Note: 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. 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
All appointments occur on weekdays, and it is not possible to check in over the weekend. If you registered for a virtual appointment, your CarmenZoom link will be emailed to you the day before your scheduled appointment and sent to the email you used to sign up for an appointment. Please make sure you enter an email address that you check frequently.
We ask that you have a visa or confirmed visa appointment before registering. View the steps to get an F-1 visa.
Students starting in Spring 2025
Check-in registration will open on Monday, December 2, and you will receive an email with a link to register when it opens. Please register only if you have a valid visa or a confirmed visa appointment with an embassy or consulate before January 6.
Step 2 – Arrive in the United States
Make sure you are physically present in the United States for your virtual check-in appointment. Some of the required documents will not be available if you are not physically here.
Step 3 – Complete the Student Record eForm
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 in the appointment.)
- Most recent I-94 – you're only able to access this 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. Please consult these if you have questions. Staff will also be prepared to assist you with the form during your appointment, but please complete as much as you can beforehand. This saves you time as well as our staff members, and it helps ensure we are able to complete everyone’s appointments within the allotted time frame. Once you have filled in your information, save the student record form as a draft. Please do not submit the form yet.
Step 4 – 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. The easiest way to set it up is to download the Duo Mobile app on your mobile device. View instructions on how to set up BuckeyePass and Duo Mobile.
Step 5 – Attend your virtual appointment
If you are unsure of your appointment time or need to reschedule, please let us know beforehand by emailing iss@osu.edu. Have the following documents on hand during your appointment:
- Current Passport
- Current U.S. Visa
- I-94 – please note that you're only able to access this 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 assitance.