Welcome New Fall 2023 International Students!
F-1 and J-1 students are required by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the UC Merced Office of International Affairs (OIA) to attend the New International Student Orientation (NISO). Your arrival is validated/registered in the Department of Homeland Security database SEVIS after attending NISO. This orientation is separate to the university-wide orientation. Both orientations are mandatory for an international student attending UC Merced on a F-1 or J-1 student visa.
Mandatory Check-In
Upon arrival to UC Merced, please check-in by emailing International Students & Scholars (ISS) office at iss@ucmerced.edu, and attach the following documents:
- Copy of your I-94 Admission Record (you can access and print your I-94 from the Customs webpage after your arrival to the US)
- F-1 or J-1 Student Visa (Canadian citizens exempt)
- Completed New Student Check-In Form
Mandatory New International Student Orientation
The International Student Orientation is an opportunity for you to meet your International Student Advisors and also meet other new international students. You will learn about important immigration regulations related to your F-1 or J-1 student visa, campus policies, procedures and resources. (During the Fall semester, there are two separate new international student orientations: One for undergraduate students and one for graduate level students.)
Dates, times and locations may change due to university policy changes. Please check back regularly for more information.
New International Student Orientation for Graduate Students (Master's and Doctorate degree level)
Graduate Students
The Fall 2023 new international graduate student orientation is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, 2023 from 1:30-4:00pm in the Arts and Computational Sciences Building (ACS), Room 120. Please check-in with the Office of International Affairs upon your arrival (before orientation) by emailing iss@ucmerced.edu. Please attach a copy of your visa, I-94 and New Student Check-In Form to the email.
Please direct any questions to ISS at iss@ucmerced.edu or Office of International Affairs at international@ucmerced.edu.
It is important to read all incoming emails from the Graduate Division or Graduate Students Services regarding mandatory training and/or hiring paperwork. You will need your UC Merced Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, your visa, your passport and I-94 to complete hiring paperwork.
New International Student Orientation for Undergraduate Students (Bachelor's degree level)
Undergraduate Students
The Fall 2023 new international undergraduate student orientation is scheduled for Tuesday, August 22, 2023 from 10:00am-12:00pm in Classroom & Office Building 2 (COB2), Room 290. Please check-in with the Office of International Affairs upon your arrival (before orientation) by emailing iss@ucmerced.edu. Please attach a copy of your visa, I-94 and New Student Check-In Form to the email.
Please direct any questions to ISS at iss@ucmerced.edu or Office of International Affairs at international@ucmerced.edu.
