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 $25 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.
