Prepare
If you want to study at Mississippi College, the first step is to research the program that most interests you.
Apply to Mississippi College
Receive Your Form I-20
Once accepted, you will receive a Form I-20 from our designated school official (DSO). DSOs are here to help you understand and follow the rules for studying in the United States.
Bringing Your Dependents
As an F-1 international student, you're permitted to apply to bring your spouse (husband or wife) and children. However, they must receive their own Form I-20 from a DSO and follow specific rules while they are here. Consider carefully also whether the current immigration climate looks favorably upon relatives coming along with you. Raising even the slightest concern that you will not return to your home country after your studies, may cause a rejection of their application(s) AND your own visa.
Travel
Traveling to the United States requires certain steps. Contact us as soon as you have booked a ticket so that we may prepare for your airport pickup. Arrive well before your flight departure time. Be mindful of baggage limitations and security checks. Expect to have to show Covid-negative PCR test results within 24 hours of boarding the plane. Some transit countries also now require Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETAs), so investigate your stop-over countries. Make contincency plans in case there are long delays in the airports. Keep us posted by cell phone as your journey progresses.
Pay Your I-901 SEVIS Fee
After you receive your Form I-20, the next step is to pay your I-901 SEVIS Fee. Regulation requires that all international students pay this fee before the Department of State issues a visa. Remember to keep your I-901 SEVIS Fee payment receipt and be sure to check that the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) identification (ID) number on the receipt matches the SEVIS ID number that appears on your Form I-20. Please contact SEVP if the SEVIS ID number on these two documents does not match, or if you encounter other issues in the process.
Apply for a U.S. Visa
After being accepted and getting a receipt for payment for the I-901 SEVIS Fee, you can apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Visit the U.S. Department of State's website for more information about applying for an F-1 visa. You can find your nearest embassy or consulate by visiting the U.S. Embassy website.
Once you receive your visa, ensure that you received the right type of visa (F-1) and that your name and date of birth are correct and match the information in your passport. Remember that a student visa does not guarantee entrance into the country, but it does give you permission to arrive at a U.S. port of entry.
Arrive at U.S. Port of Entry
You may enter the United States up to 30 days before your official program start date listed on your Form I-20. When you arrive at the U.S. port of entry, you will meet a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer who has the authority to admit or deny your entrance into the country. You must present the CBP officer with your Form I-20, as well as your valid visa and passport. It is a good idea to have your acceptance letter, your evidence of financial support, and the name and telephone number of your DSO. Be sure to keep these documents and information in your carry-on luggage, as you will not be able to access any of your checked baggage until after you pass through the U.S. port of entry.
A CBP officer may direct you to secondary inspection and interview you further to determine if you may enter the United States. If you do not have all your documents or if the officer cannot verify your information, they may deny you entry into the country or issue you a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor.” If you receive a Form I-515A, you must work with your DSO to respond to it within 30 days.
Receive a form I-94
If CBP admits you into the country, they will give you an admission stamp in your passport and issue an electronic Form I-94, "Arrival and Departure Record.” The Form I-94 includes information about when you were admitted, what status you must maintain (F-1) and how long you can stay in the United States. The CBP officer will inform you where to find your electronic Form I-94.
Health Insurance is required at MC
Your registration for classes may be placed "on hold" until a signed form about health insurance comes back to our office. All international students at Mississippi College are required to possess good health insurance. We're so serious about this that we've arranged your coverage from the moment you get on the plane in your country. To get "off hold" you must sign a statement that you either (a) accept the plan we offer and understand the billing period and cost to you, or (b) already possess a pre-paid health insurance policy and are submitting it for adjudication to be of equivalent coverage to our plan.
Study
While studying in the United States, it is important to maintain your status which relates to the purpose or reason for why you want to come to the United States. As an F-1 student, your primary purpose for coming to the United States is to complete a full course of study at a SEVP-certified school. This means you must not take any action that detracts from fulfilling this purpose and follow the regulations associated with studying in the United States.
Enroll in a Full Course of Study
Attend and Pass Your Classes
Completion
Once you have completed your visa status - even as far as finishing an authorized period of post-completion OPT - and you do not transfer to another SEVP-certified school, you'll face a 60-day grace period to depart the United States. Failure to depart within this grace period will likely adversely impact your ability to re-enter the United States at a later date under a different non-immigrant or immigrant classification.
