OISA Check-in for Initial Status F-1 Students
As a new F-1 student or returning F-1 student coming back from a leave of absence, you will have an "initial status" Form I-20 and SEVIS record. You must complete your Check-in with OISA after you arrive to the U.S. and enroll full-time in classes so we may register your SEVIS record and change it to "Active" status.
The Check-in process requires you to upload photos or scans of the following documents for you, and any dependents (spouse or children) listed on your F-1 immigration record, to your International Student and Scholar (ISS) Portal account. Completing your Check-in serves to confirm that you have arrived in the U.S. and that you understand the rules and regulations you must follow to stay in status as an F-1 student.
Before logging into your ISS Portal account, please gather the following documents/information:
- Passport Photo Page (Required)
- F-1 Visa Page (or Change of Status Approval Notice if applicable - Required)
- Entry Stamp in Passport (Required if you received one at your U.S. port of entry)
- SEVIS I-901 Fee Receipt (Required - can be accessed on the FMJ Fee website)
- Wesleyan Form I-20 (Required)
- Most Recent I-94 Record (Required - can be retrieved on the CBP website after you enter the U.S.)
- Dependent Documentation (Required, if applicable)
*If you did not receive an entry stamp in your passport at your U.S. port of entry, please upload a brief statement in Word/PDF format to your Check-in explaining you were not issued one when you arrived to the U.S.
STEPS FOR COMPLETING YOUR OISA CHECK-IN WITHIN THE ISS PORTAL
To start your OISA Check-in, log in to your ISS Portal account by clicking on LOGIN at the top right corner of the page. Use your Wesleyan credentials to log in to the portal.
Once logged in, click on the "gray house" icon located at the left side of the black navigation bar. Select Site Home from the drop-down menu. You will be redirected to the ISS Portal main page.
Select F-1 Student Requests from the menu on the left side of the page, then click on OISA Check-In for Students with Initial I-20s Request from the menu choices on the next page. You will then be asked to select the term for which you are starting/resuming your program of study at Wesleyan.
Make sure to carefully review the Announcements and Instructions sections on the page to which you are redirected.
To provide OISA with the information needed to complete your Check-in process with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), you must complete the following sections and requests:
Attached Documents: You will be asked to attach scans of your Passport Photo Page and F-1 Visa Page (or Change of Status Approval Notice if applicable). The F-1 visa requirement does not apply to citizens of Canada or Bermuda, who should instead upload a document stating that this does not apply to them. Also upload the Entry Stamp in your Passport, Wesleyan Form I-20 (all 3 pages), SEVIS I-901 Fee Receipt, and most recent I-94 Record. To obtain your most recent I-94 Record, please visit U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s website; to access a copy of your SEVIS I-901 Fee receipt, visit the FMJ Fee website.
If you will be bringing dependents with you to Wesleyan, please upload a copy of each dependent’s Passport Photo Page and F-2 Visa Stamp. Please upload your dependent(s) documentation in one file.
Signature Documents: This section will ask you to review and digitally sign documents with important information that indicate your understanding. Please be aware that these are legal documents. Please contact OISA if you have any questions before clicking the buttons to digitally sign these documents.
Assessments: In this section, you will take a quiz to show that you understand how to maintain status as an F-1 student. You are allowed to take this assessment 2 times and your final score will be the highest score you receive. Your final score must be at least 90% in order to complete this assessment.
Questionnaire: Please complete the Personal Contact & Emergency Contact Information questionnaire. This will ask you to provide information for your current U.S. mailing address, U.S. physical address (where you are living), current U.S. phone number, emergency contact information, and current foreign phone number. All of this information is required for OISA to be able to register your SEVIS record and activate your F-1 status.
You can click the save button at the bottom of the form to save your answers as you go along but make sure you click the "Submit" button for each section of your request.
When you have completed all of the sections, click the "Submit" button at the top of the page to complete your OISA Check-in.
If you start a request in the ISS Portal but are unable to complete it, you may return to this request at a later time. Do not start a new one. To return to an existing request, please go to your ISS Portal User Home Page.