To apply to UCSC Extension you need:

1. Completed application form*
2. A transfer form* if you are transferring from another school
3. Copies of all previously-issued I-20 forms
4. A signed financial statement and a copy of either your or your sponsor's bank statement (original) showing $25,000 ($36,000 for Science Illustration Program students) in order to prove there are funds available to cover your expenses while studying in the U.S.A.
5. Copy of your passport
6. Copy of your U.S. Visa
7. Copy of all I-94 forms (front and back)
8. Copy of your Employment Authorization Document-EAD (if applicable)
9. $125.00 (non-refundable) application fee
10. Original test results showing TOEFL score 550 paper/80iBT, TOEIC 760 or IELTS 6.5
11. $1500 international student fee, payable at the time of application (includes orientation fee). This fee is refundable up to seven (7) days before the session begins. (A $200 administrative fee may apply.)

All financial documents must be in English.

If you hold any other non-immigrant status and want to change to F-1 status, you will need to apply to UCSC Extension before filing your change of status paperwork. If you are in C, D, K, M status or J with two year homestay limitation, or you are in US with a Visa waiver you are not eligible for change of status. You have to be in status to apply for a change of status. Those in B1/B2 or F2 status cannot enroll full time until a change of status is approved by USCIS.

To apply for a change to F-1 status in the United States, the student must submit the following to USCIS:

1. Form I-539* Application to extend or change nonimmigrant status. Complete the entire form and sign it. The form is available on the USCIS web site at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-539.pdf
2. Original I-20 with student and DSO signature
3. Proof of payment for the SEVIS fee. For more information on the SEVIS fee and for payment go to: www.fmjfee.com
4. Original I-94, front and back
5. Photocopy of Passport Identity pages (face must be legible)
6. Photocopy of Visa page (face must be legible)
7. Photocopy of Financial Support Documents
8. Letter of admission to UCSC Extension for the current term
9. Letter from the student explaining why he/she wants to change status to F-1 and that he/she intends to return to the home country.
10. $300 filing fee either by check or money order

* To view these documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free copy at: www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html. (Scroll to the bottom of their page.)

Mail the application, fee, and all the supporting documents to the USCIS. Keep a copy of all these documents before mailing them to the USCIS.

It is the student’s responsibility to follow the instructions and to submit all of the application materials directly to the USCIS.

Once the documents are filed at the USCIS, an official receipt notice will be mailed to you within a week or two. It will have the date the application was received and a case number. Keep this notice as it is very important. You’ll need this case number to check your case status on-line. You can check the application’s status at: www.uscis.gov

After receiving the approval notice from the USCIS, the student will need to meet with the Immigration Advisor so that we can review and copy your approval notice and to register your record in the SEVIS database.

IMPORTANT: All F-1 Students must be registered in SEVIS within 30 days of the begin date on their I-20. Students risk losing F status if the record is not registered.