University Center for International Studies Office of International Services
University Center for International Studies Office of International Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Listed below are general answers to OIS’ most frequently asked questions. Please also check our Fact Sheets and My OIS for information. If you cannot find the answer to your question on the OIS website, other ways to contact OIS are as follows:

You can contact the Career Center, or your specific school's career services office. Additionally, as a Pitt student, you can access Interstride, which is an interactive career platform designed to enhance the career exploration and job-search experience for international students.

For Graduate students:
If you would like to defer your admission to a future term, you will need to reach out to your academic school because they will be the ones to approve the request. If you choose to do this, please request that your department inform our office that your deferral to the future term has been accepted.  We will need confirmation from your academic department in order to process your I-20 for a later term.  

For Undergraduate students:
If you would like to defer your admission to a future term, you will need to reach out directly to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (Contact Us - Admissions | University of Pittsburgh) as they will be the ones to approve your request. They will also let you know what process you must follow in order to submit this request. 

We understand that various circumstances don’t allow students to arrive on the date of the OIS International Student Check-In Session.  If you are not able to attend your scheduled check-in, you will need to come in for one of our Make-Up Check-In sessions. Every term, OIS offers make-up Check-In sessions. If you can’t attend our scheduled Check-In Session, please make sure to contact us at oisnew@pitt.edu. We’ll advise you about the next steps to attend the Make-Up Check-In Session.

OIS must activate each incoming international student’s SEVIS record with the federal government. OIS uses the “Check-In” to complete this registration process as quickly as possible for as many students as possible on the same day. OIS staff are required to review a student’s immigration documents and report to the government that the student completed the check-in process. Check-In should be completed as soon as possible after arrival to the United States. You MUST have completed all of the required e-forms in the Pre-Arrival Checklist before the OIS mandatory Check-In session. We update the dates for every semester on our Orientations website.  Please bring your I-20 or DS-2019 to your Check-In!  OIS staff will check that you have uploaded all required documents in My OIS, and if that is complete, they will register you as ‘Active’ in your SEVIS record.

If you need to come to the U.S. after the start date of classes, you need to go through the late arrival process with our office. Please note that the late arrival permission ultimately depends on your academic advisor/academic department. They must confirm that it is okay for you to miss the start of classes, and how much coursework you are able to miss.  After OIS receives confirmation from your advisor/academic department, we can work on issuing you an I-20 with an updated start date so that you can arrive late. If it is the case for you, please make sure to reach out to us at oisnew@pitt.edu. Our New Student team will assist you with the next steps to complete your late arrival process.

You can find more information on how to get your student ID through Panther Central here: Panther Card

The following information is for international STUDENTS only.

Health insurance coverage in the United States is complicated, especially for incoming international students. OIS can’t provide you with direct guidance about which health insurance option is the best for your specific needs, but it’s crucial that you have insurance in the United States during your entire time as a student. All students are offered a health insurance plan that is sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. Some students may choose to purchase a non-Pitt sponsored plan, but these plans may not be as comprehensive. Review OIS’ Health Insurance Requirements for F-1 and J-1 Students for more detailed information about your options. We may not be the best resource to assist the students with health insurance questions since we do not know the plans.  We recommend our students to reach to University of Pittsburgh Benefits Department.
 
  • Student Health Insurance: General Plan Inquiries
    • Benefits Department Customer Support
    • Phone: 1-833-852-2210 
    • Submit an Online Request
    • Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm   
       
  • UPMC Health Plan Enrollment Questions
    • UPMC Health Plan 
    • Phone:1-888-499-6885 
    • Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm 
    • Plan Options

Our office does not provide airport transportation.  The below list includes different airport transportation options from Pittsburgh International Airport:  

  • To travel from the Pittsburgh Airport to the Pitt campus, you can reserve a Super Shuttle in advance that will drive you to campus. You can reserve the super shuttle for any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  
  • If you don't want to take the Super Shuttle, you can take the Pittsburgh Port Authority Bus 28X. You can ride the 28X bus from the airport to Forbes Ave at Bouquet Street (which is 1 stop after Forbes Ave at Atwood Street). Here is the 28X Bus Schedule. 

Not all international students and scholars are required to obtain an SSN, only those who are going to be working on campus should request this letter.  You are able to request a Social Security Number Letter in My OIS, however, please do not request this letter until after you have attended the OIS Orientation and completed your OIS Check-In requirements.  We will be activating records once you have attended both the Orientation presentation and completed the check-in requirements. After that, you are able to request and obtain the SSN letter.  Please review your Pre-Arrival Checklist in My OIS for more information regarding Orientation and Check-In requirements.

Driver’s License:

As an international student or scholar, you can choose any bank that you wish, but many international visitors will open an account with PNC Bank because of its convenience to the university. There are many ATMs located on campus, and there is a branch located just across the street from our office. Here is more specific information: including how to open a U.S. bank account, resources, and other features you might be interested in.

Before you enter the U.S., you will want to make sure to pay the SEVIS Fee (https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.html) for your immigration record.  Once you have your visa and are ready to enter the U.S., be prepared to provide the following documents at the port of entry to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer: 

  • Passport (valid for at least 6 months into the future) 
  • Visa stamp (does not apply to Canadian citizens) 
  • SEVIS Form I-20 (F-1) or Form DS-2019 (J-1)
  • SEVIS fee receipt 
  • Supporting financial documentation 

We also recommend you review the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) travel FAQs before coming into the U.S. Lastly, make sure to complete all e-forms in the Pre-Arrival Checklist in My OIS after your arrival to the U.S. We will need this information to activate your record in SEVIS. 

OIS does not work directly with housing, but here are a couple of suggestions.
 
On Campus (undergraduate students):

Off-Campus:
We would recommend reaching out to the Off-Campus Living website here: Home | Explore Off-Campus Living | University of Pittsburgh  You can also reach out to the University of Pittsburgh's Office of Off-Campus Living at (412) 624-6998 from 8:30 am-4:30 pm Monday through Friday, or via email at ocl@bc.pitt.edu.

Everyone’s case is unique. Our New Student Team reviews these cases on an individual basis. If your visa is denied, or your visa application goes through Administrative Processing”, you should reach out to the OIS staff as soon as possible.

After they look into your case by asking for some information/documentation, they will point you in the right direction.

Unfortunately, OIS cannot advise students or scholars on how to answer questions on federal applications (such as the DS-160). However, we recommend you fill the form accordingly with information as listed on your immigration document (I-20/DS-2019)

Once you receive the immigration document I-20/DS-2019, you must: 

  • Pay the SEVIS Fee
  • Begin the process to apply for an F-1/J-1 visa stamp (note: Canadian citizens do not need to apply for a visa stamp, but they must pay the SEVIS Fee)

To apply for the visa stamp, you will need to show your Form I-20 or DS-2019, valid passport, Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form DS-160 confirmation page), and SEVIS fee receipt.  Here is some additional information on the visa application process and documentation you will need to provide: Student Visa (state.gov)

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and F-1/J-1 students and scholars have to pay a SEVIS fee before the Department of State issues you a visa. To pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee, visit FMJfee.com.  If you are having any issues to pay your SEVIS fee, please reach out to us (oisnew@pitt.edu). Remember: you will need to receive your I-20 or DS-2019 from OIS before you can pay the SEVIS Fee. 

If your spouse will apply for an F-2/J-2 visa so that they can arrive in the U.S. with you;

  • let us (oisnew@pitt.edu) know  
  • then submit the "Dependent Information" e-form in the Pre-Arrival Checklist in My OIS.   

Please note that if your spouse plans to join you in the United States AFTER you arrive, then we can work with you to create your spouse's I-20 in the future.

As a reminder, OIS can’t accept any personal identifiable information through email.  You can upload your additional financial document(s) by submitting a new “Financial Information” e-form in the Pre-Arrival Checklist via My OIS. 

Your academic department will provide OIS with a digital copy of your admission letter and some other basic details. Then, you will receive an email from our office about the steps that you need to take to request your I-20/DS-2019. We use an online system called My OIS to collect the documentation. Generally, we need some basic biographical information, a digital copy of your passport, and digital documentation of your financial support. Review our New Student Information webpage for more specific information, particularly about the financial requirements.  Generally, we can process your I-20/DS-2019 in around 5-7 business days unless we have any further questions. The best way to accelerate the process is to have your financial documentation prepared ahead of time. 

Generally, we need some basic biographical information, a digital copy of your passport, and digital documentation of your financial support. Review our New Student Information webpage for more specific information, particularly about the financial requirements. After OIS receives confirmation of your admission from your academic department, we will send an email about how to log into our system (My OIS) to collect the documentation that we need.