Admitted Students: International Students

To be eligible for study at USC, international students need to have a valid non-immigrant visa status. Most international students admitted to USC obtain F-1 visas. To be eligible for study at USC, international students need to have a valid non-immigrant visa status.

F-1 Visa & I-20 Form
The F-1 visa is the most common student visa and is issued to full-time students enrolled in an academic degree program at USC. To apply for the F-1 visa, students must first receive their USC I-20, a three-page form with a USC official’s signature on page 1.

More Information
For more information, please visit these websites:

• Types of Visas
• Help With Your I-20
  From the “Select an Area” drop-down menu, select Undergraduate Admission. From the “Category” menu, select Immigration Matters.
• SEVIS Fees and Regulations, Documentation

Any student not demonstrating adequate English proficiency will be required to enroll in the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC. ALI provides courses designed to improve an international student’s oral and writing skills in English. The number of ALI courses a student may be required to take is determined by his or her performance on the International Student English (ISE) Exam.

To register for the ISE Exam, please visit ali.usc.edu/ise.

Transfer students who have completed coursework at institutions outside the U.S. need to contact the International Education Research Foundation (IERF) to have their coursework evaluated.

Summer Orientation (Fall Admits)
International students admitted to the fall semester should attend one of our summer Orientation events. Passport Verification (PPV) will be required before starting classes on-campus.  Instructions will be given about your PPV  during Orientation and you can visit the website of the Office of International Services (OIS).

Winter Orientation (Spring Admits)
International students admitted to the spring semester should attend our Winter Orientation event in December. Passport Verification (PPV) will be required if you are not currently studying in the United States before you start classes at USC. Instructions will be given about your PPV  during Orientation and you can visit the website of the Office of International Services (OIS).

For more information please visit the USC Orientation website.

Although international students are not eligible to receive need-based financial aid, you may receive USC or outside scholarships to help fund your studies. Scholarship funds will be applied to your student account according to the terms set by the awarding agency.

Please visit financialaid.usc.edu to learn more about how scholarships are disbursed to student accounts.

Visit our Deferral Policy page for more information.