This is the final Tip of the Week before the start of your fall semester with UMD. We’ll cover information about completing documents check, International Student Orientation, COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Finally, we will provide information on how to apply for a Social Security Number. 

Immigration documents check is required of all newly arriving students. On July 26th, the eform section "Documents Check (required)" opened to all students. This final eform must be completed after you arrive in the US. The documents check process requires you to upload your F1/J1 visa as well as a copy of your I94 record that shows your arrival into the US.

Once you submit the documents check eform an ISSS advisor will review your documents to ensure your status was documented properly at the port of entry and will activate your I-20. All students will receive an email from ISSS indicating your documents were reviewed successfully and your I-20 was activated. SEVIS transfer students will receive a new I-20 showing their transfer was completed.  

Activation of your I-20 is needed to maintain your status as well as for successful onboarding to any campus employment and for the Social Security application.

Please note: you must complete the “F-1 Immigration Session Videos (Required)” section of your checklist before you have access to the “Documents Check (Required)” section.

Hopefully, you have already accessed your International Student Orientation course on Canvas and have started to learn about the many resources available to you. 

You can self-enroll here. This 90 second video explains how to access the optional ISSS orientation. 

If you are an undergraduate degree seeking student and have not registered for freshman/transfer orientation, please visit the Undergraduate Orientation and Transition website to register for the next available required orientation. This orientation is required and is where undergraduate students will meet their academic advisor to register for classes.

The Graduate Student Government leads a collaboration with additional UMD student groups to welcome new students from all over the world to their new home at UMD.

Sign up for your free airport shuttle. 

UMD operates a free commuter shuttle service for students, faculty, and staff of the campus. You can find the operations schedule here. You must show a valid UMCP ID.

During the semester, you will need a permit to park on campus or you will need to pay parking meters. Review the UMD Department of Transportation website carefully, parking citations are common for newcomers to campus, so please plan accordingly! 

COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all students, faculty and staff returning to campus for fall 2021 semester. Please visit the health center website for international students to get vaccination details. This website is updated with new information, including any newly approved vaccines by the World Health Organization.

 

We encourage you to review Tip of the Week #7 for details about the vaccine requirements, quarantine and testing protocols.

Have questions about what you need to do to ensure you meet this requirement? Join International Orientation Leaders as they explore the requirements you must meet prior to arriving on-campus.

Social Security numbers are issued for tax purposes only. They are used to identify you within the government’s tax and pension system. Only those with authorized employment are eligible for Social Security numbers.

Visit our ISSS website for detailed information on how to get a Social Security number.

Due to COVID-19 you must have a scheduled appointment to enter a Social Security office. Use the Social Security Office Locator to locate offices in your area to see what offices may have available appointments. You may need to call several offices to find a location that will schedule an appointment.

Applying for Social Security requires a government agency to verify your arrival in the U.S. and your immigration status--you must wait two weeks after your SEVIS record has been activated. Part of the SEVIS activation process includes completing the mandatory online International Student Orientation. Do not apply too early or it will require secondary verification, resulting in longer delays.

English Conversation Partners brings together our UMD community from all over the world to engage in interesting discussions with each other. For 10 weeks during the semester, participants (students, spouses, faculty, staff) meet in groups with a fluent English speaking facilitator. These groups provide an opportunity to learn from one another, make friends, and become more comfortable and confident speaking English. Topics include: U.S. culture, food, travel, politics, and whatever else you like to talk about! Talk to you soon! To learn more about the ECP program, please watch one of our information sessions.

You can find previous Tips of the Week on our website by clicking here!