New F-1 Students

International students must be accepted into an MUSC program of study before beginning the F-1 sponsorship process. Please contact the specific program of study or visit the MUSC Admissions webpage for more information on the University application process.

MUSC F-1 Sponsorship Application

If you are an international student requiring F-1 sponsorship, your MUSC college/degree program is required to submit a new F-1 sponsorship request to the MUSC Center for Global Health. After this request has been submitted, you will receive further instructions by email regarding the documents and information you will be required to submit for your F-1 sponsorship application.

MUSC uses the Terra Dotta software system for processing all F-1 sponsorship requests and managing F-1 records. Once your F-1 sponsorship application has been initiated, you will be required to follow the instructions to set up your Terra Dotta account to access the initial F-1 sponsorship application (which is called the ‘Initial I-20’ record in Terra Dotta).

In general, you will be required to provide the following documents:

• Copy of the biographic page of your current valid (unexpired) passport
• Current CV or resume
• Completed F-1 Declaration of Finances form and supporting financial documentation showing proof of funding for the first year of the program

A representative of your college/degree program will complete their portion of the F-1 Declaration of Finances form and will send this form to you to complete. The form contains detailed instructions on completing the form and submitting supporting financial documents. All financial documents must be certified, be in English, and contain amounts in U.S. dollars.

A representative of your college/degree program will also be required to provide documents and information regarding the specific degree program as part of the F-1 sponsorship application.

If you are currently in the United States in F-1 status at another academic institution, you may be able to transfer your F-1 status and SEVIS record to MUSC. If you indicate that you are currently in the United States in F-1 status, the Initial I-20 record will be converted to a Transfer I-20 record in Terra Dotta.

It is very important that you complete all of the required elements in the F-1 sponsorship application (Initial I-20/Transfer I-20 record) as soon as possible. This is only the first step in the F-1 process, which is why it is important to get this completed as soon as possible. The Form I-20 cannot be issued until your F-1 sponsorship application is submitted and processed.

The processing time for the MUSC F-1 sponsorship application is variable and depends on the total caseload volume at the time the complete application is submitted. Once your complete application is received by the Center for Global Health, an international advisor will send you a notification with an estimated processing time. The general estimated processing time window is approximately 2-4 weeks from receipt of the complete F-1 sponsorship application.

Form I-20

If your F-1 sponsorship application is approved, the Center for Global Health will create a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status. The Form I-20 contains information about you and your academic program of study and indicates that your information has been added to the SEVIS system. Form I-20 also contains your SEVIS number, which will begin with the letter “N” and is typically followed by 10 digits (example: N0000000001). This number can be found in the upper left-hand portion of page 1 of the Form I-20.

The Form I-20 will be sent directly to you along with information about F-1 student status and the next steps in the process. The Form I-20 will be sent to you electronically via secure email (as a PDF attachment) You must then print the Form I-20 and sign the form in ink in the Student Attestation section at the bottom of page one.

Although the form can be transmitted to you electronically, the Form I-20 is only valid in paper format. In other words, the Form I-20 is not valid until you have printed the form on paper and you have signed the form. If you do not have access to a printer in order to print the Form I-20, please notify the Center for Global Health as soon as possible, and we can make arrangements to send you a paper Form I-20.

The Form I-20 is a very important document. During the time of your F-1 student program, you may receive multiple Forms I-20, if any of the details on the form change. You are responsible for retaining all original copies of all Forms I-20 issued for you indefinitely as part of your U.S. immigration records.

Please be aware that issuance of a Form I-20 from MUSC does not guarantee that you will be approved for an F-1 visa or that you will be admitted into the United States. The Form I-20 is simply the document that makes you eligible to apply for a F-1 visa or a change of status to F-1.

SEVIS I-901 Fee

All new F-1 students must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before applying for an F-1 visa. In addition, any nonimmigrant in the United States applying for a change of nonimmigrant status to F-1 status must also pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before applying for a change of nonimmigrant status.

You need the Form I-20 from MUSC in order to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. The current SEVIS I-901 fee for F-1 students is $350 USD. This fee is set by the U.S. government and is subject to change at any time. You can pay the SEVIS fee online by going to I-901 Fee. Be sure to print a receipt of payment after you have completed your I-901 payment.

If you are transferring your current (active) F-1 SEVIS record to MUSC, you are not required to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

Visit I-901 SEVIS Fee Frequently Asked Question for answers to frequently asked questions regarding the SEVIS I-901 fee.

Obtaining F-1 Status

Please be aware that issuance of a Form I-20 from MUSC does not automatically grant you with F-1 status. F-1 status can be obtained by:

1. Applying for an F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy/consulate abroad and requesting to enter the United States in F-1 status at a port-of-entry (students not in the U.S.)
2. Applying for a change of nonimmigrant status to F-1 (students already in the U.S. in another visa status)

In either case, you must have a valid Form I-20 and must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee in order to proceed with the F-1 visa application at the consulate or the F-1 change of status application.