Admitting International Students

U.S. Federal Regulation

OGS relies on admissions offices and academic departments to ensure each student has the required academic credentials and English language ability needed to succeed in their program. To comply with U.S. student visa law, Georgetown must: 

• Receive a written application from the student for admission to the school.
• Receive and evaluate the applicant’s academic credentials and level of English language ability, and ensure the applicant meets all academic standards.
• Accept the student unconditionally into a full-time, in-person program of study. Students cannot begin the U.S. visa process until after clearing all admissions conditions.
• Assess the student’s ability to meet all expenses during the course of study–OGS completes this step when issuing immigration documents.

Academic Onboarding

Records push into the OGS immigration database only when students appear as an active learner for their term of admission and are tagged for U.S. visa support. Admissions offices automate this process to result from the intent to matriculate form and enrollment deposit, if applicable.

Students receive their OGS portal invitation within one week after academic onboarding and must upload documentation to establish eligibility for F-1 or J-1 status. DHS immigration documents are emailed by OGS within the current processing time.

Consular Application

Most students then must apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Georgetown documentation needed for this purpose: Admission letter, details of any institutional financial aid, and the OGS immigration document.

Schools have no influence over the availability of U.S. consular services, and wait times are highly variable. Students who request their Georgetown immigration document more than two months before classes begin almost always obtain their U.S. visa in time.

U.S. consular officers sometimes ask students to supplement their visa application with a “study plan” and/or the CV of a faculty advisor. Even if such a request seems odd for a masters program, this information normally is publicly available on the Georgetown website.

Students who transfer active status without exiting the U.S. and/or who already hold an unexpired F-1 visa previously used for travel to the U.S. may begin their Georgetown program without obtaining a new visa.

Citizens of Canada do not obtain a U.S. visa photo page in their passport. However, the rules governing their student status in the United States are no different from citizens of other countries for whom visas are required.

Visa expiration does not prevent lawful U.S. presence, but an unexpired visa is needed to return to campus following international travel. Many students maintain status long beyond visa expiration.

Students with expired or expiring visas must plan ahead and account for the time required to obtain a new visa when they next travel outside the U.S., because entry visas cannot be renewed from within the U.S.

Campus Arrival & Status Activation

Students complete asynchronous online pre-arrival orientation with modules covering immigration compliance, health insurance, and cultural expectations. OGS also holds pre-arrival webinars on a variety of topics.

Students may enter the United States as early as 30 days before the start date on their immigration document. Students need academic approval for OGS to update their immigration document allowing U.S. admission during the course registration add/drop period.

Visa records are created in initial status and are registered as active once students enter the United States and meet post-arrival requirements, including in person attendance at an immigration compliance orientation session.

OGS executes immigration document requests received at least one month before classes begin. Students unable to obtain a U.S. visa should work with their academic program to defer admission.