MBA Program
International Students
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Requirements
Fayetteville State University welcomes applications from qualified international students. Prospective foreign students must furnish the following:
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open .pdf files.
- A completed application form with a $35 US non-refundable application fee
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. International student transcripts should be evaluated by agencies, such as the World Education Service. Visit http://www.wes.org/ for further information. Applicants are responsible for providing documents which have been officially translated into English.
- Official scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for those students whose native language is not English (550 paper exam score) or (213 computer exam score)
- Two completed recommendation forms by persons qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study
- Each applicant must complete a Financial Certificate Form. The Financial Certificate must be authenticated by an official of the applicant's bank or the applicant's sponsor's bank. The Form I-20 will not be issued until evidence of the student possessing financial resources to attend the University is received.
The above forms can be found here.
Admission Process Overview
International applicants must submit an completed application packet to the MBA Office. The Admissions Office will review the application and determine the applicant’s admissibility. If admission is recommended, the applicant will receive a formal letter of admission and a certificate of eligibility (Form I-20 or IAP-66).
The certificate of eligibility (Form I-20 or IAP-66) should be used to apply for an Entry Visa into the United States.
Immigration Overview
Passport
A passport is an international travel document issued to an individual by his or her government showing one's identity, state of origin and nationality. This travel document allows one to travel outside his/her country. While in the US students and scholars can renew their passports through their embassies or nearest consulates. It is the individual's responsibility to keep his/her passport valid at all times. Students and Scholars should provide Fayetteville State University with a photocopy of their passports in case of loss or theft. Embassies are able to replace a passport more promptly if a student or scholar is able to provide a photocopy of the original.
Visa
A nonimmigrant visa is a permit, affixed or stamped to a page in the bearer's passport, to request entry into the US. At the port of entry the immigration officer grants admission. A student or scholar enters the US under the terms and conditions specified by the particular type of nonimmigrant visa that he/she holds. The visa does not determine how long a student or scholar can remain in the U.S. A student or scholar will need to revalidate his/her visa only if he/she is traveling abroad after the current visa in the passport has expired. A student or scholar who changes nonimmigrant status during his/her stay in the US must apply for a new visa abroad in order to re-enter the US in the new status. Only a US consulate or embassy abroad can grant or renew a visa. Exception: Applications for H visa renewals may be processed through the US Department of State. Please consult the international scholar adviser for more information.
Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
At the port of entry into the US, the immigration officer issues a Form I-94 to every nonimmigrant. Often the Form I-94 is handed out on the plane shortly before landing. The Form I-94 indicates the nonimmigrant's classification and any endorsements made by the immigration officer. The Form I-94 indicates the place and date of entry of the nonimmigrant's admission to the United States and the initial period of authorized stay. Noted on the Form I-94 for students, scholars and their dependents is D/S, for duration of status. For and F-1 or J-1 student, D/S means the period during which the student is pursuing a full course of study at the educational institution which issued the visa certificate. For a J-1 scholar, duration of status means the period during which the J-1 scholar engages in the activity described on the Form IAP-66 (professor, researcher). A J-1 scholar may remain in the United States as long as he/she maintains J-1 status up until the ending date on the Form IAP-66 plus thirty days.
Maintaining Nonimmigrant Status
International students who fail to maintain lawful nonimmigrant status are ineligible for any immigration benefits such as employment or change of status. Students who violate the terms of their nonimmigrant status are not allowed to work, which includes assistantships. Students should consult with an FSU adviser to discuss possible consequences and plans of action.
Employment
International students may be eligible to work on or off campus - depending on their visa type and subject to certain eligibility requirements and restrictions. Not all "international" students have employment eligibility and some are required to apply for, and obtain specific employment authorization from Fayetteville State University or the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) before engaging in any employment. Some international students do not have employment eligibility and must not work. Employment regulations differ for different visa types and potential employers or supervisors must ascertain an individual international student's employment eligibility before initiating any PeopleSOFT actions, before promising employment to a particular student, and especially before allowing the student to begin work. Contact Dr. Yunkai Chen if you have a question regarding employment eligibility.
What is Employment?
Employment is defined by the INS as any activity or service performed by an individual where some type of benefit or payment is awarded. This can be monetary compensation or other non-cash benefits (tuition, meals or room and board, a grade or course credit, or promises of future employment, etc). If the position is one for which an individual would normally be paid, it is considered to be employment whether wages are earned or not.
What is Volunteering?
Volunteering for an activity should be restricted to doing something for the sheer personal satisfaction of it, should not displace US workers, can result in no other benefits, and cannot delay an international student's academic program. Individuals cannot work "as a volunteer" for a period and then be paid later (when, for example, they obtain employment eligibility or authorization or when funding "comes through.") Liability issues also arise when individuals "volunteer" in laboratories or on campus and supervisors should ensure that insurance and liability issues are addressed.