Immigration Process for International Students

Academic Services/Immigration Process for International Students
  1. The College of Engineering emails applicants with an admissions decision.
  2. After the applicant accepts the offer of admission in Wolverine Access, you will receive a matriculation email. 
  3. Review Immigration Documentation for International Students for specific details about the information needed to prepare your I-20 or DS-2019. If your dependent(s) will accompany you, see the International Center’s page on F-2 dependents for detailed information regarding dependent documentation.
  4. Create a Uniqname in Wolverine Access.
  5. Make sure all the required documents meet requirements and send all documents to [email protected]. Required documents must be received by November 8, 2023 for the 2024 Winter term, March 4, 2024 for 2024 Summer term and May 15, 2024 for 2024 Fall term.
  6. The College of Engineering will take 1-2 weeks to review your documents. If all the documents are approved,  we will process your request and send your application to the U-M International Center.
  7. If we have any questions about your documents, we will reach out to you. If your submitted documents are required to do updates or changes, please note that it could take you some time (possibly weeks) to obtain the necessary new documents and have them reviewed again. Please be aware of this timing when you submit your materials. After all your documents are approved, we will process your request and send your application to the U-M International Center.
  8. U-M International Center will take 2 weeks to create your I-20 or DS-2019.
  9. When your I-20 or DS-2019 has been processed, you will receive an email to your UMich email address from our International Center to access the MPassport Portal to view and print your document. (Please note: You can’t access your MPassport account before your I-20 has  been created.)
  10. Student pays the SEVIS fee and makes a visa appointment with your local government officials.
  11. Students attend the visa appointment and make travel arrangements.
  12. Students arrive on campus by “reporting date” indicated on the I-20 or DS-2019.
  13. Students check-in with the U-M International Center after arriving on campus. 

Important information:

  1. If you hold F-1 or J-1 student status at another institution in the United States and plan to remain in that visa status, you are considered a “SEVIS Transfer Student”. The College of Engineering only can issue your required I-20 or DS-2019 after your previous university releases your SEVIS, indicated on the U-M Transfer-In Form.
  2. SEVIS records are typically deactivated 60 days after the completion of your previous program. If there are more than 5 months between the start of your program at U-M and the end of your previous program OR your F-1 SEVIS record is not active at the other school, we can’t help you transfer your SEVIS record to U-M; you have to create a new record.
  3. If you are an international student currently at U-M Ann Arbor, The College of Engineering would prepare your required I-20 or DS-2019 at the end of your last term of attendance.
  4. If you are an Integrative Systems + Design Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering or Automotive Engineering  student, please note that on the I-20 document your major is listed as ‘Systems Engineering’. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a limited number of fields of study (majors) to be listed on I-20 documents. The USCIS uses ‘Systems Engineering’ for your field and this is not an error.