
Now that you've been fully admitted to Mercy College, there are a number of next steps to take before arriving:
After you arrive in the U.S., you are required to check-in with ISS within 15 days. Attend International Student Orientation and get ready for your first day of classes!
Full-time registration is required for all F-1 international students for every term. Undergraduate students must register for a minimum of 12 credits with no more than one online course, and may receive assistance with registration from Paige Hook (phook@mercy.edu). Graduate students must register for a minimum of 6 credits (quarter schedule) or 9 credit (semester or trimester schedule),with no more than one online course. Graduate students may receive support with class registration from Valerie Monaco (vmonaco@mercy.edu) or Bogdana Vladescu (bvladescu@mercy.edu).
A Form I-20 is issued by Mercy College for the purpose of certifying to the U.S. government that you are eligible for F-1 student status. It certifies that that you have been fully admitted, you intend to pursue a full course of study as a bona fide student, and you have enough funds to study and live in the U.S.
Copy of Picture Page in Valid Passport (should be valid 6 months into the future)
Financial Sponsorship Documents (no older than 3 months): recent bank statement demonstrating one year of tuition and estimated living expenses, proof of income such as recent tax statement, letter form employer, or recent pay stubs
If you are transferring from a school in the U.S., you should also submit
Copies of all previous Form I-20’s
Copy of Visa
F-1 Transfer Form and get SEVIS record transferred
After submitting your documents, they will be reviewed by ISS within 48 hours. If anything additional is needed, ISS will let you know via email. Otherwise, your form I-20 will be issued within 1-2 weeks of receiving all documents. Once the I-20 is issued, ISS will send you a confirmation email with all relevant information on the next steps.
ISS does not send digital copies of the I-20. A hardcopy will either be mailed to you or available for pick-up based on what you indicate.
If you will be entering the U.S. as a new F-1 student, you will need to obtain an F-1 visa in your home country. To do so, you must follow the steps below. If you already have an F-1 visa that has not expired, you do not have to get a new F-1 visa as long as you have not been out of the U.S. for more than 5 consecutive months. If you have been out of the U.S. for more than 5 consecutive months, then you must obtain a new F-1 visa if you plan on travelling during your studies.