Health Sciences Bulletin

Admissions

International Students

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

F-1/J-1 International Student Documentation

Each person planning to study, teach or engage in research in the United States is required to have the appropriate immigration status for that activity. The immigration documents for F-1 and J-1 student status are issued by Visa and Immigration Services at Stony Brook University based on receipt of required supporting documentation, including evidence of admission, English language proficiency, and proof of financial support for the program of study. Non-immigrant students are responsible for obtaining and maintaining the appropriate immigration status for their stays in the United States.

Upon application to Stony Brook University, Visa and Immigration Services will email applicants information on how to log in to accessVIS and submit the electronic request for a Form I-20/DS-2019. Upon submission of the required forms in accessVIS AND admission clearance by the appropriate office (Undergraduate Admissions or Graduate School) your request will be reviewed by an International Student Advisor.

Government regulations require that international students attend the institution that issued the I-20/DS-2019 used for entry into the United States. Transfers between institutions may be possible if a student can show that he or she reported to the original institution with the appropriate clearance. 

Please contact Visa and Immigration Services for any questions related to I-20/DS-2019 issuance or transfers.

In addition to meeting the academic requirements for admission to a graduate or undergraduate program in the Health Sciences, international students are also expected to fulfill the following University and federal immigration and naturalization department regulations:

  1. It is necessary to provide financial documentation, which indicates that the applicant's sponsor(s) has sufficient funding to meet or exceed the minimum financial requirement for one academic year. For details, visit https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/visa/.
  2. Official transcripts and records must be submitted as documentation of academic work. If transcripts are in a foreign language a certified English translation is required in addition to the original documents. All transcripts from a foreign country must also be evaluated by a certified agency in the United States, such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) before starting the admission application process. Applicants to undergraduate programs must submit a course-by-course evaluation. Applicants to graduate programs may submit a document-by-document evaluation. Please note that the submission of official transcripts evaluated through the WES ICAP (International Credential Advantage Package) service is not required.
  3. The TOEFL iBT Speak or IELTS Speak test is required for admission. For all students who do not meet the exemptions described in the Pre-Application tab in this section of the Bulletin, a minimum score of 90 is required for the TOEFL iBT Speak with a minimum score of 22 in each subsection, and a minimum score of 7 for the IELTS Speak test with no subsection below a 6. The Educational Testing Service of the College Entrance Examination Board administers the TOEFL iBT Speak.They are given several times each year at centers in all major cities of the world. The examination must be taken prior to the date for which admission is sought. For further information, contact Educational Testing Services, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, 609-771-7100 or www.toefl.org.  Applicants may take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Speak) tests instead of the TOEFL iBT Speak. Further information is available by contacting the IELTS web site, www.ielts.org.

Notice regarding clinical and practical requirements – Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a work authorization required for F-1 students to participate in off-campus activities, whether paid or unpaid. These activities include internships, practicums, fieldwork, rotations, etc. CPT authorization is required even if the activity is a mandatory part of your program's curriculum.

Authorization for CPT is given in the form of an I-20 endorsed by a Visa & Immigration Services Advisor.  Students may only begin their internship or training experience after receiving their updated I-20, which will list the specific employer or field site, location, and time period as evidence of their authorization.

If your program includes clinical or practical components, it's important to discuss CPT requirements with your program and Visa & Immigration Services as soon as you matriculate.

For further information, international students should email: