International Student Affairs

International Student Advisors available to meet with students in person and remotely.
 
You can schedule an appointment through the Navigate Student App or desktop site here. 

However, also we encourage you to email our office with questions or visit during our virtual and in-person drop-in advising hours. Our email address is intaff@saic.edu. 
 

Students who wish to ask questions without an appointment can receive virtual “drop-in advising” by clicking on this Zoom link.

Drop-ins are first come, first served. If an advisor is already speaking with a student, you will be placed in a waiting room. When an advisor is available, you will be moved into the meeting room.

Hours: Tuesday/Thursday from 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. CT

An International student advisor will be available from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Monday–Thursday to answer questions. No appointment needed.

This virtual drop advising hour is dedicated to questions about OPT. If you have any questions about the OPT application process, or maintaining your F-1 status while on OPT, you can visit our office virtually on Fridays from 10:30 - 11:30. Use this Zoom link

These workshops are jointly sponsored and presented by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office and International Affairs. During the workshop students will learn about the steps to obtain an internship and fill out required paperwork to begin looking for an internship. A representative from International Affairs will cover Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization and how this is obtained. Workshops are typically held once a semester.

International Affairs, along with Student Life and the International Student Advisory Board host an annual trivia night where teams of students have the opportunity to learn more about their peers by competing to answer trivia questions about demographics, sports, politics, and culture to win awesome prizes all while enjoying delicious international cuisine.

The Optional Practical Training (OPT) Canvas Class is offered each semester to give students an outline of this F-1 student benefit and the application process. Students in their final semester must complete the OPT Canvas Class in order to be prepared to apply for OPT. 

This workshop is geared toward students who are graduating in the current or next semester. International Affairs invites a professional immigration attorney to outline student options after completing their degree programs. Topics typically include applying for Optional Practical Training, the H-1B, the Green Card process, changing to other immigration statuses, and more.

Each spring semester SAIC awards travel grants degree-seeking students for the sole purpose of education through personal travel. These awards are given through the generosity of a donor and are granted on a noncompetitive basis. Names are drawn at random from submitted applications during an award ceremony each spring. The grants must be used for travel before the following January. Applications are accepted online.

International Affairs hosts a picnic for international students graduating in May of each year. International students are encouraged to join their fellow graduates to celebrate their degree completion with International Affairs and other SAIC staff and faculty. The event is held the week before the commencement ceremonies and is open to graduates and their guests.

In the spring and the fall, International Affairs hosts a mixer for international students. This is a great time for international students to reconnect and meet other international students over drinks and snacks. Past events have included activities such as postcard making, games, and a live DJ.

Documents can be dropped off or picked up at the reception desk in the Sullivan Center, 36 South Wabash, room 1203, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This includes requests for I-20 travel signatures and Social Security Number application support letters or has been directed to pick up documents at our office.

Alternatively, there is an after-hours drop box in the lobby of room 1203. Students can drop off documents in this box at any time. The box will be monitored and checked daily, Monday through Friday, and you will be notified when your document is available.

Terra Dotta Instructions
Terra Dotta Instructions - Submitting Your Confirmation of Final Term Enrollment 
Terra Dotta Instructions - Submitting Your Program Extension Request
Terra Dotta Instructions - Requesting Your Form I-20 
Terra Dotta Instructions - Advisor Request Notification Email Instructions 
Terra Dotta Instructions - Submitting Your Reduced Course Load Request (Medical)

Additional Forms and Resources
Sample Invitation Letter 
Dependent Supplement
International Students Funding Resources Fall 2024   

Travel signatures (p. 2 of your I-20) are valid for 12 months for students and 6 months for graduates on OPT. Students who need a travel signature can request them in one of two ways:

• Virtual Travel Signature Request — Please click here to request a new travel signature. You can request a new travel signature under the request tab of your student profile. A new I-20 with a valid travel signature will be provided to you electronically. 
• In-Person Travel signature — Please bring your SAIC I-20 to International Affairs along with a copy of your current schedule (you can print this from Self-Service). I-20s can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Sullivan 1203 or left in the after-hours drop box in the lobby. Signed I-20s will be available for pick-up by noon the next business day.

A Reduced Course Load (RCL) authorization can be requested through International Affairs by a student who has a recommendation from a medical or mental health professional to enroll less than full-time. Students must obtain approval and authorization before withdrawing from any course that would result in going below full-time. Please contact an advisor with any questions at intaff@saic.edu.

Students should review their program end date located in the “Program of Study” section on page 1 of their most recent I-20. If your I-20 expires before you will complete your program, you must request a Program Extension at least two weeks before your I-20 expires to allow time for processing. You can find instructions on how to submit your program extension request to International Affairs here. 

Please email intaff@saic.edu with questions.
 

Please complete the online OPT workshop in Canvas and submit your OPT Request in Terra Dotta at the beginning of your final semester. To request access to the online Canvas OPT workshop, please email intaff@saic.edu. When you have finished uploading your documents, please email intaff@saic.edu. We will then set up an appointment with an international student advisor to review your paperwork. The advisor will then issue a new I-20 with OPT authorization for you and provide you with instructions for how to prepare and submit your application online to USCIS.

Please email all questions to intaff@saic.edu. If we are unable to answer your question over email or you prefer to speak with an advisor, we can set up an appointment.

The best way to reach an International Affairs advisor is through emailing intaff@saic.edu. However, we do typically respond to voicemails within one to three business days. Please email intaff@saic.edu so we can advise you over email or set up an appointment if needed.

As always, if you are experiencing an emergency, please contact Campus Security at 312.899.1230.

An I-20 authorized for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is necessary for you to work at any off-campus internships. If you are interested in participating in an internship off-campus, please work with CAPX to set up your internship for SAIC credit. After CAPX approves the internship, they will send paperwork to International Affairs. An International Affairs advisor will create your new CPT I-20 and then ship it to you. Do not start any work off-campus until you have received a CPT authorized I-20. Only work during the CPT dates authorized on your I-20.

Please email intaff@saic.edu to start this process. We will send you the documents we need from you to create your new I-20. We will also be able to advise you on if you will need to apply for a new F-1 visa to return to SAIC.  To begin this process contact Academic Advising to be academically reinstated. We will not be able to issue your I-20 until after you have been reinstated by Academic Advising.