INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Note:

  • International students must first complete the regular application process on the Application Process page.

  • The following steps are to be completed after an international student has been accepted as a student at DayStar Adventist Academy.

1. Obtain a passport

​If you do not already have a passport from your home country, apply for one as soon as possible.

 ​2. Send a copy of your passport

​Send a copy of the picture page of your passport to DSAA as soon as possible after your acceptance. It is required in order for DayStar Adventist Academy to issue your I-20 document. The I-20 will be sent to you by mail.

3. Pay I-901 SEVIS fee

​Upon receiving your I-20, pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. You will need information from your I-20 in order to pay this fee. For information on paying the I-901 fee, visit the following link: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/paying-the-i-901-sevis-fee.

​4. Apply for F-1 Student Visa

​After the steps above have been completed, make an appointment to apply for an F-1 Visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

​Note: DayStar Adventist Academy only accepts F-1 students. If you need to change your status from a different nonimmigrant visa status (i.e. F-2 to F-1), or to request reinstatement if you have fallen out of student status, use Form I-539. M students must also use this form to extend nonimmigrant status or transfer to another “Student and Exchange Visitor Program-Certified” school.

​Note: Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not require visas to enter the United States as students, although they must present a valid Form I-20 at the time of admission. Additional resources for Canadian visitors to the United States can  be found on the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada website.

5. Arrange Transportation

​After you receive your student visa, arrange transportation from your home country to Grand Junction, Colorado. Then, inform DayStar Adventist Academy of the date and time of your arrival, along with pertinent arrival information, such as the incoming flight number and airline.

​6. Make Copies of Your Documents

​Make at least two copies of each of your documents: one copy to leave with your family and one copy to give to your school officials. 

7. Carry Original Documents While Traveling

​Carry your original documents with you at all times while traveling to the U.S. Do not put them in your checked baggage. You must present both the F-1 Visa and the I-20 to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer  upon arrival at the U.S. port-of-entry. Once you arrive in the U.S. and pass through the border inspections process (either at an airport, seaport or land border), the I-20 will be used as identification and proof of legal and academic status.​

8. Additional Information

  • ​60-day Grace Period: When students complete a study program, they are allowed a 60-day grace period to either 1) depart the U.S., OR request a school transfer, OR 3) change visa status.

  • Understanding your I-20: The I-20 is a multi-purpose document issued by a U.S. government-approved educational institution, certifying that a student has been admitted to a full-time study program and that the student has demonstrated sufficient financial resources to stay in the U.S. The I-20 is officially titled the “Certificate of Eligibility” because it allows an individual to apply for an F-1 student visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. ​

  • Understanding SEVIS: After DayStar Adventist Academy completes your acceptance process, we collect necessary financial support and identification documentation for the admitted student requesting F-1 status. The student’s name and biographic information is entered into a U.S. government database called SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). The SEVIS database processes the information and produces an I-20. The school official (called the Designated School Official or DSO) prints and signs the I-20 and then delivers it to the student. If a student needs to update or change information on the I-20, the DSO makes these requests through SEVIS to produce a new document.  When you are accepted by the U.S. school you plan to attend, you will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). You must pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee.

  • Form I-94: The I-94 “Arrival/Departure Record,” is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document issued to nonimmigrant aliens at the time of lawful entry into the United States at an air or sea port of entry. The Form I-94 is evidence of a nonimmigrant’s term of admission and is used to document legal status in the United States, including length of stay and date of departure. I-94 Fact Sheet
  • Form I-515A: If you arrive at a U.S. port of entry without the required documents, a Customs and Border Protection officer may issue you this form. It allows you temporary admittance to the United States for 30 days. During that time you must send the required documents to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Form I-515A Processing Team or depart the United States. Form I-515A Facts