International Student Check-In and Orientation

Dear Victor,

Greetings from the Office of International Affairs at The Ohio State University! We are looking forward to meeting you this summer. Over the next few weeks, we will send you weekly emails to help you plan for your arrival to Ohio State. Please read these messages as they are extremely important in maintaining your immigration status.

These emails are designed to:

• Address the most important topics for incoming international students
• Prepare you for your transition to campus
• Inform you of items required to complete before arriving
• Introduce future Ohio State Buckeyes to what awaits them on campus!

To view a list of upcoming topics and review previous emails, visit our Pre-Arrival Messages page.

We look forward to sending you more detailed information in our upcoming pre-arrival emails. In the meantime, please explore our website and answers to frequently asked questions. You're always welcome to email us at iss@osu.edu with any immigration questions and global-engagement@osu.edu with general orientation and arrival questions.

First important steps

Activate your Ohio State account and email address at my.osu.edu by clicking "Activate Now" in the top left corner. The admissions office should have already emailed you the password. Each student is assigned a lastname.# (frequently called a "dot number"). Your lastname.# will be your username for your Ohio State accounts, and your lastname.#@buckeyemail.osu.edu will be your email address.

If you have trouble activating your account, please contact the Office of the Chief Information Officer at 8help@osu.edu or 614-688-4357.

BuckeyePass is a multifactor authentication service provided by Ohio State, which is required when accessing your different Ohio State accounts. You must have BuckeyePass set up on a device you will have during immigration check-in. You will not be able to complete the process without BuckeyePass. The easiest way to set up BuckeyePass is to download the Duo Mobile app on your mobile device.

Learn how to set up BuckeyePass and download Duo Mobile.

Log into your Applicant Center to:

• Accept your offer of admission by clicking the Accept/Decline link on the main page, even if you already accepted the offer the prior term
• Pay the tuition deposit and/or acceptance fee when accepting your admission using Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express (if required by the program and not already paid)
• Verify/update your contact information

Mandatory Immigration Check-In

The U.S. federal government requires that you complete Immigration Check-In with the Office of International Affairs upon your arrival in the United States and before the start of the semester. If you do not check in, your student immigration record will be terminated, and you may be required to leave the United States immediately.

Check-in appointments will be held virtually on CarmenZoom the week of May 5.

At the beginning of April, you will receive an email with a link to schedule a 30-minute virtual appointment with one of our immigration specialists to complete your check-in requirement that will take place after you have entered the United States. Before scheduling an appointment be sure you have the following:

• A valid visa, or
• A confirmed visa appointment with an embassy or consulate before May 5

Only students who have the required documents or a confirmed visa appointment should schedule an appointment.

Reach out to iss@osu.edu with any questions.

International Student Orientation

International Student Orientation is an online learning experience required for all new and transfer international students.

Online orientation will open on Wednesday, April 16 and you should complete your self-guided orientation by May 6.

• You will be automatically enrolled in the course on CarmenCanvas, Ohio State’s online learning platform
• A confirmation email along with instructions will be sent to your BuckeyeMail account
• The Office of International Affairs will be automatically notified when you complete the online orientation

Later this summer, you will be invited to attend in-person events during autumn semester international student orientation. Attending these events will give you an opportunity to meet many more Buckeyes new to Ohio State.

As a reminder, you should schedule a visa appointment as soon as you receive your I-20. The process to request an expedited nonimmigrant visa interview varies by location. Applicants for student visas usually apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of their permanent residence. Find contact information for embassies and consulates around the world. News and updates about U.S. consulate policies, procedures and requirements can be found through the U.S. Department of State.

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