South Louisiana Community College - Admissions - Internation Admission Requirements

General Information: International students must meet all the regular admission requirements to South Louisiana Community College. A nonrefundable application fee of $15 must accompany the application that is due 60 days prior to the start of the semester. In addition, international students must:

Submit evidence that they are eligible to attend college in their own country.
Furnish an official high school transcript or official college or university transcript(s) translated into the English language.
Furnish a minimum score of 500 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Must provide proof of two measles, mumps, rubella shots over your lifetime and proof of a current tetanus-diphtheria shot (within last 10 years).
Furnish an ACT score within the first 15 hours of credit.
Furnish a notarized statement of financial support that is adequate to meet expenses during their enrollment at SLCC ($6000).

International students are not eligible to receive any type of SLCC scholarships or any financial aid. They must pay out of state fees. All scholastic records must be filed in the Office of Admissions 60 days prior to the beginning of the semester when admission is desired. If complete documents are not on file by this deadline, the application will be considered for the next scheduled registration period. International students are not eligible for provisional admission.

When international students have been officially admitted to South Louisiana Community College (satisfied all admission requirements), a form I-20, properly signed, will be sent to them.

International applicants transferring from institutions in United States must also meet the following transfer requirements:

Students assume full responsibility for courses selected and are encouraged to seek guidance and approval of courses to be transferred.
A student who is under academic, attendance, or disciplinary suspension from another college or university will not be admitted to SLCC until the interval of suspension on the transcript has elapsed.
SLCC does not normally accept credits from colleges and universities, which are not accredited.

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Course Load Requirements: Please note that foreign Students who hold and F-1 student visa must register for a full time course load. A full time course load as defined by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formally INS) is 12 credit hours for undergraduate students and 9 credit hours for graduate students.

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Online Course Restrictions: The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) has placed restrictions on the number of "On-line" courses a foreign student may register for each semester. At present, the BCIS will allow only one “on-line” course per semester to count toward full time attendance.

Example 1: UG students registers for 12 hours. Only one class can be "on-line".

Example 2: UG student registers for 15 credit hours. The student can take two "on-line" Classes. Only one of these classes will count toward the 12 credit hour rule.

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Add/Drop Restrictions: Any foreign student wishing to drop a class must first notify the Registrar’s & Admission Office. Notification should be made to either Arthur Gillis or Kimberly Constantine. Arthur or Kimberly will review the student’s situation to determine if dropping the class will affect his/her immigration status. If dropping the class will not affect the status, we will notify the Registrar’s Office and the student may drop the class.

While there are no restrictions on adding a class, when the Registrar places a hold against dropping a class, the registration system does not allow students to add a class. This is a by system designed.

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Other Restrictions: Foreign students may encounter other types of holds. These can be immigration hold, medical/health insurance holds, final transcripts holds, or test score holds. If this occurs please call our office or send students to the Registrar’s Office.

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Passport:You should keep your passport valid at all times. Your passport is your own government’s permit for you to leave and re-enter your own country. Most passports contain an expiration date. Consult your own consulate or embassy in the U.S. to renew your passport. The officials there will tell you what forms and fees, if any, are required. If you are required to supply a letter affirming that you are a student at SLCC Lafayette you can request a letter from the Admissions.

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Visa Information: International students in the U.S. are generally admitted under the F-1 student visa classification. Under special circumstances, international students may also be admitted on J-1 sponsored student or M-1 vocational or technical student visas. Whenever a person seeks entry to the U.S. in one of these student visa classifications, he or she will be admitted as a nonimmigrant, and will be granted a temporary stay in the U.S. When this person applies for the nonimmigrant visa, they must overcome the presumption by the U.S. Consular Officer that the person intends to stay permanently in the U.S. and prove they have a residence outside the U.S. that they do not intend to abandon. They must be able to prove their nonimmigrant intent during their temporary stay in the U.S.; otherwise, their applications for visas will be denied. The F-1 student visa classification is for full-time study in the U.S. In order to apply for the F-1 visa, the prospective student must receive a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students, SEVIS I-20 AB. The visa should not be expired at the time of entry/re-entry to U.S. It is OK to let the visa expire, while the SEVIS I-20AB remains valid. The guideline information on visa renewal is available at the U.S. State department services website.

I-20AB: The SEVIS I-20 AB copy is the F-1 student’s copy of the SEVIS I-20AB issued for the program and level of study the student is presently pursuing. There are spaces for information about employment authorization, curricular practical training, recommendations for Optional practical training, or notations by an USCIS official. Upon your Arrival to United States, your I-20AB will be verified by the USCIS officer and authorized. You get back your SEVIS I-20AB with an “Approved” stamp on page 1. Keep your SEVIS I-20AB in a safe place. If you have several SEVIS I-20ABs, the latest one is the one that counts. However, it is important that you keep all of your SEVIS I-20ABs with you as long as you decide to maintain status with the U.S.

1. Your SEVIS I-20AB has to be endorsed by the Admission Office before you leave the country, and decide to come back. In order to get your SEVIS I-20AB endorsed you will have to bring your SEVIS I-20AB to the Office of International Affairs no more than two weeks before your departure, and no less than three business days.

2. Obtain a new SEVIS I-20AB whenever the information (such as major, academic level, financial support like assistantship or scholarship, expiry date etc.) in the SEVIS I-20AB changes.

3. Requests for program extension can be made at the Admissions Office thirty days before expiration of student’s current program as stated on his/her SEVIS I-20AB. Result for noncompliance is: Out of status.

I-94 Arrival/Departure Record: When admitted to the U.S., nonimmigrant students are given a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. This form is frequently stapled into the person's passport and indicates the date and location of the person's entry, the visa classification, and length of authorized stay. The I-94 shows that you have been admitted to the U.S. The I-94 is usually stapled onto the US visa page of your passport. It contains an eleven-digit identifying number (called your departure number) the USCIS uses to keep track of your arrival and departure from the United States. The USCIS sometimes refers to the departure number as the admission number. There may be a date written in the upper right-hand corner of your I-94. You must leave the US by that date, or you must apply to extend your stay. If there is no date, but rather the inscription "D/S" (duration of status,) you are admitted for the length of your program of study as indicated on your SEVIS I-20 AB for F-1 and Form DS 2019 for J-1 students., plus any period of optional practical training, plus 60 days. If you graduate before the completion date indicated on your I-20 you are considered to have completed your program of study and your I-20 is no longer valid. If Form I-94 is lost, the student should apply for a replacement through the Immigration Service. When the person departs from the U.S., the I-94 will be surrendered at the port of departure, and the person will receive a new one upon their return. If the student is traveling to Mexico or Canada for less than 30 days, the I-94 should not be surrendered, because it will be needed to facilitate their return to the U.S. The Filing Fee for I-94 is $6.00
I-765 : The Filing Fee for I-765 is $120.00. This is the application for Employment Authorization.
I-539 : The Filing Fee for I-539 is $140.00. This is used as application for Extending/Changing the Nonimmigrant Status.
I-102 : The Filing Fee for I - 102 is $100.00. This is used as application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival/Departure Record.

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