Carnegie Mellon

Frequently Asked Questions

Do not call OIE to check on the status of your I-20. We understand your concern but responding to phone calls and emails regarding the status results in delaying the processing of your I-20.
The receptionist who answers the phone CANNOT provide detailed information or guidance.
You will receive an email from OIE if further information is needed.

We ask that you use this FAQ and the Settling In Guide to help you with your inquiries before arriving at Carnegie Mellon University. Further details will be provided during orientation.

I have been accepted! What do I do now?
When will I get my I-20?
How will OIE send the I-20 to me?
What is acceptable financial support?
I am currently in a school in the US What should I do?
I have another visa status. Do I need to change status? What should I do?
I am returning from a leave of absence. What should I do?
How do I find an apartment?
How do I get health insurance?
How do I get a Pennsylvania driver's license?
How do I get a social security number?
I need a Social Security number to get a cell phone, utility services, etc.
Can I work? How do I get a job?
My name in my passport is not the way I want it on the I-20. What should I do?
The admission number is not listed on my new I-20.
The Foreign Student and Scholar Advisor did not sign page 3 of my I-20? What do I do?
How do I make tuition payments? I haven't received a bill yet.
How do I find out what my CMU email account and student id number are?
I'm filling out the US Department of State Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS 156.

I have been accepted! What do I do now?

As a non-immigrant student you will need an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility from CMU to apply for an F-1 student visa. In most cases, the Office of International Education (OIE) is responsible for generating your document. 

Undergraduate students will receive the International Student Information Form and Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor in the Fat Packet sent by the Office of Admissions. The student will complete the information form and ask their financial sponsor to complete the affidavit and provide verification of available finances. The student will then send the completed International Student Information Form, Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor, original supporting financial documentation and a copy of their passport to the Office of Admissions as directed on the form.

Graduate students will receive the International Student Information Form and Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor from the admitting department. The student will complete the information form and ask their financial sponsor (if applicable) to complete the affidavit and provide verification of available finances. The student will then send the completed International Student Information Form, Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor, original supporting financial documentation and a copy of their passport either to The Office of International Education or to the department as directed on the form.

Incomplete packages will not be processed.

For details, visit the OIE website.  

When will I get my I-20? 

There are several steps involved in processing the I-20. Once OIE receives the completed International Student Information Form, Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor, original financial supporting documents and a copy of the passport from the student along with data from the academic department we will process the I-20 and send it to you at the address you indicate on the information form.  Our goal is to process the I-20 within 3 weeks of receiving ALL necessary information.

The I-20 will be sent to you with instructions on how to pay the SEVIS fee, applying for the F-1 visa and orientation information.

How will OIE send the I-20 to me?

Undergraduate students who have circled “UPS Express delivery” on the International Student Information Form will receive the I-20 by UPS express mail and the student will receive an automated email from ups.com with a notation of the SEVIS ID number and tracking details when the package is shipped out. Your student account will be charged for the actual amount of shipping during the fall semester (usually in November). While international shipping charges vary, it typically costs $25-$45 USD.
Undergraduate students who have requested that the I-20 be sent by standard air-mail will not receive any notification nor be charged any shipping fees.

Most graduate departments will pay for UPS express shipping. In this case, the graduate student will receive an automated email from ups.com when the package is shipped out with a notation of the SEVIS ID number and the UPS tracking number.
For graduate students beginning in August, all documents sent after May 1 will be sent by UPS and shipping charges will be billed to the department.

What is acceptable financial support?

Supporting financial documents must be: 1) in English, 2) original documentation (no copies, faxes or scans), 3) dated less than 6 months old, and 4) clearly state the amount of funding available in US dollar equivalent.  
You may have multiple sponsors. Each sponsor must provide a signed Affidavit of Support noting the amount of money they will provide for each year of support and provide original documentation of their financial resources.
Some banks do not provide statements with a US dollar value. In this case, the currency being used must be clearly indicated. OIE will use an internet conversion site to determine the approximate value of the balance.

• OIE does not accept Chartered Accountant statements, retirement accounts or life insurance policies.
• We will accept stocks and bonds at 50% value.
• Notarized statements are accepted but not required.

Refer to the OIE web page for details on acceptable financial support.  

I am currently in a school in the US What should I do?

Are you currently in F-1 student status?   If yes, you must submit a “Transfer In Form” and request that the Designated School Official (DSO), foreign student advisor, academic advisor or administrator of your current school ‘release’ your SEVIS record to CMU. The release date must be on or after the date on which you complete your academic requirements for that program.
The I-20 will be processed on or shortly after the ‘release’ date and sent to you as indicated on the International Student Information Form. Be sure to indicate an address where you will be after the release date, not your school address.
Refer to the OIE web page for instructions.  

Are you currently in J-1 student status?
Call OIE to schedule a phone appointment with a Foreign Student Advisor. 412-268-5231

I have another visa status.  Do I need to change status?  What should I do?

If you are currently in some other legal status (such as B-2, F-2, J-2, or H-4), and intend to obtain F-1 status you should submit the required forms necessary to issue an I-20. You will receive information regarding changing your immigration status with the I-20.
You may also wish to call the OIE front desk at 412-268-5231 to set up a phone appointment to discuss your goals and legal status issues with a Foreign Student Advisor in the Office of International Education.    
Refer to OIE’s Change of Status Instructions. 

I am returning from a leave of absence. What should I do?

Contact OIE at least 3 months prior to your anticipated return.

Undergraduate students who will return from a leave of absence must:
1) submit the “Return from Leave of Absence” form found on the HUB web site.

2) email OIE to request the International Student Information Form and Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor.

Graduate students who will return from a leave of absence must:

• receive approval to return from the academic department.
• email OIE to request the International Student Information Form and Affidavit of Support for Financial Sponsor.

Complete and submit the forms by mail with original supporting financial documentation. Faxes, scans and emails are not accepted. When OIE receives the forms we will confirm your approval to return with the department and process the I-20.

All students who are returning from a leave of absence are required to complete an immigration check-in. This is required by the Department of Homeland Security to register your arrival at Carnegie Mellon.
To complete the immigration check-in process you may either attend orientation at the beginning of the term or call OIE immediately upon arrival to be scheduled to attend a check-in session. Information will be included with the I-20.

How do I find an apartment?

Finding a nice place to live is important and can be one of the most stressful parts of moving to a new city. First-year undergraduates are required to live in a Carnegie Mellon residence hall.  You will receive details from Housing Services in the Fat Letter.
Graduate students live in off-campus housing. Pictures can be deceiving! OIE recommends that you do not secure an apartment until you arrive and can see it for yourself. Housing Services can offer some assistance with apartment listings through ‘Community Housing’.
Refer to OIE’s Settling In Guide for additional resources. 

How do I get health insurance?

Health insurance is very important and is required for all full-time degree seeking students at Carnegie Mellon.  For more information, visit the Student Health Services website.  

How do I get a Pennsylvania driver’s license?
Newly admitted students must attend orientation and complete the immigration check-in before they can request a status verification letter from OIE.

There are several steps involved in getting a Pennsylvania (PA) driver’s license.  Students must apply for the PA driver’s license at the point when there is still at least one year remaining on the I-20 document. 
If you plan to drive, be sure to bring your home country license AND the International Driver’s Permit, since applying for and receiving the Pennsylvania driver’s license can be a complicated and time-consuming process.  
You can find more details under the Additional Resources section of the OIE website.   

How do I get a social security number?
Newly admitted students must attend orientation and complete the immigration check-in before OIE can verify your immigration status to the Social Security Administration.

Social security numbers (SSN) are only issued for people who are working in the US.  Students who are not working cannot obtain the SSN but, upon request of the Social Security Administration, will be issued a ‘letter of denial.’

I need a Social Security number to get a cell phone, utility services, etc.

Social Security numbers (SSN) are not required to obtain cell phones or utility services. However, if you do not have a SSN you will likely have to follow additional procedures, such as paying a large deposit.

Can I work?   How do I get a job?

F-1 and J-1 students may work on campus 20 hours or fewer per week while school is in session and full-time during vacation terms or any official school breaks. J-1 students must have permission from their program sponsor prior to beginning on-campus employment if the employment is not listed as a source of funding on their DS-2019. F-1 students do not require additional permission for on-campus work.
Please note that on campus is defined as work for Carnegie Mellon University. Work that takes place at Carnegie Mellon for another employer (a professor's private company or companies housed in the Collaborative Innovation Center, for example) or work that takes place at another school is not "on campus" and would require employment authorization. Students should discuss employment authorization with their OIE advisor for any employment opportunity that involves an employer other than Carnegie Mellon University.
For work permission details, refer to the OIE website.  

On-campus jobs are advertised on TartanTrak through the Career Center.   

Exchange students must visit the Career Center in person to access TartanTrak.

My name in my passport is not the way I want it on the I-20. What should I do?

The Department of Homeland Security requires that the name on the I-20 must match the name on the passport. Therefore, OIE will issue the I-20 to match the name exactly as it is noted on the passport. 

Most Americans have (and US databases assume) a first name (given) and a last name (family name.)  Because of naming traditions in the US, it is convenient for foreign students to have names which follow this same pattern, i.e. John Smith where John is the first/given name and the last name/family name is Smith. OIE is aware, however, that naming traditions vary around the world.  

Some students make the choice to update the passport name to a more American/Western format, i.e. first/given name and last/family name.   This decision belongs with the student and his/her family. This would alleviate potential complications after arriving in the US when applying for a social security number or Pennsylvania driver’s license because these government agencies prefer a surname and given name.
If the passport name is updated, a copy should be sent to OIE to support the I-20 issuance or re-issuance.  

In all cases, all official documents and records in the US should be the same, specifically passport, I-20, name in Carnegie Mellon records, social security card, driver’s license.  

The admission number is not listed on my new I-20.

The Admission Number is not a required field on the I-20 and therefore is not entered in the SEVIS database.

The Foreign Student and Scholar Advisor did not sign page 3 of my I-20? What do I do?

This is not an error. Page 3 of your I-20 will be signed during Immigration Check-In upon completing the Immigration Presentation session of orientation.

How do I make tuition payments? I haven’t received a bill yet.

OIE is not responsible for billing matters. All students, regardless of nationality or level of study, should contact the HUB (Enrollment Services) about tuition payments, billing, and financial issues. The phone number is 412-268-8186.   
 
How do I find out what my CMU email account and student id number are?

Undergraduate students will receive the admission ID number on the application receipt letter. Do Not lose this number!! You will be able to access your account information through ‘Now That I Am Enrolling.’
Graduate students will receive communication from their academic department administrator informing them of the Andrew email account, password and student id number.

I'm filling out the US Department of State Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS 156. I need to provide the address of where I will stay in the US and the name and telephone number of the person I will be staying with. I don't have an apartment or a roommate yet. What should I do?

At item 24 you should enter the address of your department, usually found on the letter of admission.
Item 25 is not required as it is for those entering for tourism or business.

Last Updated On: March 19th, 2008