International Student Orientation and Immigration Check-In are two separate processes, and students are required to complete both.
The U.S. federal government requires that you complete Immigration Check-In with the Office of International Affairs upon your arrival in the United States and before the start of the semester and before classes begin. If you do not check in, your student immigration record will be terminated, and you may be required to leave the United States immediately.
International students arriving at Ohio State must complete the federally mandated check-in if you are a:
- New incoming student
- Transfer student (if transferring to Ohio State from another U.S. institution)
- Students returning from a “gap” period or leave of absence
Step 1 – Register for an appointment
Students starting spring semester 2025 are required to register for a check-in appointment to take place between January 2-3. You should attend an appointment within 24-48 hours of arriving in the United States. Late check-in appointments will be available January 6-10. Only students who have the required documents or a confirmed visa appointment before January 6 should schedule an appointment. View the steps to get an F-1 visa.
All appointments occur on weekdays. A CarmenZoom link will be sent to the email you used to register for check-in the day before your appointment. Make sure you use an email address that you check frequently.
You must be physically present in the United States for your virtual check-in appointment so that all your required documents will be available to complete the check-in process.
Step 2 – Complete the Student Record eForm
Once you arrive in the United States and before your appointment, complete the Student Record eForm. The form will require:
- Your local U.S. address and emergency contact information
- Your immigration documents, which you can upload using a scanner app or pictures from your smartphone. The required documents are:
- Current Passport
- Current U.S. Visa
- Most recent admission stamp (This is a round, blue stamp in your passport. Some airports no longer stamp, so if you did not receive one, let us know during your check-in appointment.)
- Most recent I-94 – you are only able to access I-94 after arriving in the United States
- Ohio State I-20 or DS-2019 (please sign the first page before uploading)
- Form I-20(s) for dependents (spouse or children), if applicable
Read step-by-step instructions or watch the informational video to help you complete your Student Record eForm. Staff will also be prepared to assist you with the form during your appointment, but please complete as much as you can beforehand. Once you have filled in your information, save the student record form as a draft. Do not submit the form.
Step 3 – Set up BuckeyePass
Make sure you set up BuckeyePass, a multifactor authentication service provided by Ohio State, which is required when accessing your different Ohio State accounts. You must have BuckeyePass set up on a device that you will have with you during immigration check-in. To set up BuckeyePass, download the Duo Mobile app on your mobile device. View instructions on how to set up BuckeyePass and Duo Mobile.
Step 4 – Attend your virtual appointment
If you are unsure of your appointment time or need to reschedule, please email iss@osu.edu. You should have the following documents on hand during your appointment:
- Current Passport
- Current U.S. Visa
- I-94 – please note that you are only able to access the I-94 after arriving in the United States
- Ohio State I-20 or DS-2019 (signed by you at the bottom of the first page)
- Form I-20(s) for dependents (spouse or children), if applicable
Questions?
Please email iss@osu.edu for more information or additional assistance.