If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will likely need a student visa to study on the Berrien Springs campus. For more details, please go here. 

To receive an F-1 visa, you must first be issued a certificate of eligiblity to study in the U.S. This certificate is called an I-20. You will work with an International Financial Advisor at Andrews University to obtain the I-20, and once you receive your I-20 via email, you will be able to go to a U.S. embassy for an interview to receive an F-1 visa. For more details, please go here. 

Once you begin the I-20 process with an International Financial Advisor, it typically takes several business days to qualify for the I-20 and then several more business days for the I-20 to be emailed to you. 

Once you receive your I-20, you will need to make an appointment at a U.S. embassy for an F-1 visa interview. The wait times for a visa interview vary from embassy to embassy. Please visit the U.S. Department of State Visa Appointment Wait Times webpage. Once there, select the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you to see the estimated wait times for Student/Exchange Visitor Visas.

Please visit the Pre-Arrival Checklist here for details.

If you are coming to Andrews University on an F-1 visa with an I-20, you are permitted to enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date listed on your I-20. 

However, please make sure you have confirmed where you will live on campus while you are studying before you make your travel plans. For residence hall and university apartment contact information, please see the next question.

For questions about on-campus residence halls and/or to reserve a residence hall room, please email rhhousing@36837a.com.

For questions about university apartments and/or to reserve an apartment, please email universityapartments@36837a.com.

The Andrews University Transportation office can arrange a pickup at the South Bend International Airport. For more information, and to confirm the associated fees, please contact the Transportation office directly by going here.

International students on an F-1 visa with an I-20 can work on campus once their program of study starts.

While taking classes, international students can work on campus up to 20 hours per week.

During school breaks, international students can work on campus up to 29 hours per week in the first year of study and up to 40 hours per week after the first year of study.

Undergraduate international students on an F-1 visa with an I-20 must be registered for at least 12 credits every fall and spring semester (and in the summer if summer is the first session of study on the Andrews University campus). 

Graduate international students on an F-1 visa with an I-20 must be registered for at least 8 credits (or 9 credits for MDiv students) every fall and spring semester (and in the summer if summer is the first session of study on the Andrews University campus). Alternatively, graduate international students can enroll in a course that counts as full-time status per an official statement in the university bulletin, and this course alone will meet the enrollment requirements for the F-1 visa.

International students will have an immigration (IM) hold placed during the application process. Once an I-20 is emailed, the IM hold will automatically be lifted within a business day or two, and you will then be able to register for classes.

If you have an IM hold but you are in an immigration status other than F-1 visa status (e.g., U.S. citizen or permanent resident, R-1 visa, J-1 visa, asylum or refugee status, etc.) please email the International Student Services office at iss@36837a.com right away with information about your immigration status.

If you are studying at Andrews University on an F-1 visa with an I-20 you can take one online class per semester to count toward your full-time enrollment requirement. To maintain your F-1 visa in good status, all of the other classes you take to meet the full-time enrollment requirement must be face-to-face. 

You can email International Student Services at iss@36837a.com or call 269-471-6395. If you are on campus, you can also visit our office (Administration Building 307) during regular office hours: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30–5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m.–Noon.

If you have not yet received your I-20 and have questions about the I-20 process, you can email the International Financial Advisors directly at isfs@36837a.com.