What should you do after acceptance and before arrival? After Ozarks Tech has accepted you as an international student, there are still several important steps you will need to take before enrolling and arriving on campus. Use the checklist below to ensure that you are ready!
Please review your Certificate of Eligibility, also known as Form I-20, to be sure that all information is correct and up to date.
To validate the record of an F-1 student in a database called the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the U.S. government requires the payment of the non-refundable $350 SEVIS Fee. This is a requirement for all F-1 students.
If you will be a first-time F-1 student and applying for an F-1 visa, the SEVIS Fee must be submitted at least three business days before your scheduled visa interview either electronically or by mail to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security address listed on Form I-901, and you should bring a paper receipt (Form I-797) to the visa interview.
If you are a current F-1 student transferring to Ozarks Tech from another U.S. institution, it is likely that you have already paid the SEVIS Fee; however, it is recommended that you verify receipt of payment of it (Form I-797), as having paid the SEVIS Fee is a requirement to be able to transfer your F-1 SEVIS record from one U.S. institution to another.
The two methods of payment for the SEVIS Fee include:
(1) electronically completing a Form I-901 obtained from website www.FMJfee.com, using a credit card
(2) submitting Form I-901 through the mail with a check or money order drawn on a US bank and payable in US currency
For more information on SEVIS, please visit www.ice.gov/sevis/index.htm
If you are an F-1 visa applicant, you must apply at a US Embassy or Consulate at which you are eligible to schedule an F-1 visa interview.
*Ozarks Tech does not have a student health center
Health insurance is mandatory for all F-1 international students attending Ozarks Tech; while you are here, you will need to have year-round insurance coverage. Additionally, to be administratively eligible for registration, advance proof of health insurance coverage (which must include full medical, repatriation, and evacuation services) for the duration of each semester in which an F-1 student wishes to register for classes is required. We recommend having your insurance coverage begin on the date you travel to the U.S.
We recommend using the pre-approved health insurance plan available to Ozarks Tech students, and you may register and pay for it here.
If you have questions about how other health insurance plans may meet the requirements at Ozarks Tech, please reach out to our office at ipo@otc.edu.
First-time F-1 students: Once you have been officially approved for your F-1 visa or change of status to F-1 and have provided proof of health insurance coverage for at least the duration of your first semester at Ozarks Tech to ipo@otc.edu, you are eligible to register for classes. Please contact ipo@otc.edu to request a registration meeting.
F-1 students transferring from another U.S. institution: Once your SEVIS record/I-20 has been officially transferred to Ozarks Tech and you have provided proof of health insurance coverage for at least the duration of your first semester at Ozarks Tech to ipo@otc.edu, you are eligible to register for classes. Please contact ipo@otc.edu to request a registration meeting.
If you come from a certain country or have frequented certain countries, Missouri law requires that a negative tuberculosis (TB) test be obtained within the United States and be on file with Ozarks Tech before you are authorized to enroll in classes. Your requirement for providing a negative TB test to Ozarks Tech is determined by your responses to pertinent questions in your application. TB skin tests are valid for exactly 12 months. TB chest X-rays are valid for five years. If expired, you must retest before enrolling. Please bring your immunization records with you to Ozarks Tech.
Please see the following list of relevant countries for the negative TB test requirement:
Ozarks Tech does not have dorms, so it is your responsibility to make housing arrangements either before or after you arrive in Springfield.
Fortunately, there is an abundance of apartments and living accommodations in the Springfield community. The following websites might be helpful in your search for housing:
You will need to arrange your own flight and transportation to Ozarks Tech. Be sure to arrive in time for International Student Orientation. Please refer to the communication from the International Programs Office (IPO) at Ozarks Tech to verify the date of International Student Orientation.
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