Complete your full Admissions and Form I-20 applications online at www.icp.slideroom.com.
ICP welcomes applications from international students and is authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enroll non-immigrants as full-time students with F-1 Student Visa status.
Resources:
It is your responsibility to comply with all of the requirements and responsibilities of your non-immigrant status. Any information within ICP’s websites or documents should be considered advisory only, please make sure to look at the websites below for the most up to date information.
www.travel.state.gov
www.uscis.gov
www.ice.gov
Are You an International Student?
An international student is defined as a student who is enrolled or intends to enroll in an institution of education in the U.S. and is not:
• A citizen of the U.S.
• An immigrant (permanent resident with an I-51 or Green Card)
• In the process of applying or waiting for a pending application for U.S. permanent residence
• An approved refugee and has not been granted political asylum
• An undocumented immigrant
International Students at ICP will need an F-1 Student Visa to study in the U.S.
What is an F-1 Visa?
The F-1 Student Visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreigners to pursue education in the U.S. on a full-time basis. F-1 Visas are only issued by the U.S. embassies or consulates outside the U.S. We request that you obtain your F-1 Visa in your home country.
Prospective F-1 International Students must apply for and receive a Form I-20 in order to apply for an F-1 Visa.
What is a Form I-20?
The Form I-20 is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice (USCIS) as the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for Academic or Language Students.
A Form I-20 tells the U.S. government that you are eligible for F-1 Student status. It certifies that: 1) you meet our admissions requirements; 2) you will pursue a full course of study; 3) you proved to us that you have enough money to study and live in the U.S. without working illegally or suffering from poverty.
International students will use their ICP-issued Form I-20 to apply for an F-1 Student Visa. ICP will provide detailed instructions on how to apply for your F-1 Student Visa and on how successfully enter the country.
You should apply for your Form I-20 as soon as possible or at the time of application into the program.
Please download the complete Form I-20 Instructions whether you are applying online or using the physical Form I-20 application.
As a reminder you can complete your full Admissions and Form I-20 applications online at www.icp.slideroom.
Transfer–In Students
If you are already in the U.S. as an F-1 student at another institution, you must complete a transfer-in form in addition to your Form I-20 application. The transfer should only be complete upon acceptance into the program, but the form can be filled out ahead of time.
Based upon your travel intentions you may or may not need to apply for a new F-1 Student Visa.
TOEFL Score Requirements (if English is not your first language)
All international applicants must possess oral and written proficiency of the English language and are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), meet the score requirements listed below, and speak directly to an ICP representative prior to notification of acceptance into a One-Year Certificate Program.
In order to ensure test scores arrive in a timely manner, please schedule a test date at least 1–2 months before the deadline. Your TOEFL scores must arrive by January 16, 2013 for ICP-Bard MFA Admissions or March 8, 2013 for One-Year Certiciate Admissions.
TOEFL Services by ETS
www.ets.org
ICP Code for test: 8475
Score Requirements:
Internet-based test: 79/80
PLEASE NOTE: Program coordinators reserve the right to recommend or require additional English-language instruction, which students must pay for in addition to the program tuition and fees.
International Students that hold and F-1 Student Visa are solely responsible for maintaining their student status.
• Register for and complete a full course of study.
• Only work as authorized. You cannot work off campus.
• Make sure your program completion date on your Form I-20 must always be correct.
• Depart the U.S. within 60 days of your program completion date or Optional Practical Training end date.
• Make sure that your immigration documents are valid and unexpired.
• Report any address or name change to the International Student Advisor within 10 days of making the change.
• Get an updated Form I-20 when any of its information changes, such as name, citizenship, degree level, major, or funding.
• To travel outside the U.S. you must follow the instructions given by the International Student Advisor.
• File a federal income tax form for every year you are in the U.S. even if you did not receive any income.
Post-Completion Optional Practical Training
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is off-campus employment authorization that lets F-1 students get work experience in their major field of study. The amount of work you are permitted is a maximum of 12 months of full-time employment for each higher educational level you pursue in the U.S. You can use it during or after your studies. You can work for any employer, anywhere in the country. ICP encourages all of its graduates to apply for Optional Practical Training. You will be sponsored by ICP during your time on OPT and assisted through the application process.
Continuing Education Students Do NOT Qualify for an F-1 Student Visa
We are not able to issue Form I-20 for Continuing Education students, because they are not enrolling in a full time course of study.
Typically international Continuing Education students will attend ICP while here on a B Visitor Visa. On the B Visitor Visa one is allowed to take Continuing Education courses as long as the courses are incidental to their visit, recreational, short term, and part-time (less than 18 hours per week). *This is advice only and should not be considered government regulation or policy.
Please go to www.travel.state.gov for complete and full information. It is the visa holder's responsibility to make sure they do not violate the terms of their status.
