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Documents & Procedures

Once you have been admitted as a graduate or non-degree student (including Summer Study) or you have established an affiliation as a scholar (researcher, faculty member, or staff), the ISSO needs to process certain documentation to finalize your arrangement with BU. Immigration classifications such as visitors and family/dependents have unique processes.

Graduate and Non-Degree Students

After you have been academically admitted to the University and have submitted the required academic information and documentation to the Graduate Admissions office in your school or college, your Admissions office will work with you to gather the additional documentation necessary to obtain your immigration document from the ISSO.

Documents to Submit

Your Admissions office will forward the following documents to the ISSO for evaluation, so please submit them directly to the Admissions representative upon request:

If you are concerned about the status of your immigration documents, you should first contact your school or college Admissions office. If your materials were sent to the ISSO more than a week from the day you contacted them, you may contact our Assistant Director for Admissions & Student Support Services at 617-353-3565 or email@example.com to check the status of your immigration document.

Once you have obtained your immigration document from ISSO, there are additional steps you will need to follow. Please refer to the Travel & Visas section for information on paying the SEVIS fee, the visa application process, and other vital immigration-related topics.

Summer Study

Summer Term will collect documents from you and will forward them to the ISSO for review. ISSO staff will communicate directly with you after your file has been reviewed.


Once you have established your affiliation with a BU department and the terms of your appointment have been clarified, the ISSO will work with you and your sponsoring department to evaluate which immigration classification is most appropriate to suit the plans of your department and your needs as a prospective scholar. In our evaluation, we will consider a variety of factors such as the appointment/affiliation terms, your educational achievements, and your US immigration history.

Please forward the required documentation to your sponsoring department. It can be sent via email (with the exception of financial documentation, if required).


Scholars Requiring Visa Sponsorship

Please review the International Scholar Processing Checklist and submit the required forms and documentation directly to your sponsoring department.  To prevent delays and ensure a smooth process please note the following:

For Individuals with Independent Employment Documentation

If you are already in the U.S., you may be eligible for employment based on receipt of employment authorization document from USCIS (F-1 Optional Practical Training, J-2 employment authorization, pending permanent resident employment authorization) or other permission granted from your sponsor as a benefit of your current immigration status (i.e., J-1 Academic Training, F-1 Curricular Practical Training). In such cases, an extensive screening process at the ISSO is not required. Please note, however, that you will be required to check in with the ISSO within three days of your employment start date to present the appropriate employment authorization and BU appointment verification.

If you are a recent BU graduate who will be working at BU after graduation for either a short-term or long-term appointment, please note that the check-in and verification process also applies to you.

To prevent delays and ensure a smooth process, please note the following:

Other Classifications

If you are already in the U.S., be aware that certain immigration classifications may permit you to enroll. Note that B1/B2/WB/WT visitor status and F-2 dependent status prohibit full time study or enrollment in a degree program.  However, under certain circumstances visitor classification may be appropriate for a short-term scholar affiliation.

Please visit our Overview of Immigration Classifications for details. If your current status does not permit you to achieve your goals it may be possible to change your immigration status.  Perspective students who wish to change to an F-1 or J-1 student status, our Change of Immigration Status section provides basic guidelines for changing to student status. Scholars who may require a change to imigration status should contact us.


If the ISSO has determined that you are eligible to come to the U.S. in a visitor category, you will need an invitation letter from BU. Send your sponsoring department a copy of the biographical information page(s) from your passport (including passport expiration). They will send us this copy along with your BU appointment letter and/or an explanation of your BU affiliation, and we will assist with the wording of the invitation letter.

To determine the appropriate visitor category and the associated steps, review the requirements for entering the US in visitor classification. All visitors are required to check in with the ISSO upon arrival in the U.S.


Family members who may enter with, or later join, the principal student or scholar are limited to the principal’s spouse or children under 21 years of age.  See our Family Matters section for full details concerning necessary documents and procedures, and for information on other family members who might want to visit with you during your time at BU.

After Processing

If you are currently outside the U.S., your immigration document will be sent to you once it is processed. You will then need to apply for the appropriate visa classification at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the U.S., you can pick-up your new document when you check-in at the ISSO.

All international students and scholars must check-in with the ISSO upon arrival.  Please review our check-in information so that you know what documents to bring, what time slots are available or if you will need to make an appointment or a reservation and if you need to attend an orientation program.


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