Florida International University Graduate and International Admissions DCF iadmiss@fiu.edu Fax +1 305 348 7441
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Medical Insurance
All international students are required to carry medical insurance, which meets University requirements. A policy is available for purchase online on
from Student Health Services: http://studenthealth.fiu.edu. Health insurance coverage for a full year, August 17, 2017 to August 16, 2018, is $2,141
for a student, $4,282 for a student and spouse, and $2,141 for a child. Students admitted into the Summer term pay an additional premium for
Summer only medical insurance either $604 for Summer A/C or $358 for Summer B/Early Fall, otherwise insurance premiums are paid on an annual
basis and cover Fall term – Summer term.
Current F-1 or J-1 Student Visa Holders
If you are currently holding an F-1 or J-1 student visa and plan to transfer from another U.S. institution to FIU you must also submit a DCF with
supporting documents as indicated above. Your current institution must release your SEVIS record to FIU before your new Form I-20/DS-2019 will
be issued; this happens only after you are admitted to FIU. Therefore, you need to complete the top section of the F-1 Student Transfer Form
(page 5) including your current U.S. address, and have the international student advisor at your current/previous school complete the bottom
section. Once we have received the form and your SEVIS record has been released, we will begin the process to issue a new Form I-20/DS-2019.
Information in SEVIS must be electronically forwarded to FIU before issuance of the new Form I-20/DS-2019 will be possible. Your SEVIS record will
only be released at the end of the term in which you are currently enrolled.
Please do not plan any international travel without making appropriate arrangements for securing your new I-20/DS-2019 in advance. A
minimum of two full weeks processing time is needed for your I-20/DS-2019 to be ready once all documents are received and approved. You
must use a courier service if you leave the country without receiving your transfer I-20; you are strongly encouraged not to leave the country
without your transfer I-20. The Graduate and International Admissions cannot guarantee faster processing time.
Current F-1 or J-1 Student Visa Holder Not in Status
If you are not in status at the time of your admissions offer, there are two options, reinstatement or reentry into the United States. The process of
reinstatement is lengthy and requires the approval by your previous institution, their request to SEVIS to reinstate your record and approval by U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Your previous institution will not submit a reinstatement request, if you are not currently enrolled as
a fulltime student, this includes if you have completed your program or have stayed beyond the 60-day grace period. For reentry, Graduate and
International Admissions will issue you a new initial I-20 and request that you “restart” your F-1 status by reentering the United States. It is not
suggested to make new entry into the United States by way of the Caribbean. Taking a cruise is also not a viable reentry option. Graduate and
International Admissions strongly encourages the issuance of a new I-20 and reentry to the U.S. in most cases. Your new initial I-20 and new
SEVIS number will require you to pay the SEVIS fee; you may not need a new F-1, if your F-1 visa is still valid. Please retain your expired I-20.
Students with Dependents
Students who plan to bring their dependent(s) to the U.S. will require additional financial support to cover the dependents and must complete
page 2 of the DCF form. The additional financial support should be reflected on the student’s DCF form page 3 in the amount of $6,000 for his/her
spouse and $4,000 for each child. Additional insurance for the family of F-1 students is optional, but highly recommended. Medical insurance is
required for all J-2 dependents. F-2 dependents are not permitted to work, but may enroll part-time in university coursework.
I-20/DS-2019 Delivery Options
You may elect to have your I-20/DS-2019 sent to you by courier service, picked up at FIU at the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
office located in the SASC building or sent by standard mail. The courier service is expensive, but it is the only way to ensure timely delivery of your
documents with a tracking number. FIU utilizes University Express Mail Service: https://study.eshipglobal.com
as our courier. Do not sign up with
the courier until you have been admitted. Students who do not choose to use the courier may arrange to pick up or request someone to pick up
their Form I-20/DS-2019 on their behalf. Identification is necessary in order to release the documents, so please make sure to have a Panther ID,
Driver’s License or Passport for picking up documents. Please also bring a copy of the email notification indicating your I-20 is ready for pick-up. It
is not possible to pick-up your I-20 unless you been told it is ready for pick-up. In the case you do not wish to use the courier or have your
I-20/DS-2019 picked up, FIU will send your documents by United States Postal Service to the address included on the DCF. We cannot guarantee
delivery success or the timeline required.
Next Steps
Once you receive your Initial I-20/DS-2019 you should proceed to pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee, schedule an appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
and apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa. For more information on the Next Steps refer to the pre-arrival information provided by International Student and
Scholar Services: https://globalaffairs.fiu.edu/isss/international-students/new-f1-students/
.