International Student Admissions and the Form I-20

The first step to becoming an international student at Oakland Community College is gaining admission and receiving the Form I-20. 

Form I-20

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Step 1: Complete an OCC Admissions application

Prospective F-1 international students must complete the online application for admission. 

When to Apply

Admissions applications and Form I-20 requests must be received by OCC on or before the dates listed below. Late requests will not be accepted. 

Prospective International Students
Students who are currently outside the United States and require an initial Form I-20 OR students currently in the United States with plans to depart and apply for a student visa.
 
• Fall - June 1 
• Winter - September 14 
• Summer - February 1 
 
Transfer Students 
Students who have an ACTIVE F-1 status at another college or university and wish to transfer to OCC for a future semester.

• Fall - August 5 
• Winter - December 12 
• Summer - April 15 
 
Change of Status Applicants 
Individuals who have an ACTIVE status other than F-1, who are inside the United States, AND plan to remain in the United States to apply for a Change of Status directly to USCIS without traveling to their home country for a student visa.

Timing of Change of Status (CoS) applications to USCIS depends on the student's current status and its expiration. Learn more about Change of Status applications

Selecting Program of Study in Admissions Portal

All international students are required to select an academic program of study in their admissions application. Students wishing to study ESL are also required to select an academic program. During review of each student’s Form I-20 request ISS will indicate on the Form I-20 an ESL program or an academic major depending on English proficiency. 

Admissions Notifications

When your admissions application is processed you will receive two separate emails – one with your OCC Student ID number along with a link to retrieve your username from Admissions and a second email from Online Services with your Temporary Password.  

Accessing MyOCC

MyOCC is where you will access your student email account, pre-registration steps, register for classes, enter payment information and more.

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Step 2: Request Form I-20

Once the application for admission is approved and you have received your OCC student email and student ID number, you are eligible to request an I-20 with International Student Services.

What is a Form I-20?

An I-20 is a U.S. immigration document issued by an SEVP-certified school to certify that an F-1 or M-1 student has met admission requirements and has proof of sufficient financial resources for their studies. An I-20 is required to apply for an F-1 or M-1 student visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.

How Do I Request a Form I-20?

All requests are available in the F-1 Student Portal under F-1 Requests.  As a reminder, there are specific deadlines for I-20 requests and late requests will not be accepted. You can expect your I-20 (sent electronically) 7 to 10 business days after you have submitted the request. Allow us this time to complete the process before asking where your form is. Please pay attention to your OCC student email as we will notify you if anything is missing.

  
Select your international student status below to open the I-20 request in the F-1 Portal when you are ready:

Prospective students
Transfer students 
Change of Status students 
 
Click the Apply Now button and log in with your MyOCC username and password. Complete all sections of the request including uploading all required documentation. Be sure to click the “submit” button on the top of the request once complete. 

What Documentation is Required for Form I-20?

Prospective International Students:

 Transfer Students:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months into the future
Proof of funds 
Affidavit of Support form 
• Transcripts from current college/university
• Current I-20 
Current I-94
 
Change of Status Applicants: