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Information for International Students

Payment and Fee Information

Students who do not live in the United States and who are not US citizens are required to submit full payment when they return their I-20 / Certificate of Eligibility form, program Acceptance form, and copy of the “biographical” page of their passport. To facilitate this, an invoice and wiring instructions are included in these admission packets.

We ask for this, in part, because there are bank-imposed fees attached to each transfer of funds and for funds that are not in US dollars. If there is a reduction in the amount of times funds are transferred, the total amount of fees charged is reduced – both for the student and for our office.

Additionally, for students who will need an I-20 form, our processing is greatly expedited when we are able to show that a student has already paid in full.

Non-US citizens living abroad are charged a flat $100 application fee. This fee is charged to cover a part of the cost of fund transfers and conversion fees.

Please note: If you must withdraw from the program at any point, the application fee ($100) and program deposit ($300) will not be refunded. For more information on our refund policy, please see the “Academic and Financial Policies” section of your program’s web page.

Students who do live in the United States, but who are not US citizens, may pay the non-refundable $300 deposit – though we ask that this is submitted in US dollars and that it is accompanied by a completed I-20 / Certificate of Eligibility form and a copy of the “biographical” page of your passport. If payment is submitted in currency other than US dollars, conversion fees will be charged.  Full payment is expected three weeks before the start of the student’s program.

Students who do not live in the United States, but who are US citizens, may pay the non-refundable $300 deposit – though we ask that this is submitted in US dollars and that it is accompanied by a copy of the “biographical” page of your passport. If payment is submitted in currency other than US dollars, conversion fees will be charged.  Full payment is expected three weeks before the start of the student’s program.

I-20/Visa Information

All nonimmigrant students are required to obtain the appropriate lawful immigration status (F-1) prior to enrolling in a fulltime program.

Because of the difficulty and expense of forwarding money internationally, we will waive the application fee for international students until after an admission review. If you are admitted, the application fee will be included in your total program cost.
In order to initiate this process, please return the Acceptance form and Certificate of Eligibility I-20 Request form you were sent upon admission, complete both, and return them with your full payment and a copy of the “biographical” page of your passport (if you have one) as soon as possible. (Students who will wire their payments should include a note with the Acceptance form indicating that.)
When our office has received the Acceptance form and Certificate of Eligibility I-20 Request form, the copy of the biographical page in your passport, and your full payment, we will initiate the issuance of your Certificate of Eligibility (I-20). Your documents and full payment must be received by our office no later than 6 weeks before the start of your program in order to allow sufficient time for immigration document issuance and the visa application process.

Once you have received your I-20 from Brown University, you will be able to set up an appointment at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy nearest you. Please follow the guidelines for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate from which you will request your F-1 visa. A listing of U.S. consulates can be accessed at http://usembassy.state.gov/. For information about wait times please go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php
Please be aware that before your appointment to request the visa, you will need to pay a fee of $100 (SEVIS fee) to the US government. In order to apply for the F-1 visa, you will need to provide receipt of payment to the Embassy or Consulate.* Therefore, you must make this payment before your scheduled application for your visa and bring the receipt of payment and the I-20 document to your appointment. Please also be aware that the Embassy or Consulate charges a visa application fee in addition to this SEVIS fee. The appropriate visa application fee will be assessed at the time of your appointment.
CANADIAN RESIDENTS: Although you do not need an F-1 visa stamp to enter the United States in F-1 status, you will need an I-20, and should follow the instructions above for obtaining that document. You must also pay the SEVIS fee and present your SEVIS receipt and I-20 at the U.S.-Canada land border or at the airport, for lawful entry to the U.S. as an F-1 student. Please make sure at the Port of Entry that you receive an I-94 arrival / departure record (small white card) stamped “F-1 D/S” (D/S – Duration of Status).
When you arrive at Brown University, you will need the following to complete your registration:

1. your passport;
2. your I-94 stamped F-1 D/S – Duration of Status, and
3. your original Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) from Brown University.

Please bring these items with you to the Orientation session on the Sunday your program begins.
Students should make every effort to plan their travel to Brown based on a Sunday arrival and check-in time between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Students who arrive after 1 p.m. must check-in at the Office of Residential Life (South Wayland House, 27 Brown Street). Students who arrive after 5 p.m. must check-in at the Department of Public Safety Communication Center in the Faunce Arch (75 Waterman Street). Any student who arrives after 9 p.m. will be housed in a temporary room for Sunday night and will receive their permanent residence hall assignment the next morning at Residential Life.
Students who are arriving from distances greater than 350 miles from Brown University may request to arrive early on the Saturday before their program begins. Permission for early arrival must be requested and approved in advance of the program via the online request form. There is a $100 early arrival fee for students arriving on Saturday.
For more information regarding check-in, please visit Check-In, Orientation, & Departure.
*The US government SEVIS fee requirement became effective September 1, 2004 for students and exchange visitors who use the I-20 form to gain initial F or J status.
For guidance on making the $100 payment, please go to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Form I-901 Online Completion website. The site is used to pay the SEVIS fee required for F and J non-immigrants. The site provides a brief explanation of the fee requirement and describes how to pay online.
If you would like more detailed information on the fee payment process, go to the SEVP website and review the I-901 Fee Frequently Asked Questions page. That site also contains a link to the PDF version of Form I-901.