Fall 2007
Vol. 14/ No. 2

Coming to American

College students are use to running full speed on just a couple hours of sleep and cramming their brains full of information before exams. Nursing students also add a level of time management that is distinctly above most majors.

Now on top of those concerns, add learning English, legal employment issues, OPTs, H-1Bs and other such paperwork, along with the pressure of meeting state and federal deadlines for that paperwork. These are the concerns of the international student.

Depending on the country the student is traveling from, obtaining a visa can be a lengthy process. First the student applies to the University they wish to attend. Upon acceptance they fill out the appropriate paperwork.

The I-20 form shows the student has the funding available to live in the United States , what their intentions are once there and what their ties are to their communities. Then the waits begins. Student can wait anywhere from 10 to 180 days to find out if their visa is approved.

Students must time their arrival in the States to less than 30 days before classes start. Of course, they still have to find an apartment, learn their way around Columbia and get ready for classes.

However, the International Center (IC) has workshops and a mandatory orientation upon their arrival, which helps them navigate through the Mizzou experience.

“To be an international student,” says Jalana Robinson, international student/scholar advisor, “takes a lot of time on the part of the student. Although they are responsible for keeping track of their own paperwork, the IC does have a database that tracks and flags critical deadlines.”

MU International Center