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OISSS > For International Students

Orientation | Check-In | Responsibilities | Departure Notice

Orientation
You may also review the section on Orientation. It includes the Orientation schedule as well as a checklist of important issues you will need to address.

Check-In
Once you have arrived in Chapel Hill please plan to stop by International Student and Scholar Services. Every international student and scholar joining UNC-Chapel Hill is required to check-in before classes or employment begin. In order to complete your "check-in" please bring with you the following documents: your passport, visa document (I-20 or DS-2019) and I-94 (Admission/Departure card). At this time you will be asked to fill out the PR 100 (Information Form), and copies of your documents will be made. International Student and Scholar Services staff can assist you with any questions or concerns that you might have at this time. You will be receiving a welcome packet and information regarding upcoming events.

If you will be working at UNC it is especially important to complete the check-in procedure before you start your job. During check-in you will be given instructions on how to apply for the Social Security Number, how to take advantage of a tax treaty, what documents you need to have in order to get on payroll, etc.

Responsibilities of International Students

All international students who have entered the United States on non-immigrant visas are subject to federal regulations that do not affect United States citizens and permanent residents. It is extremely important for you to pay close attention to your non-immigrant visa status and ask International Student and Scholar Services for advice. These special federal regulations affect foreign students and their families in such areas as taxes, employment, study, and travel. Therefore, you should be aware of the restrictions imposed upon you by your particular visa status.

Please remember that under United States immigration law, the ultimate responsibility for the maintenance of visa status is yours as a foreign national studying or working in the United States. However, the staff at International Student and Scholar Services will assist you with most aspects of your immigration status.

Please do not hesitate to contact International Student and Scholar Services should you have any questions regarding your immigration status. It is usually in your best interest to contact this office before contacting the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), as we are often able to answer your questions.

A word of warning: Please do not rely on your friends, professors, or colleagues for advice regarding your immigration status. Each individual case, in the context of past events and future plans, will need special treatment. Therefore, asking how someone else accomplished a particular immigration task often will not help in your situation and can provide misleading directions with unfortunate consequences.

2. Purchase and maintain health insurance: click on "Mandatory Health Insurance Coverage" at the Campus Health Services website for information.

3. Do not work without proper employment authorization.

4. File federal and North Carolina State income tax forms required of all international students whether or not you earned income in the United States.

5. Change of Address Notification: U.S. Federal regulations require non-immigrants present in the U.S. for more than 30 days to complete and submit form AR-11 (Alien's Change of Address Card) to USCIS within ten days of changing their name or U.S. address. Students in F-1 or J-1 status under UNC sponsorship can report their address via student central under the "immigration reporting section" and ISSS will automatically report the address to USCIS.

6. Carry your I-94 card with you at all times: According to Section 264(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act all aliens 18 years of age and older must carry his/her "evidence of registration document at all times". In the case of an international student, the registration document is the I-94 card.

Departure Notice
If you are leaving UNC-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, then International Student and Scholar Services needs to know. Please complete the Departure Notice and mail it to International Student and Scholar Services.

This form not only enables the University to comply with its federal requirements, but also guarantees that mail, which may arrive at International Student and Scholar Services after your departure, is forwarded to the correct address. Thank you for your help in this critical procedure.