Student Guide

Our pre-arrival webinar series for international students is designed to prepare you for your upcoming journey to San Francisco State University. You can find out some of what we discuss in these webinars below and how to join them.

In these live sessions, your Campus Team will provide you with guidance and advice as a newly-admitted international student.

Do you have questions?

All our webinars have a LIVE question and answer session at the end! You will have the opportunity to ask our speakers questions during the meeting and get fast answers! You will also be able to access a recording of the webinars through Canvas. After setting up your SFSU account, contact your campus team so they can add you to the Pre-Arrival course.

Webinar #1- FAQ and Accommodation: Your Options

In this webinar, you’ll get to meet your Campus Team who will be on hand to help you as soon as you arrive in the US.  The webinar will cover a host of topics designed to help answer all your questions and learn about university accommodation, the advantages, and disadvantages of living in privately-owned housing and things to consider before booking.  Topics will include

• Information and updates about applying for your visa
• Accommodation Options: On Campus, Off Campus, Home Stay
  • Where should you live?
  • Why is it important to be close to campus?
  • Scam and Fraud Awareness
• Booking Accommodation Process
  • Deadlines
  • The Importance of Booking Early
  • Deposits and Payments
•  The Cost of Living in the US

Webinar #2- Pre-Arrival Webinar

This webinar will cover very specific topics about your arrival on campus.  You may also hear from current international students who joined the university within the last year! Topics will include

• Fast facts and curriculum
• Immigration reminders
• Health services/insurance
• Student life: what to expect and bring
• Notable dates
• Your journey from the airport to the university
• Welcome activities

📌 Missed a webinar?

No problem — recordings will be available afterwards. If you still have questions, our team is here to help.

Upcoming Pre-Arrival Webinars:

Webinar #1- FAQ and Accommodation: Your Options

Webinar #2- Pre-Arrival Webinar

Applying for your F-1 Visa

In order to avoid delays in getting your visa, it is very important to apply for your F-1 student visa at your nearest US embassy or consulate as soon as you have received your Admission Letter and I-20. You can locate a nearby embassy at this link: https://www.usa.gov/find-embassy. Any delays in receiving your visa will impact your ability to register for your classes and may delay your start term.

The general steps for applying for your F-1 Visa are below:

1. Complete the online visa application (form DS-160) You might need to pay the visa application fee of $185 at this time too.
2. Schedule a visa interview appointment. Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website where you will be interviewed for country-specific instructions. F-1 student visas can be issued up to 365 days before your program start date.
3. Prepare for interview

1. 1. Pay SEVIS I-901 fee at https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.html#  Current fee for F1 student visa is $350.  Your I-20 have your SEVIS ID number at the top (it starts with N and followed by 10 digits) and other information needed to pay the SEVIS fee.
   2. Gather necessary documents- valid passport, visa application (Form DS-160) confirmation page, application fee payment receipt, Form I-20, passport photo (if necessary). Additional documents may be required such as: academic transcript, test scores, proof of financial ability.

1. Attend visa interview

Our team can support you through this process. You can reach out by using this form: Admissions Contact Form

We will request updates on your visa application status. We’d like to know when you applied, when your interview is scheduled and, most importantly, if you were successful!  Once you’ve received your visa, please email your campus team at csmith@oxfordinternational.com

US Visa Application Support

If you have any questions about the US visa application, we’d encourage you to talk to a professional immigration expert.

Oxford International has partnered with the Argo Visa Forge Dynamic. The company provides visa applicants with a one-to-one analysis of their case and then guides them with personalized visa interview strategies. If you need help preparing your visa interview, you can book a consultation with an Argo Visa Expert today.

You must book your accommodation before your arrival to the US. It is advisable to move into your private accommodation a day or two before your program start date, or into your on-campus accommodation on your assigned move-in date, so that you are fully rested and ready to attend!

On-Campus Accommodation

Once you have obtained your student ID number from your admission email and set up your student account, you can start the accommodation booking process with On-Campus housing via this link.  On-Campus housing has many advantages including:

• A safe and supportive staff of Resident Advisors (RAs) to help with housing and roommate issues, as well as secured entry for student safety.
• Close and convenient location that allows you to be on-time for class with no commute with easy access to other university facilities and services.
• Roommates are can be a mix of local and other international students who are great resources to expand your English and learn more about living in the USA.

Once you have applied for housing, we encourage you to apply for early move-in by emailing housing@sfsu.edu with your name, SF State ID, and a copy of your flight itinerary and program acceptance letter. Early move-in is available beginning on the weekend before the program orientation date. There is an additional pro-rated daily charge based on your assigned bedspace type, but this is often much lower than a local hotel (plus transportation) and allows you to settle in before the arrival orientation the following week.

Off-Campus Accommodation

While we understand everyone’s circumstances may be different, we highly encourage students to choose to live on campus during their first two semesters in IYO.  Students who live on campus have convenient access to all campus services, the dining hall, and do not need to worry about additional expenses (such as utilities, internet, furniture, etc.). Students living on campus also perform better academically and have an easier time getting involved with campus activities.

Students who choose to live off campus should carefully consider the distance they will be commuting. Classes tend to be scheduled every day from Monday to Friday. We highly encourage students living off-campus to live at a maximum 30-minute commute for the best personal and academic experience in IYO.

You may also wish to consider a homestay as a way to experience local culture living with a local family. We have partnered with StudentRoomStay who can work with you on placement with a safe, supporting, local family.

We will request updates on your accommodation arrangements so we can promptly assist you.  If you have registered for on-campus accommodation, please also check your personal and SF State email regularly for updates and booking confirmation.

Immediately after you’ve received your visa, book your flight. When booking your flight, please make sure you schedule to arrive on or before the Arrival / Move-in Date, so you have enough time to check-in to your accommodation and join your classes on time. When choosing your arrival airport, be sure to select San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as this is the most convenient option with ground connections to campus and the rest of San Francisco.

We will request information and updates about your travel details, so please email csmith@oxfordinternational.com once you’ve booked your flight.

Airport Pickup

At Oxford, we want you to feel welcome and supported from the moment you arrive. Let us arrange an Airport Pickup Service to take the stress out of your travel so you can focus on your studies and new adventures. If you’d like to reserve our convenient airport pickup service, simply complete this form, then send an email with your flight itinerary to our student support coordinator at csmith@oxfordinternational.com.

The airport pickup service pricing varies by time of pickup:

Your course registration will be assisted by our Campus Team.  Please refer to any instructions provided via email or during the pre-arrival webinar.   As we register you for courses, you will see some class fees appear in your SF State Student Center.  You should NOT pay for these fees, and the university will remove them at a later date in the semester.

Student Systems Access

This step is important for creating your Student ID card, purchasing insurance, booking on-campus housing, and setting up your university email address and enabling your other IT services (such as email, authenticator, etc.).

Along with your I-20, you will receive an instruction checklist as well as your university ID number in your admissions pack.  Please refer to the instructions provided with your admission pack to set up your university account.  Before arrival, we will also ask for your preferences for your first term math course.

If you have not received any of these emails to your personal account, please contact Carl Smith: csmith@oxfordinternational.com and provide us with your correct personal email address.  Please remember that activating your university account is not a class registration.

Arrival Check-In

After arriving in the USA, you will need to come to the campus office for face-to-face check-in, usually during the arrival orientation.

You will need to bring: any remaining payment due, current, valid and in-date passport and relevant immigration documents (e.g. stamped entry, current visa, I-94 arrival record).

You must check-in on arrival.  If you don’t, you will be classed as non-arrival, reported to SEVIS, and dropped from your classes.

During the document check, you will also receive instructions about where/how to pick up your Student ID card and your class schedule.

About one month before the program start date, you will receive an invoice for your remaining tuition from the campus team. We strongly advise that you pay your remaining tuition from your home country as soon as you receive your visa and before you travel to the US. Settling all due payments prior to arrival will allow you to focus on your studies and to enjoy your student life. Without paying your tuition fees, you may not receive your schedule and may have restrictions applied to your university facilities.

You can easily pay your tuition and fees online via Flywire, our preferred payment partner. Flywire provides a secure global payment network that simplifies paying your fees from your home country and countries around the world. Payment options can include bank transfers, credit cards, e-wallets and more, typically in your home currency for most countries.

Your invoice will include a unique Flywire link (or found in your offer letter). Please be sure to contact us for bank details for direct bank transfers.

If you want to discuss your tuition payment, you can contact Carl Smith, the University Pathway Program Director, at <mailto> :csmith@oxfordinternational.com.

Personal Finances

It’s important to contact your bank or credit card company to confirm whether or not you can use your cards in the United States. If you are carrying cash, be sure that you do not carry more than $10,000 USD, as you will need to declare this in customs and immigration.

Many students also opt to open US bank accounts. You should research options that may work best for you. We’ve partnered with Adro Bank to offer international students a simple, reliable, and convenient banking solution.  Adro Bank provides easy account setup from the US and abroad, a service tailored for international students, multilingual support, and easy access to your money. To learn more and open an account, simply visit Adro’s website through this link.

For more information about Adro accounts and sign up, feel free to explore the following links:

Adro Sign Up Walkthrough

Adro Account Comparison

Adro Help Center

We want you to have the best possible student experience: an arrival that answers your questions as well as events and activities that help you settle into your studies and make friends. We strongly advise that you attend lectures from day one in order to have the best possible academic outcome. To enjoy the full student experience, you need to arrive at the university no later than the program start date as stated in your offer letter and I-20.

If you believe you are going to enter the US beyond the program start date, you must request permission to arrive late via this Late Arrival Request Form and email Carl Smith at csmith@oxfordinternational.com. These requests will be reviewed carefully and approval is only granted on a case-by-case basis to ensure you are fully registered once you arrive. You may be contacted by your Campus Team for additional information.

• Visa: Pathways@oxfordinternational.com
• Accommodation: +1 (415) 338-1067  / Email: housing@sfsu.edu
• Forgotten password / technical issues (university systems): +1 (415) 338-1420 / service@sfsu.edu
• Class registration: Carl Smith – csmith@oxfordinternational.com
• Tuition fee payments: Carl Smith – csmith@oxfordinternational.com
• Campus Team: Carl Smith – csmith@oxfordinternational.com

US Visa Application

If you have any questions about the US visa application, we’d encourage you to talk to a professional immigration expert.

Oxford International has partnered with the Argo Visa Forge Dynamic. The company provides visa applicants with a one-to-one analysis of their case and then guides them with personalized visa interview strategies. If you need help preparing your visa interview, you can book a consultation with an Argo Visa Expert today.

Airport Pickup

At Oxford, we want you to feel welcome and supported from the moment you arrive. Let us arrange an Airport Pickup Service to take the stress out of your travel so you can focus on your studies and new adventures. If you’d like to reserve our convenient airport pickup service, simply complete this form, then send an email with your flight itinerary to our student support coordinator at enavarrete@oxfordinternational.com.

The airport pickup service pricing varies by time of pickup:

Arrival time:

• 4:01 AM – 9:59 PM $105
• 10:00 PM – 11:59 PM $180
• 12:00 AM – 4:00 AM $210

Adro Banking

We know that you’re excited to come and study in San Francisco and to make your transition to studying abroad as smooth as possible, we’ve partnered with Adro Bank to offer international students a simple, reliable, and convenient banking solution.  Adro Bank provides easy account setup from the US and abroad, a service tailored for international students, multilingual support, and easy access to your money. To learn more and open an account, simply visit Adro’s website through this link.

For more information about Adro accounts and sign up, feel free to explore the following links:

Adro Sign Up Walkthrough

Adro Account Comparison

Adro Help Center