your department has made a decision, or if a student declines your offer of admission, please notify us and return the full dossier to our office so that we can update the SIS record with the appropriate withdrawal code.

27. Permanent Residents • The University considers anyone who has permanent resident status in the US, or anyone who has applied for residency and has at minimum an I-485 receipt of application, as a domestic student. These students apply through UGS, or directly to the school s/he is interested in attending. • Students who already have a degree from IU and have not attended any international institutions since graduating from IU, would also be considered a domestic student for the application process, because we have already evaluated their international work for their first admittance. • Please note that if you have one of these students, they should still be sent to the Office of International Services to have their visa paperwork updated! • The required Supplemental Application for Admission for US citizens and permanent residents with foreign credentials, is located on the Graduate section of the Admissions homepage: http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadmit/pdf/IUBSupIntlApp.pdf

29. Test Requirements Information about ETS exams

30. Test Results and OIA • Please note that the Office of International Admissions does not require the TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, or LSAT for admission to a graduate program at the University. These test scores are a departmental requirement only, and therefore your responsibility to request and review the test scores if your department requires them.

31. English Proficiency • The Intensive English Program (IEP) tests all students whose native language is not English for proficiency once the students arrive on campus. • There are other English proficiency exams, such as the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). If you would like to know more about these TOEFL alternatives, please contact the Bloomington Evaluation Services & Testing (BEST). • If you have further questions about test requirements, you can contact the University Graduate School.

33. Graduate Financials What your students need to submit in order to receive their visa documentation

34. How much to show? • Students must show the amount set by the Office of International Services at the beginning of every processing season. This amount varies by school and by program. • This amount covers a full year of study, meaning 9 months of tuition, but 12 months of living expenses. This keeps the students in status in case they have to stay in the U.S. for the summer. If they choose to take classes in the summer, additional funding is required. • Students who are transferring visas from one U.S. school to another must also show this funding.

35. Specifications • Students MUST submit proof of liquid, available funds, preferably in the form of a recent bank or stock statement, in order to apply for an I-20 or DS-2019. • If a student is being sponsored by anyone other than him/herself, or the University, then a signed, dated letter indicating the amount they will provide and bank statement from the sponsor is also required.  • Funds should not be property assessments, tax forms, payroll reports, etc.  

36. Dependents • A dependent is defined by the federal government as a spouse or child only. Parents, extended family, and fiancées are NOT classified as dependents, and therefore we cannot issue visa documentation for them. • If a student is bringing dependents, additional funding is required. For a spouse the additional amount is $6,061. For the first child the additional amount is $5,504. The amount for each additional dependent is $3,744. • Dependents will receive their own visa documentation. • If a student has a child who was born in the U.S., the child is a U.S. citizen and we cannot issue any visa documentation.

37. 2009-2010 Estimated Graduate Student Expenses

38. Funding your students • In order for a student to be considered fully funded for I-20 purposes, the stipend awarded must equal $14,082 or more, along with tuition and health insurance. • If the offer meets this criteria, then we will pay to express mail the student’s admission packet the first time. If the student needs a second packet, we will not cover the DHL charge, though we will be happy to let the department cover it if they wish- just send us your DHL account number. If you have questions about setting up a DHL account, please contact IU Purchasing. • Otherwise, the admission packet will be sent via airmail, unless the student opts to pay for the DHL shipping him/herself via IUPay.

39. External Funding • If you receive an application for a student who is being sponsored by an external, governmentally funded organization, such as Fulbright, Muskee, LASPAU, etc., then please route the application directly to Rendy Schrader at the Office of International Services. • NOTE: If a Pilot Program receives one of these applications, please notify our office via e-mail as soon as possible! • It is imperative that both OIA and OIS are aware that these applications are out there, so that they can be processed as quickly as possible and be considered for University funding. The longer it takes the University to admit these students, the greater chance we have of losing them to another university.

40. SEVIS and Immigration Issues

41. Visa Regulations 101 • SEVIS: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System; SEVIS tracks students on F, J, and M visas. IU does not host students on M visas. • An I-20 is the standard immigration document for students. It will allow the student to receive an F-1 student visa at the consulate. • A DS-2019 is the immigration document for students coming in on government (both US and foreign) or other organizational funding programs, as well as for visiting and exchange students. It will allow the student to receive a J-1 visa at the consulate. • Dependents will have their own I-20’s or DS-2019’s for F-2 or J-2 visas. • Our office only handles the issuance of initial documents and visa transfers in SEVIS. Any student who is currently in the US on a visa other than an F-1 (and J-1’s, in certain situations) will be handled as a change of status through the Office of International Services. This includes F-2’s and J-2’s. • The Office of International Services is home to the visa experts on campus. If you have any specific questions about visa regulations, please direct your inquiries to them. You can e-mail them at intlserv@indiana.edu, or call them at 5-9086.

42. An I-20

43. A Dependent I-20

44. A DS-2019

45. Fees • Visa application fee: Students are required to pay a fee of approximately $100 (it is collected in the home country’s currency) in order to apply for a visa. This fee is paid at the time of application; if the student is declined a visa, it must be repaid every time the student has to reapply. • SEVIS fee: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires the collection of a one-time SEVIS fee of $200 from F-1 Students and $180 from J-1 Exchange Visitors (students and scholars) beginning new programs. They will be required to pay the fee before applying for a visa. • Non-immigrants already in the United States who want to change to F-1 or J-1 status, will have to pay the fee before applying for a change of status. • Continuing F-1 and J-1 students and scholars will not have to pay the fee, nor will F-2 and J-2 dependents. J-1 visitors whose DS-2019s were issued by the U.S. government are also exempt from the paying the fee. • IU departments, or other third parties, may pay the fee on behalf of a student or scholar.

46. Paying the SEVIS fee for your students • The following steps from the OIS website outline how to pay the SEVIS fee for your students if your department wishes to do so: • Verify that the student or scholar has received Form I-20 or DS-2019 and has scheduled an interview for an F-1 or J-1 visa with the appropriate U.S. Embassy/Consulate. • Pay the $200 or $180 SEVIS fee well in advance of the scheduled visa interview. The fee can be paid to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by mail or online and must be accompanied by Form I-901. If possible, we strongly encourage you to pay using the online option as discussed below. • Online Payment of the SEVIS Fee:i. Obtain Form I-901 at www.FMJfee.com. ii. Complete Form I-901 online (be sure to insert the student or scholar’s name exactly as it appears on his or her I-20 or DS-2019) and supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard or American Express information. iii. Print a copy of the online receipt, and provide a copy of this receipt to the student or scholar in advance of the visa interview.

47. Paying the SEVIS fee for your students, Cont’d. • Paying the SEVIS Fee with Western Union: i. This initiative allows Western Union to collect the SEVIS I-901 fee, in local currency, along with the needed Form I-901 data and electronically transmit the payment and data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof-of-payment for a visa interview at a U.S. consulate and for admission at a U.S. port of entry. This option is available in any country where Western Union offers its Quick Pay™ service. • The instructions along with a completed sample of the Western Union form can be found on the ICE website at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm. • Paying the SEVIS Fee By Mail:i. Obtain Form I-901 (Fee Remittance for Certain F, J, and M Nonimmigrants). Download the form from http://www.FMJfee.com; OR Request the form by phone at 1-800-870-3676 (inside the U.S.). ii. Complete Form I-901. Be sure to write the student or scholar’s name exactly as it appears on his or her I-20 or DS-2019 form. iii. Prepare a check, international money order or foreign draft (drawn on U.S. banks only), made payable to “The Department of Homeland Security”. iv. Mail the completed I-901 and payment to the address indicated on Form I-901. v. A Form I-797 receipt notice should be mailed to you within 3 days of processing the fee. Be sure to make copies of the fee application and receipt when it arrives by mail, then send the original document to the student or scholar. In order to ensure delivery, we strongly advise using a courier service. • Instruct the student or scholar to bring the SEVIS payment receipt to their scheduled visa interview.

48. Visa Transfers • Once we admit a student who is currently studying in the U.S. on a F-1 or J-1 visa, we determine whether or not s/he will need a visa transfer. • If so, our office will ask the student for her/his FSA’s (Foreign Student Advisor) contact information at the student’s current institution via an online form. This is done by email and in our admission letter, which we will send to the student without her/his I-20 if the student is residing in the US. • We will then contact the student’s FSA to negotiate the visa transfer, which is completed after the release date that the FSA sets in SEVIS. The release date must be after the last day of the semester in which the student will complete his/her current program.

49. Imaging • The Office of International Admissions began imaging all files beginning with the 2004/2005 application year. • All records will be scanned into OnBase. • When a department recalls a file which has been electronically archived, the file will be reprinted and forwarded to the department. • All academic records will be certified as official or unofficial by the OIA staff before imaging the file. If you recall a file and have questions about the authenticity of a document, please contact our office.

50. The Office of International Admissions has moved to storing archived records in an electronic format. This record has been retrieved from our electronic storage. Academic records and exam results which are official copies will be stamped as official. Academic records and exam results that are stamped as unofficial or bear no certifying stamp should be considered as unofficial. All other documents (excluding new materials for the file) are reproductions of the records as they were in the student’s dossier at the time of their electronic imaging. If you have questions about the electronic imaging of archive records, please contact the Office of International Admissions at intladm@indiana.edu or by phone at (812) 855.4306. Imaged Record Cover Sheet