International Student Orientation and SEVIS Registration

Students learn the conditions of their status via the Canvas Pre + Post-Arrival Modules and in-person Immigration Session. F-1 or J-1 status is activated with these requirements. Transfers and students returning from leave complete this same initial SEVIS registration.

Summer 2025

Students that begin prior to August 18 will check in with OGS to activate their immigration status at dedicated times. Details will be communicated in the weeks prior to arrival.

Full-time students beginning before the Fall semester must also attend the Immigration Session in late August.

Fall 2025

Immigration Session

Meet OGS and anticipate how your visa status intersects with key parts of campus.

This session is mandatory for all F-1 and J-1 students beginning studies in the Summer/Fall 2025 semester.

• Graduate Students:
  • Monday, August 18, 2:00-3:30pm on the Hilltop Campus in Healy Hall, or
  • Monday, August 25, 2:00-3:30pm on the Capitol Campus at 125 E Street
• Undergraduate Students:
  • Friday, August 22, 2:00-3:00pm on the Hilltop Campus in the Healey Family Student Center (HFSC)

Welcome Events

• Graduate Students: Monday, August 18, 5:00-7:00pm on the Hilltop Campus
• Undergraduate Students: Thursday, August 21, 6:00-8:00pm on the Hilltop Campus

Registration and further details will be communicated in the summer.

U.S. Address & Phone Number

Report phone number if living on campus (Office of Residential Living sends address to OGS).

Only the Local Off Campus address type syncs to F-1 & J-1 records. Log each update in GU Experience even for a temporary stay.

Immigration Document Review

Upload these items to the International Student Portal when you arrive on campus:

• Image of F-1 or J-1 visa photo page from passport (n/a for citizen of Canada/Bermuda)
• I-94 proof of status (downloaded after most recent U.S. admission) (not I-94 travel history)  
• Post-Arrival Quiz from Canvas (n/a for Summer Non-Degree & Executive Residency)

Full Time In Person Course Load

Register for minimum credits by add/drop deadline. Maximum one online course (max. 3 credits) may count toward full-time enrollment.

Travel Signature

After SEVIS registration, OGS emails an updated Form I-20 to each F-1 student during their first semester. This document is valid together with other U.S. reentry documentation for readmission to the United States within one calendar year. If the academic program and/or F-1 status ends earlier, so does the travel signature. F-1 students who travel internationally in the semester’s first two months must email OGS for early assistance. J-1 students must email OGS to request a travel endorsement on Form DS-2019.