Spring 2010

Dear New International Student,

Congratulations on your admission to California State University, Northridge. Our staff wishes to welcome you and to offer you special assistance throughout your stay here. To ensure your success on campus, we will provide you with immigration, academic and personal advisement, and a variety of social, educational, and cross-cultural programs.

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YOUR FIRST STEP

  • Visit the IESC website at www.csun.edu/international and Click on New Student. Read all the information available including the dates, times and instructions for Group Advisement.
  • Prepare all documents and photocopies required for submission at group advisement.
  • Call the International and Exchange Student Center (IESC) at (818) 677-3053 (Monday – Friday) to set up your mandatory appointment for group advisement as soon as possible after your acceptance or arrival in the United States. At this appointment you will be meeting with a Foreign Student Advisor, who will process your I-20 and immigration documents, give you important information on how to maintain legal student status in the U.S. and help you with immigration advisement and the registration process.
  • If you are currently in your home country, you may email your advisor to request an appointment and assistance with lifting the "Foreign" registration hold.

Foreign Student Advisors for international students are assigned by your field of study:

  • Brenda Acosta
    • College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Patricia Marquez
    • College of Art, Media, & Communication
    • College of Social and Behavioral Science
    • College of Education
  • Foreign Student Advisor (vacant): You may contact one of the other advisors.
    • College of Health and Human Development
    • College of Science and Math
    • College of Humanities
  • Roopa Rawjee
    • College of Business and Economics

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YOUR SECOND STEP

  • If you are transferring from a U.S. school or if you are already in the United States, your Form I-20 will be held for you at IESC. If you leave the U.S., please contact IESC and have your new I-20 mailed to your home country address. You must enter the U.S. using the CSUN I-20 after your SEVIS record has been transferred to CSUN.
  • If you will be applying for or renewing your F-I visa, you must use the CSUN I-20 with your application.
  • If you are a current CSUN student and are changing programs, your I-20 will be held at IESC.
  • If you are outside the United States or planning to travel and re-enter the U.S, the LAST DATE for you to enter this country is January 11, 2010. This information is in section 5 of your I-20. Please keep this in mind when making travel plans.

Important:

  • Under SEVIS immigration regulations, students transferring in to CSUN are required to show proof of full time enrollment and pick up their new I-20 no later than the 15th day of classes.
  • Students who change their minds about attending CSUN and intend to transfer out to another school must request and process their transfer out no later than the first day of classes.
  • Students who enter the U.S. on an "Initial" I-20 from CSUN must request and process their transfer out no later than 30 days from the date of entry into the U.S.

Failure to meet these instructions and deadlines could result in the termination of your legal immigration status.

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YOUR THIRD STEP: REGISTERING FOR CLASSES

  • Registration is done via the Internet at www.csun.edu/portal.
  • The Spring 2010 Registration Guide will be available online at http://www.csun.edu/anr/soc/. You are strongly urged to read all instructions carefully and to communicate with your academic advisor in your major department prior to registering.
  • Registration information will become available on students’ web portals beginning October 28, 2009. The portal may indicate a Priority Registration appointment between November 9 and December 9, 2009. Registration on that date will give you the best selection of classes and class times. However, you may continue to access the system as often as you like from your priority date through January 18, 2010.
  • Nonrestrictive Registration begins on December 10, 2009 and continues until January 18, 2010. Please note that students will be able to add, drop, and adjust their class schedules through February 5, 2010, the Add/Drop deadline for the Spring 2010 semester.
  • Classes begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 (add classes using permission numbers). Saturday classes begin on January 23, 2010.
  • Current registration fees are U.S. $2393.00 for undergraduates and U.S. $2861.00 for graduates, plus non-resident tuition U.S. $372 per semester unit.
    • International undergraduate students are required to enroll in minimum twelve (12) units
    • International graduate students are required to enroll in minimum eight (8) units per semester.
    • International students in the EdD program are required to enroll in minimum six (6) units per semester/session.
  • Tuition and fees must be paid by the due date. Please refer to University Cash Services http://www-admn.csun.edu/ucs/ for the fee payment and refund schedule as well as consequences of non-payment.

NOTE: Tuition and fees are subject to change without prior notice.

  • Students receiving scholarships from their home countries must arrange to provide appropriate information to the office of Student Accounting and abide by payment deadlines.
  • We strongly recommend that you visit http://www.csun.edu//international/ immediately to review important information regarding your foreign student status. Click on New Student.

First time transfer students are encouraged to visit www.csun.edu/a&r/transferchecklist.html and First time freshmen are encouraged to visit www.csun.edu/a&r/freshmenchecklist.html to obtain important information.

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DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR GROUP ADVISEMENT

We recommend that you attend Group Advisement as soon as possible, but it is more important for you to submit ALL documents, have the Foreign Registration hold lifted and enroll in classes as soon as possible. See the following section for specific instruction regarding the "F" hold. At your initial appointment, please be prepared to submit photocopies of the following documents and health insurance:

HEALTH and ACCIDENT INSURANCE POLICY offering at least U.S. $ 100,000.00 in major medical and hospital coverage plus $30,000.00 in repatriation and evacuation coverage through the end of the academic year. Deductibles must not exceed $500.00 per year.

  • A policy can be purchased online at www.csuhealthlink.com and must be paid separately from your tuition. Payments are to be made online only.
  • If the policy is purchased elsewhere, please bring a receipt showing proof of expiration date as well as all the details of the policy, or a letter from the insurance company with your full name verifying that your current insurance meets the above requirements.
  • Continuing policies must be pre-paid through the end of the semester in which you plan to enroll or the upcoming academic year.
  • Policies purchased in countries other than the United States must be officially translated in English and all relevant amounts must be in US dollars.
  • IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS (photocopies of all documents are required)
  • Valid passport pages showing name, photo, number and expiration date. The passport must be valid for minimum six months.
  • F-1 visa stamp AND the following as applicable:
    • New F-1 Student arriving from overseas on “Initial” I-20: Front and back of Form I-94 (White Card), SEVIS “Initial” I-20 copy with entry stamp.
      • OR
    • Transferring F-1 Student from another U.S. school: Front and back of Form I-94 (White Card) and a copy of I-20 from last authorized school.
      • OR
    • Other Non-Immigrant visa holder: Front and back of Form I-94 (White Card), visa.
  • SEVIS RECORD Students transferring from a U.S. school must arrange to have their SEVIS record transferred to CSUN. You may request your current school to enter either a current or a future release date if you are still attending classes at the time of your group advisement meeting.

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FOREIGN REGISTRATION HOLD

  • Students who want to get the "Foreign" hold lifted prior to attending mandatory group advisement can do one of the following and schedule an appointment for group advisement as soon as possible:
  • If you are outside the United States, email proof of valid health insurance to your advisor with a request that your "Foreign" hold be temporarily lifted.
  • If you are in the U.S. but outside of Los Angeles, email all required documents to your advisor a request that your "Foreign" hold be temporarily lifted.
  • If you are currently in Los Angeles, and unable to attend group advisement prior to your registration appointment, you may email all required documents to your advisor with a request that your "Foreign" hold be temporarily lifted.

Important: You must report to IESC for group advisement and submit all required documents before classes begin. Failure to do so will jeopardize your legal immigration status.

TESTS: Those students who are required to take the English Placement Test (EPT) and/or the Entry Level Math Exam (ELM) must contact their academic advisor immediately regarding enrollment in the appropriate level English or Math course during the first semester. An enclosed "Testing Invitation" will notify you of the testing dates and whether you are required to take the exams.

ORIENTATION: You will be required to participate in a one day International Student Orientation to be held on January 12, 2010. Detailed information will soon be available at www.csun.edu/nso.

IESC does not require ANY fees for the services it provides to international students. No fees, under any circumstances, shall be submitted to IESC. If a student is submitting an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a check payable to "Department of Homeland Security" will accompany the student's application. Advisors’ responsibilities are limited to reviewing the check for accuracy and returning to the student who will mail the application directly to USCIS.

Again, congratulations on your admission to California State University, Northridge! We are very much looking forward to helping you and meeting with you soon.

Sincerely,
Dr. Marta Lopez
Assistant Director/PDSO

RR 10/20/09

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