International Orientation and Arrival Information

Spring Orientation

Spring 2010 Orientation will be held on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 in the William Pitt Union. Additional information will be available in November 2009.

OIS expects all new international students to attend the orientation scheduled for the term they are to begin classes.

Pre-registration is required.

Spring Orientation will help new students get ready to start their academic career at Pitt. Topics include: life practicalities, university practicalities, immigration information, health and safety information and more.

Check-In Session (required)

You are required to attend a mandatory two-hour immigration check-in program with the Office of International Services by the starting date on your I-20. The check-in program will provide you with important information on maintaining your lawful status in the U.S. and allow you to fulfill initial reporting requirements mandated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Failure to attend the immigration check-in program within this time frame will end your lawful immigration status. You must check-in before you register for classes or get your Pitt ID.

All check-in sesssions run from 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
You must be pre-registered for a check-in session.

Anyone arriving after 1:15 pm will not be able to check-in during that session.

Please register for one of the following check-in sessions:

Prior to check-in, visit the OIS forms website and fill out the check-in forms. You must bring these completed forms, along with your passport with the visa stamp, your stamped I-20/DS-2019, and your I-94 card, with you to your check-in session. If you are also checking-in any dependants, you must also bring their documents to the check-in session.

International Scholars

OIS holds a New International Scholar Orientation and Check-in session every Friday (except when the University is closed) from 11AM to 12:30PM in the William Pitt Union, Conference Room 700.

Scholars will learn basic immigration regulations relevant to their status, and general information for adjustment to Pittsburgh and the surrounding community, and will also receive informational packets for future reference during their stay.

You are required to bring your immigration documents (Form DS-2019, your passport, and your Form I-94 Arrival/Departure card). Your Check-in process will be facilitated if you bring a completed Check-in and Compliance Form with you to the session. The forms are available here.

To register for OIS check-in and Scholar Orientation, please click here.

Failure to check in with OIS in a timely manner may result in problems with your immigration status in the U.S. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a system designed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to monitor all J-1 scholars, as well as other international visitors, will automatically invalidate the record of any J-1 scholar who does not report to OIS within 30 days of the start date listed on his/her Form DS-2019.