MIT Graduate International Student Orientation Program
Compliance with U.S. immigration regulations mandates that ALL New/Incoming Graduate International Students in a degree program at MIT must complete an immigration orientation course/session and submit necessary documentation/information upon commencing their MIT program. Therefore, all new/incoming MIT international students need to complete specific steps to ensure the activation of their U.S. immigration status within the U.S. and at MIT by the International Students Office (ISO).
ATTENTION: This is NOT an automatic process; students must be proactive. Students cannot complete their enrollment/registration for the term until they have completed the requirements below.
- Who Is Considered A “New/Incoming Graduate International Student”?
- Required Steps To Activate A U.S. Immigration Status
- Additional Information
WHO IS CONSIDERED A “NEW/INCOMING GRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT”?
- “New/Incoming” students to the U.S., in F or J status.
- “Return from Leave of Absence (RLOA)” students, in F or J status.
- “Transfer-In” students (i.e., “Transfer Students” are defined as students who transferred their current SEVIS record (F or J) to MIT from another U.S. institution/school).
REQUIRED STEPS TO ACTIVATE A U.S. IMMIGRATION STATUS
STEP 1: Complete an ISO ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’
ATTENTION: The ISO ‘Immigration Orientation eCourses’ are exclusively designed for F and J MIT Undergraduate and Graduate degree-seeking students. As well as MIT Non-Degree students (e.g., ASP, Special, & Exchange Students).
Students participating in the Visiting Student Program (VSP) should refer to the ISO ‘Visiting Students FAQ’webpage for guidance on fulfilling their immigration orientation and check-in requirements.
ALL new/incoming degree-seeking Graduate and Undergraduate international students are required to complete their specific immigration status (F-1 or J-1) ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’ and attain a passing grade of 90% or higher on the corresponding (F-1 or J-1) ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse Quiz’.
- Eligible students will be “invited” to their specific immigration status (F-1 or J-1) ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’ by email. The email invitation will be sent to the student’s @mit.edu email address from Canvas.
- If a student does not receive an email invitation to their specific immigration status (F-1 or J-1) ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’ from Canvas and believes they are eligible, they should check their Junk/Spam folders first. If the email invitation is still not there, the student should email iso-help@mit.edu and include their [MIT ID Number, Academic Department and Program, and future MIT program start date].
- Students can complete the ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’ requirement before or after arrival to the U.S.
NOTE: Students should be aware that attending an ‘ISO Virtual Forum’ is optional and does not fulfill the mandatory orientation eCourse/session requirement for students.
What is Covered During a Mandatory ISO ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’?
During a mandatory ISO ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’, students will learn about maintaining their legal U.S. immigration status, gain insights into their U.S. immigration documents, travel requirements and restrictions within and outside the U.S., employment guidelines and restrictions in the U.S., and other crucial information related to adapting and residing in the U.S. while studying at MIT. Additional resources will also be provided.
When completing an ISO ‘Immigration Orientation eCourse’, students should have the below materials on-hand during the eCourse/Session:
- Their most recently issued passport.
- Their MIT-issued Form I-20 or MIT-issued Form DS-2019.
- Their most recently issued I-94 Record, but only if the student is inside the U.S.
- NOTE: Students can only retrieve their I-94 Record after entering the U.S. in F or J status. Students can obtain their I-94 Record online from the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) ‘Get Most Recent I-94’ webpage. If a student is still abroad, they do not have an I-94 Record yet. However, once they enter the U.S., they must obtain this document.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Undergraduate and Graduate students who will come to MIT and attend the MIT Visiting Student Program (VSP) must review the specific VSP webpage for their ‘Immigration Orientation’ requirements.
STEP 2: Complete the Required ‘Immigration Online Check-In’ Process
**ATTENTION: The ‘Immigration Online Check-In’ requirements can ONLY be completed once the student has entered the U.S. in their U.S. immigration status.**
All New/Incoming International Studentsare required to submit the appropriate “Academic Term” ‘Immigration Online Check-In’ e-Forms in iMIT AFTER their arrival to the U.S.
- For example, if a student’s program at MIT will begin in Fall 2025, then the student can only submit the Fall 2025 Check-In e-Forms.
Students can find specific instructions on how to complete their ‘Immigration Online Check-In’ requirements on the ISO ‘Online Check-In’ webpage. The ISO will review and approve a student’s ‘Immigration Online Check-In’ e-Forms, information, and immigration documentation. Therefore, students must follow the specific instructions and guidance listed on the ISO ‘Online Check-In’ webpage.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
English Evaluation Test (EET) for Graduate Students (ONLY)
All New/Incoming Graduate International Students pursuing a degree at MIT and where English was not their primary language of instruction from the age of six through high school are required to attend and complete the English Evaluation Test (EET) requirements. Students can find helpful information and frequently asked questions about the EET on the Comparative Media Studies/Writing (CMSW) website.
Please remember to bring the following to the EET:
- Charged laptop with Google Chrome installed
- Earbuds or wired headphones
- MIT ID (or another government-issued photo ID if you don’t have your MIT ID yet)
MIT Institute Official Graduate Student Orientation
The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) partners with the Graduate Student Council (GSC) and other organizations for planning the Institute’s official Graduate Student Orientation. Students are required to check with their academic department to see if they are holding mandatory departmental/program-specific orientations. In addition to the required ISO Immigration Orientation Session and any departmental/program-specific orientations, the official Graduate Student Orientation also offers helpful sessions. These official Graduate Student Orientation sessions are meant to provide a broad orientation to MIT and life as a graduate student. Therefore, it is helpful for students to attend as many sessions as possible, whether offered by their department/program and/or the Institute’s official Graduate Student Orientation schedule. However, as a reminder, the ISO Immigration Orientation Session is MANDATORY.
** ATTENTION: Students who WILL NOT be entering the U.S. to pursue their MIT program are REQUIRED to contact their ISO AdvisorBEFORE the start date listed on their MIT “Certificate of Eligibility” document(s) (Form I-20, Form DS-2019) **
Additional Questions?
After thoroughly reviewing the ISO ‘Getting Started’ webpages, students with additional questions are encouraged to use the search tool located at the top of the ISO website or consult the comprehensive FAQ section on the ISO ‘Knowledge Base’ webpage. Additionally, MIT students have the option to contact their designated ISO Advisor directly for assistance.
