The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. At 3.79 million square miles and with over 310 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest both by land area and population. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world’s largest national economy.
Indigenous peoples of Asian origin have inhabited what is now the mainland United States for many thousands of years. The current United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic with a strong central government.
The USA is a top university destination choice for study abroad and hosts more international students than any other country in the world. Her’s why:
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World renowned education
US degrees are recognized around the world for their academic excellence and enhanced learning experiences. American universities include many prestigious institutions that are respected globally. In the 2014 Academic Ranking of World Universities:
- 16 universities in the USA are ranked in the world’s top 20 universities
- 52 US universities are ranked the top 100 universities worldwide
- 77 American universities ranked the best 200 universities in the world
Getting an American degree is the key to a successful future. The connections you make and the many work experience opportunities will open the door to a prosperous and rewarding career.
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Academic choice and flexibility
The USA has one of the world’s best university systems, offering flexible education opportunities at over 4,000 institutions. With EQUALS, there are routes to bachelor’s degrees for both high school and undergraduate (transfer) applicants, and graduate student options leading to fast-tack master’s degrees, graduate certificates, and prestigious MBAs.
Bachelor’s degrees in the USA include core courses, such as math, history, literature, and communications in the first 2 years. This gives a broad-based knowledge across many disciplines – essential for competing in the global workplace. American curricula are flexibly designed to allow students to change their ‘major’ after 1 or 2 years. There is a huge choice of elective courses so students can tailor their degree to their interests and strengths.
It is also common for students to change university after 2 years of study in the USA, or to transfer into a US university after studying in another country. It’s not necessary to complete all 4 years at the same institution in order to get a degree from there. This flexibility means students can improve their grades for transfer to a more selective institution.
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Career preparation
There will be many opportunities for you to gain practical, career-related experience during your US university studies. Cooperative (co-op) education and internship programs are widely available and often integrated into program curricula to make it easy for you to build up your resume before graduation.
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Optional Practical Training
Studying on an F-1 visa also allows you to gain temporary employment authorization through Optional Practical Training (OPT), either during or immediately following your degree studies. Through OPT, you can work:
- up to 12 months full-time per degree level (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s) completed in the USA, or
- up to 29 months per degree level if you complete a STEM degree (science, technology, engineering or mathematics)
Many of these opportunities are paid, allowing you to start paying down the cost of your US education soon after graduation.
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Experiencing a different culture
Studying in the USA and exploring a culture different from your own will help you gain essential life skills such as improving your confidence, communication and social skills. You can choose to travel around, see world famous attractions and immerse yourself in the American culture and language.
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Reference:http://www.global-pathways.com/information/student/study-usa
As you begin your school search, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the American education system. Understanding the system will help you narrow your choices and develop your education plan.
Academic Calendar
The U.S. academic calendar typically runs from September to May and can be divided into two academic terms of 16-18 weeks known as semesters. Alternatively, some schools may operate on a quarter or trimester system of multiple terms of 10-12 weeks.
Accreditations
More than 4,500 accredited institutions make up U.S. higher education in the United States. Unlike many countries, U.S. higher education institutions are not centrally organized or managed, but are accredited on a national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies.
Most international students in the United States hold an F-1 visa, which is the U.S. non-immigrant student visa. F-1 students are allowed to work in the United States, but only under certain conditions and in accordance with complex guidelines and restrictions issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
With all employment is contingent on remaining within the terms and restrictions of your F-1 visa, there are several categories of employment during the term of your stay as an F-1 student in the United States.
On-campus employment is the most freely available, and then there are four categories of off-campus employment
- Optional Practical Training (OPT)
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
- Economic Hardship
- International Institutions
On-Campus Employment
On-campus employment is the category most freely permitted by the USCIS regulations, and it does not require USCIS approval. However, although F-1 status includes an on-campus employment privilege, on-campus employment opportunities at most schools are limited. Even if you can obtain a job on campus, you may not rely on it to prove financial resources for the year, and often these jobs are not related to your studies. Many schools do require that you obtain permission from the International Student Office prior to accepting any on-campus employment, and may not permit such employment in a student’s first semester or year.
For on-campus work, an F-1 student is subject to the following rules:
- You must maintain valid F-1 status
- You can work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session
- You can work full-time on campus during holidays and vacation periods if you intend to register for the next academic semester
- The employment may not displace (take a job away from) a U.S. resident
The definition of on-campus employment includes:
- Work performed on the school’s premises directly for your school (including work affiliated with a grant or assistantship).
- Work performed for on-location commercial firms which provide services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria (Employment with on-site commercial firms which do not provide direct student services, such as a construction company building a school building, is not deemed on-campus employment for the purposes of the rule).
- Work performed at an off-campus location which is educationally affiliated with the school. The educational affiliation must be associated with the school’s established curriculum or related to contractually funded research projects at the post-graduate level. In any event, the employment must be an integral part of the student’s educational program.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
International students in the U.S. in valid F-1 immigration status are permitted to work off-campus in optional practical training (OPT) status both during and after completion of their degree. Rules established by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) govern the implementation of OPT, and all OPT employment requires prior authorization from USCIS and from your school’s International Student Office.
You can apply for OPT after being enrolled for at least 9 months, but you cannot begin employment until you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS and you have been enrolled for at least a year. You do not need to have a job offer to apply for your OPT EAD, and your OPT employment can occur anywhere in the US.
Start early—USCIS takes up to 90 days to process your application—and make sure you work closely with your school’s International Student Office. As with everything you will do while in the U.S., permission is based on maintaining lawful F-1 status and your International Student Office is there to help you maintain that status throughout your stay.
General OPT Requirements:
- 1. Employment must be “directly related” to the student’s major
- 2. Student must maintain lawful F-1 status
- 3. Student must apply for OPT before completion of all work towards a degree
- 4. Students who have engaged in 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) are not eligible for OPT
- 5. OPT is permitted for up to 12 months full-time in total – part-time OPT (while still in school) reduces available full-time OPT by half of the amount of part-time work (for instance, if you work part time for 6 months, you can work full-time for up to 9 months)
Students can be authorized for 12 months of OPT for each successive level of degree achieved – for instance, you can do 12 months of OPT after receiving your undergraduate degree, go back to graduate school, and then do 12 months of OPT after receiving your graduate degree. Pre-completion OPT (students are still in school) and post-completion OPT (students have completed their degree) each have different rules:
OPT before completing a degree:
- Students must be enrolled in school full-time
- Students may only work 20 hours per week while school is in session
- Students may work full-time during summer and other breaks (as long as the student will return to school after the break)
- Student may work full-time after completion of all coursework, if a thesis or dissertation is still required and student is making normal progress towards the degree
OPT after completing a degree:
- After completion of your degree, OPT work must be full time (40 hours/week)
- All OPT must be completed within 14 months after completion of your degree
- Applications for post-completion OPT must be received by USCIS before the completion of the degree.
One Final Note – Be mindful of the travel regulations governing F-1 students on OPT. If you leave the country after completion of your degree, but before receiving your EAD and obtaining a job, you may not be readmitted. You can leave the country after completion of your degree if you have your EAD and a job, but make sure you bring everything that you’ll need to get back in (including valid passport, valid EAD card, valid F1 visa, all your I-20s with page 3 endorsed for travel by your international student advisor within the past 6 months, and a letter of employment, including dates of employment and salary).
OPT Update – April 2008
In April 2008, the Department of Homeland Security updated their OPT requirements for students who are studying certain degree programs so that OPT can be extended for an additional 17 months, up to a total of 29 months of OPT. This was instituted to plug the gap between students who completed their OPT and did not have a chance to file for an H1B visa due to the time frames and visa caps that exist on the H1B visa. Students can now extend their OPT so they still have the opportunity to apply for an H1B visa.
The special extension of the OPT program is only available to those who are employed by companies who are enrolled in the E-Verify program, and you have to be studying one of the following subjects:
- Actuarial Science
- Computer Science Applications
- Engineering
- Engineering Technologies
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Military Technologies
- Physical Sciences
- Full list of STEM Designated Degree Programs
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an off-campus employment option for F-1 students when the practical training is an integral part of the established curriculum or academic program.
CPT employment is defined as “alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” To qualify, the work experience must be required for your degree, or academic credit must awarded. You can get paid for CPT employment. Prior authorization by your school’s International Student Office and notification to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is required.
To be eligible for CPT employment:
- 1. You must have been enrolled in school full-time for one year on valid F-1 status (except for graduate students where the program requires immediate CPT)
- 2. The CPT employment must be an integral part of your degree program or requirement for a course for which you receive academic credit
- 3. You must have received a job offer that qualifies before you submit your CPT authorization request
- 4. Your job offer must be in your major or field of study
Your International Student Office must authorize you for CPT. Once you receive CPT authorization, you can only work for the specific employer and for the specific dates authorized (unlike with OPT or severe economic hardship off-campus employment, where you can work anywhere in the US). Your CPT authorization will also specify whether you are approved for part-time (20 hours per week or less) or full-time (more than 20 hours per week) CPT employment. While in school, you can only be approved for part-time CPT.
Regardless of whether you are approved for full or part-time on CPT, there is no limit to how long you can work. However, if you work full-time on CPT for 12 months or more, you are not eligible for OPT. If you work part-time on CPT, or full-time on CPT for less than 12 months, you are still eligible for all of your allowable OPT. So make sure you watch the dates and hours closely – don’t jeopardize your OPT!
Many schools in the United States offer work and study programs that coordinate immediate employment through CPT programs. Not only does this give international students the opportunity to help cover the costs of their education, but they will at the same time gain valuable work experience and obtain their masters degree.
Severe Economic Hardship
Any F-1 student suffering “severe economic hardship” as defined by USCIS is eligible to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and full-time during breaks.
To be eligible under “severe economic hardship”, a student must:
- 1. Be in valid F-1 status for at least one academic year (9 months)
- 2. Be in good academic standing
- 3. Provide evidence of economic hardship based on unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control
- 4. Show that on-campus employment is neither available nor sufficient
- 5. Make a good faith effort to locate employment on campus before applying
Examples of Severe Economic Hardship:
The rule gives examples of the types of things that could be considered “severe economic hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control.” These circumstances may include:
- loss of financial aid or on-campus employment without fault on the part of the student
- substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate
- inordinate increases in tuition and/or living costs
- unexpected changes in the financial condition of the student’s source of support
- medical bills or other substantial and unexpected expenses.
You must apply for an “employment authorization document” (EAD) with the help and guidance of your International Student Office — you do not need a job offer before you apply for the EAD. But several forms and documents are required, together with fees and photos, etc., and processing can take up to 12 weeks or longer — and you cannot start work until you receive the EAD. Once you receive the EAD, you may work for an employer at any job, anywhere in the United States. Employment authorization is automatically terminated when a student fails to maintain valid F-1 status.
Employment with an International Organization
The final category of employment for international students in the U.S. on F-1 visas is employment with a “recognized international organization.” To qualify, an organization must be on the official State Department list, and listed organizations include the Red Cross, African and Asian Development Banks, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and many other similar but less well-known organizations. Because it does not have the universal application of OPT or CPT, this category of employment is often overlooked. Only students with a job offer and sponsorship from one of the listed organizations are eligible. However, for those lucky students who do have such sponsorship, there are clear benefits of this employment category.
Requirements to work for an international organization:
- 1. The student must have an internship/employment with a “recognized international organization.” Click here to see a recent listing of all “recognized international organizations.”
- 2. The employment must be within the scope of the organization’s sponsorship, and within the student’s field of study.
- 3. The student must have been in valid F-1 status for at least one full academic year.
- 4. The student must be in good academic standing.
If you meet these requirements, you can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). You can start to work only after you receive your EAD, which can take up to 3 months.
Advantages of this type of employment when compared to CPT or OPT:
- Employment does not have to be for-credit nor required for your degree program.
- Regardless of how much or how long you work, this type of employment will not take away from your 12-month post-completion OPT.
Regardless of citizenship, applicants whose first language is not English must generally take one of the following exams and achieve the indicated scores in order to demonstrate English proficiency.
Undergraduate Applicants
All applicants (including US citizens) whose first language is not English can prove English proficiency by one of the following:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) – TOEFL code 5007
- – Internet based test (iBT) score of 80 or higher.* (Sub-scores for each section of the TOEFL should be 20 or higher.)
- – Paper-based test score of 550 or higher
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
- – Composite score of 6.5 or higher. (Sub-scores for each section of the IELTS should be 6.0 or higher.)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE)
- – Score of 53 or higher
- SAT Critical Reading score of 530 or higher
- TOEFL/IELTS is not required of non-native English speakers who are educated in US or IB secondary schools inside or outside the US, or in countries** where English is the native language, for at least 4 consecutive years (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent) where English is the only medium of instruction and no ESL courses have been taken.
- Undergraduate Transfer applicants who have completed two academic English writing courses from a U.S. college or university with a grade of “C” or better from regionally accredited, AG rated institutions or a “B” or better from provisionally accredited, AP rated institutions, are exempt from submitting scores from these examinations.
*To be considered competitive, a 90 iBT score or above is recommended. Sub-scores for each section of the TOEFL should be 20 or higher.
**English speaking countries include: UK, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec).
Graduate Applicants
The general English Proficiency requirements for graduate study at American University are given below.
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- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT: Score 100 or higher (600 on the paper-based test)
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) – Score 7.0 or higher
- Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a US-accredited institution in the United States (or abroad) may be exempt from the English-language proficiency test requirement.
Please see your individual school or college for more information on the English Proficiency Requirement.
The visa category for most international students is F1, and we have more information on that and other categories below. International students visas are issued and regulated by USCIS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, and the whole process of obtaining a visa to either study in the USA or to work can be quite daunting.
There are general requirements to gain entry into the USA, in addition to the specific requirements of each visa category. In general you must be:
- Healthy – No inoculations are required to enter the US, unless you were recently in a country with epidemics such as cholera and yellow fever.
- Law-abiding – Criminal behavior is grounds for deportation.
- Able to support yourself financially during your stay.
- You intend to leave the US after you complete your studies.
Visa & Documents
F1 Student Visa
The F1 Visa is the most popular/ common visa that is issued to incoming students into the USA. Generally it is issued to students who are coming to the USA to study on an academic program or to come to learn English as a Second Language. F1 students must maintain full-time student status.
J1 Student Visa
The J1 Visa is issued to students who need to have practical training as part of the academic program; however, there is also a large program called the “Work/ Travel Program” under the J1 Visa where students can come to the USA for three to four months to gain employment and travel the USA.
M1 Student Visa
An M1 visa is issued to a student who is going to attend a non-academic or vocational school.
If you are applying for an F-1 Student Visa from your home country, you will begin by selecting a school in the U.S. where you want to study and applying to the school. You may also want to begin looking into housing information at this time.
If your application is accepted you will obtain Form I-20 from the DSO (Designated School Official) and pay the I-901 SEVIS receipt. You will be added to the SEVIS database with an individual ID number.
After the school enters your information into the SEVIS database, you will receive Form I-20 and schedule the “Initial Entry Visa Interview” with your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Required Documents
PROOF OF FUNDS
A prospective foreign student is required to demonstrate Proof of Availability of Funds when he applies for F-1 student visa in or outside of the United States. USCIS or an Officer at the local US Embassy need to be sure that the student can live in the US and pay his tuition without working, which is permitted for foreign students only under rare circumstances. Proof of Availability of Funds can be demonstrated either by the prospective student directly, or through Sponsorship.
FORM I-20
The official title of SEVIS form I-20 is “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status – For Academic and Language Studies.” This form tells USCIS who you are, where you live, what you want to study, when your classes begin, how long your studies are going to take, and how you are going to pay for your tuition, room, and board while you are in school. If you are granted F-1 status, your form I-20 is the most important document you will posses, in addition to your Form I-94. Current form I-20 also serves as evidence of the legality of your presence in the U.S.
Designated School Official (DSO)
Each school approved by USCIS to educate foreign students must have at least one Designated School Official (DSO) who is responsible for the school’s compliance with the USCIS rules regarding foreign students and foreign applicants. The DSO creates and updates an electronic record for each foreign student in SEVIS. The DSO is involved in enrollment, change of major, change of school, practical training, visa extension, visa reinstatement, school completion, and school withdrawal processes concerning the foreign student. The DSO issues and signs all necessary SEVIS forms including form I-20. Every foreign student interacts with the DSO either directly or through the Admissions of Foreign Students office staff.
Both the tuition costs to study in the USA and living costs vary considerably between different universities/colleges, educations and cities. Tuition is usually between $5,000 and $50,000 per year. Costs for food and living are normally between $5,000 and $11,000 dollars per year. In addition to paying tuition, you need money for travelling, course literature, and personal expenses.
Student Accommodation in the United States
There are three accommodation options for students in the United States:
- On-campus accommodation: you live on the school’s campus in a student room or student apartment. This accommodation can be more expensive, but you get to know a lot of students very fast. On-campus accommodation can be good for your first year at the school to be a part of campus life and meet other students. Meals may also be included in your on-campus accommodation.
- Off-campus accommodation: You hire a private/shared apartment outside of campus, usually for a lower price than living on-campus. The International Office at the university can usually help you with information about private apartments and where to look for them. It can also be useful for temporary accommodation in the first few weeks upon arriving.
- Host family accommodation: This accommodation alternative is only offered by a few universities. It is more expensive compared to living off-campus, but gives you the extra support of a family and ingrains you in American culture quickly.
