Important Dates

Spring Move-in / Arrival 18/01/2025
Spring Program Start Date 21/01/2025
Summer Move-in 01/06/2025
Summer Program Start Date 02/06/2025

San Francisco State University Pre-Arrival Information

We look forward to welcoming you to San Francisco State University. We want all our students to have the best possible start and for this to happen, it is essential that you follow the below steps.

Pre-Arrival Information

  1. Prepare Official Academic Documents
  2. Pre-Arrival Webinars
  3. Apply for your Visa
  4. Book your Accommodation
  5. Book your Flight
  6. Course Registration
  7. Pay your Tuition Fees
  8. Late arrival
  9. Pre-arrival timeline
  10. Useful contact information

Prepare Official Academic Documents

You were admitted to SF State International Year One, based on unofficial academic documents. These copies/scan copies and academic documents not on a sealed envelope from your school are considered unofficial.

You will be required to submit official transcripts and graduation certificates from all institutions you have attended as part of your admission process to SF State.  An official academic document is a verification of your complete academic record issued directly from your school. Your final secondary academic record (transcript) and graduation certificate must be issued in a sealed/unopened envelope with a school stamp or signature on the envelope flap

Please request that your school prepare a set of official documents to be handed into our office during your arrival.  Failure to provide original academic documents will prohibit you from being fully accepted into Year 2 at SF State.

What if I attended college or university?

If you have attended university/college, you must also submit a transcript which must include grades up to the semester/term prior to starting your studies at SF State. You might have to request your institution to mail them to you or directly to the our office if grades are not available before you come to the U.S.

What if I only have one original transcript or graduation certificate?

If your school issued only one original transcript, and graduation certificate, you should send photocopies of your original academic documents to your school and ask that they attest or verify the copies to be true copies of the original. Ask your school to place these attested copies in a sealed envelope with a school stamp across the envelope flap. We will only consider academic documents to be official that have been attested by the school you attended.

What if my original academic documents are not in English?

If your former institution does not issue transcripts in English, we will require an English translation to be submitted along with your official academic record. English translations should be literal word for word translations and mirror the original document done by a certified English translation company/institution.  Official English Translations must be placed in an envelope sealed by the translator.  When a translator opens your official academic documents, they should place all the documents into their original envelope and seal these within a second envelope with the official English translations.

Pre-Arrival Webinars

Our pre-arrival webinar series for international students is designed to prepare you for your upcoming journey to San Francisco State University. You can find out some of what we discuss in these webinars below and how to join them.

In these live sessions, your Campus Team will provide you with guidance and advice as a newly-admitted international student.

Do you have questions?

All our webinars have a LIVE question and answer session at the end! You will have the opportunity to ask our speakers questions during the meeting and get fast answers!

Webinar #1- FAQ and Accommodation: Your Options
In this webinar, you’ll get to meet your Campus Team who will be on hand to help you as soon as you arrive in the US.  The webinar will cover a host of topics designed to help answer all your questions and learn about university accommodation, the advantages, and disadvantages of living in privately-owned housing and things to consider before booking.  Topics will include

  • Information and updates about applying for your visa
  • Accommodation Options:  On Campus, Off Campus, Home Stay
    • Where should you live?
    • Why is it important to be close to campus?
    • Scam and Fraud Awareness
  • Booking Accommodation Process
    • Deadlines
    • The Importance of Booking Early
    • Deposits and Payments
  •  The Cost of Living in the US

This webinar will be recorded if you are accepted after the date listed below.

Date                                       Time                                                      Link

18 Nov 2024                    7:00AM (US – Pacific)                      Click here to register

Webinar #2- Pre-Arrival Webinar
This webinar will cover very specific topics about your arrival to campus.  You may also hear from current international students who joined the program within he last year!  Please refer to your SF State acceptance email, welcome email from the campus team, or Oxford International offer letter if you don’t know which IYO Program webinar to register for.

Topics will include

  • Fast facts and curriculum
  • Immigration reminders
  • Health services/insurance
  • Student life: what to expect and bring
  • Notable dates
  • Your journey from the airport to the university
  • Welcome activities

This webinar will be recorded if you are accepted after the date listed below.

International Year One – University Pathway Program

Students enrolled in the International Year One University Pathway Program should register for one of the options below:

Date                                       Time                                                      Link

2 Dec 2024                     7:00 AM (US – Pacific)                      Click here to register

2 Dec 2024                    5:00 PM (US – Pacific)                   Click here to register

International Year One – Academic Program

Students enrolled in the International Year One Academic Program should register for one of the options below:

Students enrolled in the International Year One Academic Program should register for one of the options below:

Date            Time                      Link

9 Dec 2024       7:00 AM (US – Pacific)        Click here to register

9 Dec 2024        5:00 PM (US – Pacific)        Click here to register

Apply for your Visa

In order to avoid delays in getting your visa, it is very important to apply for your F-1 student visa at your nearest US embassy or consulate as soon as you have received your Admission Letter and I-20. You can locate a nearby embassy at this link: https://www.usa.gov/find-embassy. Any delays in receiving your visa will impact your ability to register for your classes and may delay your start term.

Our team can support you through this process. You can reach out by using this form.

Admissions Contact Form 

We will request updates on your visa application status. We’d like to know when you applied, when your interview is scheduled and, most importantly, if you were successful!  Once you’ve received your visa, please email your campus team at: csmith@oxfordinternational.com.

Book your Accommodation

You must book your accommodation before your arrival to the US. It is advisable to move into your private accommodation a day or two before your program start date or into your on-campus accommodation on your assigned move-in date so that you are fully rested and ready to attend!

  1. Check your accommodation options by reading through our comprehensive Accommodation Guide.
  2. Choose the type of accommodation you would prefer: On-Campus, Homestay, or Private.
  3. On-Campus: Once you have obtained your student ID number from your admission email and set up your student account, you can start the accommodation booking process with On-Campus housing via this link.  On-campus housing has many advantages including:
    – A safe and supportive staff of Resident Advisors (RAs) to help with housing and roommate issues, as well as secured entry for student safety.
    – Close and convenient location that allows you to be on time for class with no commute and has easy access to other university facilities and services.
    – Roommates are often local students who are great resources to expand your English and learn more about living in the USA.
  4. Homestay: We have partnered with StudentRoomStay to provide homestay options for students.  This is a great way to experience local culture further by living with a local host family.
  5. Private Accommodation:  Resources can be found in the accommodation guide.  Options will vary and neither OIEG nor SF State vet private accommodation.  Students should do their due diligence when choosing their options and consider commute time to the university campus.

We will request updates on your accommodation arrangements so we can promptly assist you.  If you have registered for on-campus accommodation, please also check your personal and SF State email regularly for updates and booking confirmation.

Book your Flight

Immediately after you’ve received your visa, book your flight. When booking your flight, please make sure you schedule to arrive on or before the Arrival / Move-in Date, so you have enough time to check-in to your accommodation and join your classes on time.

We will need to request information about your travel details, so please email us at csmith@oxfordinternational.com once you’ve booked your flight.

Course Registration

Your course registration will be assisted by our Campus Team.  Please refer to any instructions provided via email or during the pre-arrival webinar.   As we register you for courses, you will see some class fees appear in your SF State Student Center.  You should NOT pay for these fees, and the university will remove them at a later date in the semester.

STAGE 1 – Student Systems Access
This step is important for creating your Student ID card, purchasing insurance, booking on-campus housing, and setting up your university email address and enabling your other IT services (such as email, authenticator, etc.).

Along with your I-20, you will receive an instruction checklist as well as your university ID number in your admissions pack.  Please refer to the instructions provided with your admission pack to set up your university account.  Before arrival, we will also ask for your preferences for your first term math course.

If you have not received any of these emails to your personal account, please contact Carl Smith at csmith@oxfordinternational.com and provide us with your correct personal email address.  Please remember that activating your university account is not a class registration.

STAGE 2 – Arrival Check-In
Once the online registration is complete, you will need to come to the campus office for face-to-face check-in, usually during the arrival orientation.

You will need to bring: any remaining payment due, current, valid and in-date passport and relevant immigration documents (e.g. stamped entry visa, current visa, I-94 arrival record).

You must check-in on arrival.  If you don’t, you will be classed as non-arrival, reported to SEVIS, and dropped from your classes.

During the document check, you will also receive instructions about where/how to pick up your Student ID card and your class schedule.

Pay your Tuition Fees

We strongly advise that you pay your remaining tuition from your home country as soon as you receive your visa and before you travel to the US. Settling all due payments prior to arrival will allow you to focus on your studies and to enjoy your student life. Without paying your tuition fees, you may not receive your schedule and may have restrictions applied to your university facilities.

You can easily pay your tuition and fees online via Flywire, our preferred payment partner. Flywire provides a secure global payment network that simplifies paying your fees from your home country and countries around the world. Payment options can include bank transfers, credit cards, e-wallets and more, typically in your home currency for most countries. Click here to make your payment https://intrinsiq.oxfordinternational.com/Flywire/Index

Be sure to use your Oxford International Student ID# (found in your offer letter) and NOT your university ID#.

If you want to discuss your tuition payment, you can contact Carl Smith, the University Pathway Program Director, at: csmith@oxfordinternational.com.

Late Arrivals

We want you to have the best possible student experience: an arrival that answers your questions as well as events and activities that help you settle into your studies and make friends. We strongly advise that you attend lectures from day one in order to have the best possible academic outcome. To enjoy the full student experience, you need to arrive at the university no later than the program start date as stated in your offer letter and I-20.

If you believe you are going to enter the US beyond the program start date, you must request permission to arrive late via this Late Arrival Request Form. These requests will be reviewed carefully and approval is only granted on a case-by-case basis to ensure you are fully registered once you arrive. You may be contacted by your Campus Team for additional information.

Pre-Arrival Timeline

As the program start date approaches, we will be in regular contact with a lot of useful information which will fully prepare you to have the best start. Please check your personal email regularly so you don’t miss out. It is important to update us on any changes to your contact details (phone number and email address) so that we can continue to keep in touch with you and give you the support that you need.

Twelve weeks to go
  • Attend our FAQ and Accommodation Webinar

In this webinar, we will provide you information on accommodation, registration steps, what to bring with you, etc. and we will answer any questions you may have. You will receive an email invitation on your personal email address well in advance.

  • Book your accommodation

If you haven’t booked your accommodation yet, we will contact you to advise you on accommodation availability and to check if you need any support from us. Please note that we won’t be able to book accommodation on your behalf.

  • Prepare your original Academic Documents

Students must provide a set of original academic documents (e.g., transripts and graduate certificate) to the IYO office during arrival.  Original documents must arrive in a sealed envelope from your school.  Original English translations sealed by the translator must also be provided if your documents are not issued in English.

Eight weeks to go
  • Attend our Pre-Arrival Orientation

This webinar will cover very specific topics about your arrival on campus.  You may also hear from current international students who joined the university within the last year!    You will receive an email invitation on your personal email address well in advance.

  • Join our Pre-Arrival WhatsApp Community

You will be invited to the WhatsApp Community after the pre-arrival orientation.  Use this to connect with other incoming students and ask questions.

  • Review Pre-Arrival information on Canvas

You will be registered in Canvas following the pre-arrival orientation. Please use the UPP page to review pre-arrival information.

Four weeks to go
  • Book your flight

By now you should have received your visa and you need to make your travel arrangements, so you arrive at the college on time to attend our induction events, collect your timetable and student ID card. We will contact you to request your flight details so we can prepare for your arrival.

  • Pre-arrival emails

Pre-arrival emails will be sent regularly until the end of registration period and will inform you as well as remind you about important next steps and arrival orientation.

Two weeks to go
  • Pay your outstanding tuition fee

We will remind you that your remaining tuition fee will become due and will advise you on how to pay.

0 weeks to go
  • Welcome to the University!

Our friendly team will be there to help you with any information you may need during the Arrival Orientation.

Useful contact information