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Check-In Process

WELCOME! Please read all of the information on this page before you click on the link to start your online check in process!

All students seeking entry in F1 status must carefully review the F1 Travel page for important information. Additionally, all travelers must keep informed about COVID-19 related travel guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of State and the Transportation Security Administration. Please check with the airlines prior to any scheduled flight to ensure you have the most up-to-date information for purposes of traveling and any applicable safety precautions.

F-1 students may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date on their I-20. When you, as an F1 student, arrive at the University of Florida to start your academic program, the first thing you must do is complete the Online Check-in process. The link to do the Online Check-in process will be sent to you by email. When you complete and submit the online check-in, UFIC will mark your New International Student Check-In record as Processed. You will receive a message when this step is completed.

New F-1 students must complete all online check in requirements within 30 days of the program start date.

Transfer-in F-1 students must complete all online check in requirements within 15 days of the program start date on their I-20.

Check-in will be online only. 

The University is open Monday – Friday during normal business hours, except on observed holidays and the UF holiday closing period.

The new or transfer-in student online check-in procedure is a three-step process to be completed AFTER you arrive in the US.

Check-In Step 1: To begin or return to your online check-in record, open https://isss.internationalcenter.ufl.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Students.Apply&Program_ID=10038 and follow the instructions on that page You will need to upload a copy or screenshot of your UF I-20, form I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, DS-160 visa application form, passport, F-1 visa, Port of Entry stamp, your MOST RECENT ENTRY I-94 and travel history showing your current entry into the United States. Complete all required steps and click on the button at the top of the page that says SUBMIT APPLICATION.

Check-In Step 2: After you have completed the Online check-in, UFIC will review your documents. You will receive an email if anything is missing from your required documents. Once our review of your check-in materials is completed, we will mark your New International Student Check-In record as Processed. You will receive a message when this step is completed.

Check-In Step 3: U.S. & Emergency Address Update - All international students must report their United States local home physical address (no P.O. Boxes) to the University of Florida as it is required that we have the correct home address for our students at all times. If you have not arranged housing yet, please enter address where you will be staying tonight, then you can update within 10 days of your move in, at your ONE.UF account. The link for these addresses will be in your on-line check in.

Holds

International students will always see the "No Drop Activity - Add Allowed (Term Year) Restrict Dropping of Courses" hold on your account. This hold is specific to each semester, and only takes effect after the drop-add deadline for that term. It is there to prevent you, as an international student, from falling out of status by going below the required number of credits; it does not affect adding classes to your course registration. The No Drop Activity hold is the only hold placed on your account by the International Center and cannot be cleared.

Frequently, students have the immunization hold. To clear this hold, you will have to submit immunization documentation to the Health Compliance Office of the Student Health Care Center/Infirmary. If you have submitted your documentation, but this hold remains on your record, you will need to contact the Health Compliance Office, and follow their directions, to have it removed.

Every semester additional holds, such as the emergency contact hold, are placed on student accounts by other UF offices; these must be cleared before you can have access to your course registration.

Students must follow these instructions to clear any hold:

  • Go to https://one.uf.edu/ > My account > Update my directory profile
  • Click on the heading “My Record” under My Online Services
  • Click on “Holds”
  • Follow the directions to clear the holds. Remember the No Drop Allowed hold cannot be cleared. You will find more information on our website if you need to drop a course.
  • Log out completely, close your browser, and then log back in to verify that the holds were successfully removed.

Additional Information re. Frequently Asked Questions

Students must set up theirGatorLink e-mail account. The Computer Help Desk, in the HUB, next to UFIC South, provides assistance to students needing help with the account setup. All important communication from the university will be sent to the student's GatorLink e-mail account (@ufl.edu). They can also help with WiFi connection.

UFIC usually has free SIM cards for your phone available for your use, with plans for international calling and texting, starting at $25 per month. Check the Information Table outside the UFIC South front door for these cards.

The GATORONE is the official identification of the University of Florida. All requests for a GATORONE for a student, staff, faculty, and spouse/domestic partner can be submitted online at the myBSD portal. For mor information, visit https://businessservices.ufl.edu/services/gator-1-card/.

Social Security Applications: Students with an Assistantship/Fellowship OR other on-campus employment who will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) at the Social Security Administration Office: After your completed check-in, please click here for instructions. You are NOT eligible for a Social Security Number (SSN) unless you have paid on-campus employment, such as an assistantship, fellowship, UF Welcome Center, or Florida Fresh Dining.

Orientations: There are multiple orientations held on campus. The Graduate School and International Center orientations are mandatory.

Be aware of important critical dates and deadlines:

If you receive funding from your home government and need to have your tuition/fees billed to your home government, you MUST submit your copy of the billing authorization to the Bursar’s office. See THIRD-PARTY SPONSOR OVERVIEW for more information.

Present your transcripts/graduation credentials to the Admissions office through https://my.admissions.ufl.edu/account/login. Visit https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/freshman/international for more information.

After you have completed and we have processed your online check-in, and within 30 days after the Drop/Add deadline, we will process your Continued Attendance I-20. We will issue the I-20 electronically and will provide you instructions on how to access the I-20. You must then print the I-20 so that you have a printed paper document in hand whenever you need it. Also, make sure to sign your name and date in the Student Attestation section on page one of the I-20. We recommend that you print the I-20 in color and sign your name in blue ink.

This Continued Attendance I-20 is confirmation that you have checked in, completed your address updates, are registered full time, and that your SEVIS record is active; it will not be issued until you have completed all of the above. Only students who have a paid on-campus job (e.g. assistantship or fellowship, UF Welcome Center, Florida Fresh Dining) or who are a SEVIS transfer student may request the Continued Attendance I-20 prior to the 30 days. All other students must wait the 30 days processing time, including those who wish to apply for a Driver’s License or State ID. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP ALL I-20s ISSUED TO YOU; do NOT discard any of the I-20s you have been issued.

You are NOT able to apply for a Driver’s License or State ID, or complete the car buying process until you have been issued a Continued Attendance I-20. The I-20 will be uploaded to your ISSS account AFTER we verify check-in, local home address updates and full time registration of ALL International Students. The verification process starts AFTER the Drop/Add deadline and may take up to 30 days. You will receive an email at your UF GatorLink account when the Continued Attendance I-20 is ready for you to print out. We recommend that you print the I-20 in color and sign your name in blue ink.

Students who are maintaining status may work part-time on campus while classes are in session. "Part-time” means 20 hours or less per work week. The work week at UF is Friday through Thursday. Visit https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/f-1-student/f-1-status-requirements/employment for more information.

You must purchase Health Insurance.  Visit https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/f-1-student/f-1-status-requirements/health-insurance-f-1-students for information regarding eligible insurance plans for F1 students and dependents.

Bus routes and schedules can be found at go-rts.com. Please keep in mind the buses often do not follow normal schedules between semesters.

If you need to print something, you can use any computer printing station on campus, such as in the Library, which has color printers for printing your I-20, and the Reitz Union, with your Gator1 card.  If you do not have your Gator1 card yet, you may still be able to use the on-campus computer printing stations with your GatorLink email account.

Don’t forget to check out our website!  We have been working hard to update it with lots of helpful information!

Thanks for reading; go back to the top to complete your check in!