Cal State University, Bakersfield | International Students & Programs

IMMIGRATION:

General Information for New Students

We strongly encourage you to read the following information careful and start to prepare for your journey.

Immigration

New students: If the university accepts you, you will be sent an I-20 form. The I-20 verifies your eligibility for an F-1 Student Visa. To obtain your F-1 Visa you must take your campus-issued I-20 to an American Consulate or Embassy in your country to apply for the student visa. We strongly advise you to start your visa process as soon as you receive your I-20.

All embassies and consulates require interview appointments to issue a student visa. Interviews for a visa may take a long time to schedule. Plan ahead. Bring all important documents with you to the interview. Check with the U.S. consulate for what is required for the interview. You cannot make your travel arrangements until you have been issued your visa so the earlier you handle this task the better.

Upon arrival in the U. S. you will be asked to present the I-20, and your passport to the immigration official at the port of entry. The official will validate and stamp the I-20, stamp and issue your I-94 (a small white card) and return all to you. If this was not done when you entered the U.S., please inform the Office of International Students & Programs immediately.

Transferring Students: If you are transferring to CSUB from another U.S. school, we will not issue you a new I-20 till the date we are noticed that you are transferred in SEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System) to CSUB. You need to request that the international student advisor at your current school release your SEVIS record to the campus where you have been admitted. Please complete the “F-1 Eligibility Transfer Form”. Please be sure that your “Release Date” is BEFORE the start of the date at CSUB.

Your new I-20, endorsed for pending transfer, is created as soon as the release date for your SEVIS record is reached. Once your new campus has confirmed your registration, the transfer process is complete. You may come to pick up a new I-20 after your registration for classes. If you need your new CSUB I-20 form sooner, please speak with the International Student Advisor at your current U.S. school about giving you an earlier SEVIS release date.

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND CLASS REGISTRATION

The CSUB Advising Center has been providing excellent service to new undergraduate students. New international students should also attend the undergraduate academic advising workshop during the Main Campus Orientation Program. Graduate students or students with questions about major requirements must contact their academic department directly for more detailed information. If you have any questions about academic advising or registration for new undergraduate students, please visit the Advising Center’s web site at: www.csub.edu/advisingcenter/. We strongly recommend that you register for your classes on your assigned priority registration date and time. Otherwise, it may be very difficult for you to register later for the classes that you want! The Registrar’s Office will email your priority registration date to your CSUB runner email address. So, please remember to check your CSUB runner email regularly!

REQUIRED ENGLISH & MATH TESTS

New undergraduate students are required to take the English Placement Test (EPT) and/or Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) exam unless they have already been “exempted” by the CSUB Admissions & Records Office. Please check your Notice of Admission, which will state if you are "Exempt" from these tests. You may also check the complete list of exemptions on the CSUB Testing Center’s web page www.csub.edu/testing/. If you are required to take one or both tests, you will need to do so before classes begin or there will be a hold on your account which prevents from registering for courses. If you are presently in California, you can take these tests at any CSU campus. For more information concerning test registration and preparation, please visit: testing web

HEALTH INSURANCE & IMMUNIZATIONS

F-1 visa students are subject to minimum health insurance requirements established by the California State University Chancellor's Office. An insurance policy that exceeds these requirements is available for purchase from the Office of International Students & Programs (ISP) or online at www.csuhealthlink.com.

Due to the high cost of medical care in the U.S., all international students MUST have adequate medical insurance in case of an emergency. All F-1 students are required to obtain health insurance that meets CSUB’s requirements BEFORE REGISTERING FOR CLASSES! F-1 visa international students cannot register for their classes until they either purchase the CSU-sponsored university health insurance policy or secure certification that their alternate insurance plan meets those requirements.

We strongly recommend that this be done well in advance of your registration deadline date. You may purchase the international student health insurance policy recommended by CSUB on line at: www.csuhealthlink.com. If you have any questions about the health and medical insurance requirement for international students, or wish to waive the insurance requirement by purchasing different insurance, please contact ISP.

Also, California State law requires that all university students be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella BEFORE registering in classes for their first semester at CSUB! Students 18 years of age or younger are also required to be immunized against hepatitis B. Please submit a copy of your immunization records or a completed copy of the “Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Hepatitis B Certification Form’ to the health Center: LINK Health Center before your registration.