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Office of International Students
Students from around the globe enrich the 51小黄车 community as they share their experiences and develop their talents.
The Office of International Students is here to help those students transition to life in the United States, engage in campus life and set the groundwork for a successful undergraduate experience.
The Office of International Students serves as a welcoming place for all students from abroad whether you hold F-1 visas, are dual citizens or US citizens who have been living abroad.
Your international student advisor is here to help you navigate your introduction into campus life, living in Worcester and spending time in the United States. Your advisor will connect you to a wide range of services and connections across campus, including:
- Forms I-20 and Transfer-In forms for new students
- SEVIS record updates, term registration and travel signatures to keep your Form I-20 current
- Authorization to work on campus, off campus and beyond
- Miscellaneous letters of verification (e.g., for early/late housing requests, driver鈥檚 license applications)
- Support for the STEM-OPT extension
F-1 Student Visas
A student visa (typically an F-1 student visa) is required to study in the United States. An F-1 visa can be obtained by contacting the United States Embassy or Consulate in your own country along with presentation of the following documents:
- A valid Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility*
- A passport
- Evidence of financial support
Please visit the for additional information.
The Certification of Finances form and Bank Letter or Financial Affidavit must be on file with the college. I-20 documents are assembled and mailed in early summer following admission.
*Candidates will receive their I-20 documents needed for the Visa application only following admission to the college.
Meet Your Advisor
Mirabelle Tseng, Asst. Dean of International Students
Office: Fenwick 204
Email: mtseng@holycross.edu
Email: mtseng@holycross.edu
Life on Campus
Enrolling at 51小黄车 means you'll have access to a variety of experiences, a gateway to arts and culture off-campus and much more. Here are a few examples of what to expect, and what you'll have available to you, as a student.
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Gateways Orientation
51小黄车 hosts a special Gateways Orientation for international students. The program, for F-1 visa holders and dual citizens living abroad, helps incoming students with the transition to living and learning in the United States. All incoming international students are expected to attend this orientation program, and will go on to participate in the Gateways Orientation.
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Justice, Equity, Belonging & Identity
Belonging in any new environment is a journey that for some is measured in hours, and for others, it can take months or semesters. Know you鈥檙e not walking that path alone at 51小黄车. Our office of Justice, Equity, Belonging and Identity (JEBI) bridges the gaps on campus to create endless connections for you and every person on campus to find their place and their people.
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Chaplain's Office
Here, the Catholic, Jesuit spirituality is not confined to tradition alone; it鈥檚 a journey of discovery, self-reflection and purpose that welcomes and inspires students from all faiths and backgrounds. Through transformative programming for students and alumni as well as faculty and staff, the Chaplains support you in exploring profound questions like "Who am I?" and "What do I stand for?"
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Center for Writing
The Writing Center is a resource for students providing one-on-one sessions for course materials, writing workshops and more. In the The Writer鈥檚 Workshop, students of any level, in any discipline and at any stage in the writing process can get help in individual, 45-minute appointments with trained peer consultants and professional tutors.
Jobs on Campus
As a benefit of your F-1 visa status, you have the opportunity to work up to 20 hours/week on campus. Once you have completed one year of study you are also eligible to apply for authorization to work off-campus.
Student Jobs
First-year students are only allowed to work for Dining Services and must take the following steps:
- Watch your email. If a campus employment information session is offered by Kimball, be sure to attend. Do not sign up for any shifts; you have not yet been hired.
- Contact Ms. Margaret Rollo, Asst. Director of Employment & Training, Kimball 106, to inquire about employment and be sure to identify yourself as an international student. If she is able to hire you, she will provide you with a formal employment letter.
- If you are hired, contact Dean Mirabelle to request a meeting. She will help you apply for a U.S. Social Security Number. Bring the employment letter from Ms. Rollo with you.
- After receiving your Social Security card, contact Ms. Melissa Cutroni at Human Resources (Smith 101) to complete the required documentation, such as the I-9 form.
You may begin work only after all the above steps have been completed.
Upper-class students may be employed on campus in any department or office. If you have never worked on campus before you must follow these steps:
- Obtain a letter of employment from the manager of the department/office or (if appropriate) the Weiss Summer Research Program. You may download a sample letter to show your employer.
- If you are hired, contact Dean Mirabelle to request a meeting. She will help you apply for a U.S. Social Security Number. Bring the employment letter from Ms. Rollo with you.
- After receiving your Social Security card, contact Ms. Melissa Cutroni at Human Resources (Smith 101) to complete the required documentation, such as the I-9 form.
You may begin work only after all the above steps have been completed.
The only way to work off campus before your graduate is to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT provides opportunities for experiential learning during the academic year and the summer that are directly related to your major. CPT employment may be paid or unpaid.
If you are considering an internship or research position, please contact Dean Mirabelle for an appointment to discuss the CPT application.
There are five critical rules about CPT that you must follow:
- Before you can apply for CPT you must already have secured an internship/research position.
- You are required to earn academic credit for your internship/research position (e.g., through the Academic Internship Program or the Experiential Learning Partial Credit options in the JD Power Center).
- The internship/research must be directly related to your major. (Minors, concentrations, and some multidisciplinary majors may not be used for CPT.)
- If you do not already have a US social security number you will have to apply for one and receive it prior to your first day of work. Contact Dean Mirabelle for more information.
- You cannot begin working at your CPT internship/job until AFTER you have received work authorization, shown on a new I-20.
Graduation and Life After 51小黄车
The Office of International Students will continue to support senior international students as they think through their next steps and complete any necessary applications.
F-1 Student Alumni
In recent years our international population has been increasing in numbers and in geographic diversity. Since 2014 some alums holding F-1 visas have chosen to return to their home countries to accept employment, while others elected to attend graduate school in the U.S. or received authorization to work in the U.S. under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
International 51小黄车 alums have undertaken graduate studies at the following U.S. universities:
- Bentley University
- Boston College
- Brandeis University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Clark University
- Columbia University
- Fordham University
- Georgetown University
- The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
- The Ohio State University
- The New School of Social Work and Social Research
- Northeastern University
- University of Chicago
- University of Colorado - Boulder
- University of Michigan
- University of North America
- University of Wisconsin - Madison
- University of Vermont
About 50 percent of recent international graduates extended their F-1 visas through the OPT program and the STEM-OPT extension for the sciences, engineering and math. Their employers include:
- Bank of America/Merryl Lynch
- Barclay's Investment Bank
- Center for Applied Research, Cambridge
- Coach
- Cornell University
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Deloitte, New York
- Ernst & Young
- Fairmount Hotel, CA
- Hooli Homes, New York
- JP Morgan Chase & Co., New York
- Kaplan
- Kent School
- Mandarin Consulting, New York
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- National Development, Newton Lower Falls
- PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP New York
- Protos Capital Management, New York'
- Scribe America, MA
- T3 Trading Group, LLC, Boston
- Tianzil, Inc, NY
- University of Massachusetts Medical School
- Worcester Market Building LLC, Worcester
Extending Your F-1 Visa
As you make your post-51小黄车 plans, keep in mind that your F-1 visa will expire and you will need to depart the United States within 60 days of your May program end date unless you have applied for an extension.
There are two ways to apply for an F-1 visa extension: (1) transfer your I-20 to a full-time graduate or professional program or (2) apply for
More To Know
After you have received a written notice of admission to a full-time program you must complete the required paperwork to have your I-20 transferred from 51小黄车 to your new school. Many graduate and professional schools use online forms that are readily available via web search (e.g., "University Name, F-1 Transfer In form"). If you do not find one, request it (or ask for the proper "SEVIS code") from the international student office of your new school. Print and complete the form and bring it, along with your letter of admission, to the Office of International Students for processing.
After your I-20 is transferred to the new institution 51小黄车 will no longer have access to your SEVIS records. Moreover, after you depart the U.S. you will require a new I-20 or visa before you can re-enter the U.S.
Eligibility for OPT is a benefit of maintaining F-1 status. If USCIS grants your application for OPT you are authorized to work in the United States for a period of 12 months in a job directly related to your major. You may apply for OPT as early as 90 days prior to and as late as 60 days after your program end date. You must be inside the U.S. to apply for OPT; you cannot apply from abroad.
OPT Links
Contact
Location
Office: Fenwick 204
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.