Immigration

All international students planning to study at the University of Richmond must obtain the appropriate visas before traveling to the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) are responsible for implementing and overseeing immigration regulations for non-immigrant students.

There are many immigration regulations that apply to international students visiting the United States on non-immigrant visas. Students should review the compliance form for information about the responsibilities of non-immigrant international students. 

Non-Immigrant Students

  • An F-1 student is a non-U.S. citizen who is pursuing a full-time course of study to achieve a specific educational or professional objective at a U.S. academic institution that has been designated by the DHS to offer courses of study to such students.
  • A J-1 student is a non-U.S. citizen who is enrolled full-time in a non-degree prescribed course of study at an accredited educational institution.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) helps the DHS and DOS monitor F and J category visitors. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is an Internet database that houses information about all international students studying in the United States.