Welcome to Rice University! The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) has the distinct privilege of working with students that require a visa to attend classes.
This page is for our newest international undergraduates (both new students and transfer students). It contains information about requirements for immigration and onboarding, including orientation activities. We are thrilled you have chosen Rice, and we look forward to meeting you!
The information here provides helpful context for your next steps. Please read everything before proceeding to the OISS Portal webpage.
Step 1: Submitting Documents to the Office of International Students & Scholars
The OISS Portal webpage explains how to complete your online international student profile and submit the documents required for OISS processing. All international students are required to complete this process, regardless of immigration status.
International degree-seeking students typically attend Rice on an F-1 student visa. To apply for an F-1 visa, students need an I-20 immigration document created by Rice. J-visa holders are exchange students that seek a degree at international universities but will attend Rice for one or two semesters.
Occasionally international students attend Rice on other visa classifications, depending on their situation. If you plan to stay on your current visa classification, please consult an OISS advisor.
If you have DACA or undocumented status, please let OISS know if you get a Portal invitation. You are not required to upload documents to the OISS Portal to attend Rice. For more on support and advisement, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/undocumented.
Step 2: Understanding the Financial Costs of Studying in the United States
Students needing the F-1 visa must provide several documents, as outlined in STEP 1 of the OISS Portal webpage. Some of these documents must demonstrate adequate funding for one year of attending Rice and of living in the United States. Financial documents must prove the amount listed on the line for “Undergrads.”
Please note: this listed amount may be higher than what you find in other sources regarding the costs of attending Rice. The amount indicated by OISS includes costs for activities and requirements that are specific to international students, including: Undergraduate International Orientation (UIO), O-Week, health insurance, etc. Most likely, the amount needed to live in the U.S. is higher than what is covered by your scholarship, if you have received one.
Students must be able to demonstrate the full amount indicated by OISS. Proof of that total can be demonstrated across various sources (e.g., scholarship, personal funding). The OISS Portal webpage has more information on accepted financial documents.
Additional costs that you will be responsible for, and that are seldom part of most scholarships, may include the following (not all costs are included here):
• I-901 SEVIS Fee for F visa applicants: $350
• DS-160 visa application fee: $185
• Visa Reciprocity Fee (applies only to certain countries, amount varies)
• Transportation to Houston: (e.g., flights)
• Transportation from Houston airport: as high as $70-100
• Personal items and clothes for Houston life (e.g., rain boots, umbrella, winter clothes, bedding, cell phone, computer)
• Winter Break housing (Rice closes for about a month in between the Fall and Spring semesters – living on-campus may not be an option)
• Summer Break housing (and/or transportation home)
• Medical expenses (health insurance and possible need for medical care beyond what is covered in the health insurance you are required to purchase)
• Emergency expenses (e.g., transportation costs for family member to help, if needed)
For more information, please see the Financial Planning for International Students webpage.
Step 3: Getting Immigration Documentation and OISS Info Packet
After completing your online international student profile in OISS Portal and submitting all required materials for the F-1 visa, we will process your immigration documents and send them to you by email.
If you're joining Rice on a visa category other than F-1, you will still receive a welcome email from OISS with important information and reminders.
Step 4: Preparing for Arrival
Upon receiving your Form I-20 from OISS, you can begin preparing for arrival to the U.S.
You can apply for your visa, make travel arrangements, and ultimately arrive in Houston. For more information, including some suggestions of what to bring with you, see our Pre-Arrival page.
You will be busy preparing during the summer (from May to early August)! To prepare for arrival in August, most of you will be paying the SEVIS fee, applying for a visa, completing a mandatory OISS online orientation, and attending Zoom calls with other new and transfer international student students. For the purposes of planning your arrival to Rice, please pay special attention to the dates of the Undergraduate International Orientation (UIO) and O-Week.
IMPORTANT: International orientation is mandatory for all F and J visa students. Please make your travel plans accordingly. All international students must also complete a mandatory immigration check-in with OISS.
Step 5: Arriving in the U.S. & Required New Student Orientations
Arriving at Rice is an exciting and busy time for new internationals. You will meet new people, make new friends, adjust to life in a new culture, all while fulfilling your immigration obligations. Plan to arrive at Rice time to attend all mandatory programs in which you are required to participate:
• OISS Immigration Check-in
• Undergraduate International Orientation (UIO)
• Rice O-Week
OISS Check-in
All international students (regardless of visa type) must complete an immigration check-in process upon arrival to the United States. During the check-in process, OISS will verify that your immigration documents are in order. If you are on an F-1 or J-1 visa, OISS will also validate your arrival in the SEVIS system. For more on this process, please visit oiss.rice.edu/orientation.
UIO
Undergraduate International Orientation (UIO) is required for F- and J-visa holders prior to O-Week. Its information focuses on these visa categories, specifically. During UIO, OISS will review immigration regulations of the F- and J-visa categories, providing time for logistics (e.g., shopping, setting up a bank account, getting a cell phone). UIO also provides time for you to meet with international student leaders (UIO Advisors) and other international students that have just arrived. UIO has a required fee to attend. The UIO webpage will be updated throughout the summer. Please visit it often at oiss.rice.edu/uio.
O-Week
UIO activities will end on Sunday morning. You will then begin O-Week, which is the orientation program for all new and transfer students Rice (both international and domestic). It is a fun-filled experience, but it is long. Make sure to rest up! At O-Week, you will learn more about your Residential College. You will also register for classes and learn about the plethora of student services available to support you both in and outside of the classroom.
We are so excited that you are going to be a part of Rice University!
We encourage you to review other parts of the OISS website, as there is a lot of information relevant to your studies at Rice. Please contact us if you have any questions about the process or requirements. OISS is here to help you. You may contact us by email at oiss@rice.edu or by phone at +1-713-348-6095.