Welcome!
Congratulations on your acceptance to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University! Whether you are transferring in from another U.S. university or traveling to the U.S. for the first time, as an international student there are many steps you need to complete in preparation for your first semester at Embry-Riddle.
Next Steps After Admission
Admissions has put together a helpful checklist to make sure that all new undergraduate students accomplish important tasks that must be completed before you can begin your studies.
ISSS will host virtual pre-arrival orientation sessions to help prepare new students for their trip to the United States and Embry-Riddle. All new students should attend one of these sessions.
Topics covered during Pre-Arrival Orientation include:
- I-20 and visas
- Housing
- Meal Plans
- Health insurance requirements
- Travel arrangements
- Dependents
- Banking in the U.S.
- U.S. mobile phone services
- Local and area information
Invitations with pre-arrival orientation registration links will be sent to your Embry-Riddle email.
All new international students are required to attend International Orientation. This is includes all F-1, M-1, and J-1 students entering as freshmen and transfers, graduate and undergraduate.
J-1 exchange students are required to attend the Exchange Orientation, orientation schedule, where they will learn important information about maintaining their J-1 status. J-1 scholars will be sent a virtual Orientation Presentation to their ERAU email address once they arrive in the US.
F-1 and M-1 International Orientation events are in person. View the orientation schedule to learn more about the date and time of this mandatory event.
Remember, F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa holders may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the start of the semester (date is listed on your I-20 or DS2019).
All new international students (F and J visas) are required to complete International Check-in after you arrive in the United States. This is a federally mandated process that all international students must follow.
International Check-in is completed online, but you must be present in the United States.
ISSS will send new students an email with the check-in link and instructions about how to complete this process. You should expect to receive the link sent to your ERAU email address about 2 weeks before the semester begins.
F-1 and M-1 I-20 and Visa Process
Applying for a visa can take many weeks. Admitted students should begin this process as soon as they have paid their tuition deposit.
- Gather necessary documents including financial statements and/or scholarship letters.
- Request your I-20
- Wait to receive an Electronic I-20. This will be sent to your Embry-Riddle email.
- Apply for your official student visa.
- Pay I-901 SEVIS fee. This is required for all international students.
- Schedule your visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate closest to you.
- Prepare for your visa interview
What is an I-20?
The Form I-20 certifies that an international applicant is eligible to travel to the U.S. on an F-1 or M-1 non-immigrant student visa. All I-20s are issued through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which is a government database used to maintain and manage data related to foreign students and exchange visitors during their stay in the United States.
How to request an I-20
| Situation | Request Process |
| If you are currently outside of the U.S. | Submit an Initial I-20 Request |
| If you are transferring to Embry-Riddle from another U.S. college or university |
Step 1. Ask your current school to transfer your I-20 to Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach Step 2. Upload the following documents to Embry-Riddle’s portal:
|
| If you need to request a dependent visa for your spouse or child | Follow the Dependent Visa Process |
It will take about 5-7 business days for Embry-Riddle to process your I-20 request. When it is ready, your electronic I-20 will be sent to your Embry-Riddle email account (ERNIE).
You will need to print your I-20, sign it, and take it with you to your visa interview.
In addition to apply for the I-20, you also need to apply for your official student visa.
Apply for your student visa as far in advance as possible. Though many consulates suggest making your appointment no more than 90 days from your intended travel date, some consulates can make earlier arrangements for your interview. You will need to complete the following forms:
- DS-160 Online Non-Immigrant Visa application
- DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Non-immigrant Visa application
- DS-157 Supplemental Non-immigrant Visa application (some applicants may be asked to complete this form)
Applicants must pay the SEVIS fee before interviewing for a student visa. You must have a complete I-20 or DS-2019 before you can fill out Form I-901 and the pay the SEVIS fee.
The SEVIS fee may be paid online with a credit card. Carefully follow the directions provided on the site to complete Form I-901 and make your payment. The credit card payment can be made by parents, relatives, or friends.
For other methods of paying the SEVIS, please review the Study in the States website.
You should print/keep any proof you get for payment and bring it with you to the U.S. consulate for your interview. If you lose the receipt, the Consular Officer may be able to view your payment history on the database, but you should not rely on this. It may reflect badly on you if you do not have all of the documents that the Consular Officer is looking for.
If you are transferring from another school, extending your program, applying for an F-2 dependent visa, or have paid this fee and been denied a visa within the last 12 months, you do not need to pay the SEVIS fee again.
Consular visa interviews are short (no more than 5 minutes) and will be conducted in English. Make sure you have all of your documents organized and ready to show to the Consular Officer. Check with the consulate or embassy issuing your visa to confirm what documents are needed for the interview. The following is only a suggested list of frequently requested documents:
- Unexpired passport or passport not expiring within the next 6 months
- DS-160 visa application confirmation page
- Application fee payment receipt (if required)
- I-20, printed and signed
- SEVIS/I-901 payment receipt
- Transcripts/diplomas from schools attended previously
- Test scores (if any) like SAT, ACT, TOEFL
- Financial documents showing proof of funding, including scholarship awards (if applicable)
- Admission letter from Embry-Riddle
- Documents showing strong ties to your home country and your intent to leave the U.S. upon completion of the program (possible examples include job offers, family obligations, property, investments, inheritances, etc.)
Every person’s situation is different, and each encounter with a consular officer will be different. Consular officers are people, after all, and they are under tremendous pressure to interview as many visa applicants as possible. Review the links below to get helpful information that will prepare you for your visa interview.
Bringing Dependents to the U.S.
International students may bring dependents with them to the United States. Rules will apply to the dependent which must be strictly followed. Below are some frequently asked questions related to dependents.
Dependents are defined as a spouse or unmarried child under the age of 21. You may bring multiple dependents that qualify under that criteria.
Your dependents eligibility to remain in the United States legally is contingent upon the primary visaholder (F-1) maintaining your legal status and extending your program in a timely manner.
Learn more about bringing dependents to the U.S.
The F-1 student must request the F-2 dependent I-20 for each of their dependents. The F-1 student will need to submit the following:
- Proof of funds for each dependent (currently $4,000 USD)
- Valid passports for each dependent
- Marriage certificate officially translated to English for spouses
- Birth certificate officially translated to English for children
F-1 students can request the F-2 dependent I-20 through the ISSS portal.
The F-1 student will receive the F-2 I-20s via their ERAU email.
F-2 dependents may remain in the U.S. as long as the F-1 students remains in active status.
Once the F-1 student has complete his or her degree program and has left the U.S., the F-2 dependents must leave as well.
At the end of the F-1 program, there is a 60-day grace period during which the F-1/F-2 may stay in the U.S. Once the primary F-1 leaves the U.S., the F-2 dependents must leave as well.
Children age 21 or older
Dependent children only qualify as F-2 dependents until the age of 21. Once children turn 21, their F-2 status will expire and they will need to change to another status if they wish to remain in the U.S. For example, a child could try to change to F-1 status and become a full-time student.
No. Dependents with an F-2 dependent I-2/F-2 visa cannot work in the United States and are not eligible to request Social Security Numbers.
F-2 dependents may engage in volunteer work as long as there is no compensation of any kind and the F-2 dependent is doing a job usually done by volunteers.
Spouses on F-2 status may only engage in part-time study at the postsecondary level in any certified program at an SEVP-certified school as long as the study does not amount to what regulations define as full-time for an F-1 student. Spouses who wish to study full-time may apply for a change to F-1 status. They may only begin full-time study once USCIS as approved the change of status.
Spouses and children may study full-time in vocational or recreational studies, such as hobbies.
Minor children (under age 18) on F-2 status must comply with compulsory education requirements and attend school full-time in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Children on F-2 status who have completed high school and are under 21 years of age may only engage in part-time study. Like spouses, if these children wish to study full-time at a college or university, they must apply for a change to F-1 status.