Foreign applicants who do not have permanent residency status in the U.S. must follow a two-step process. The first step is the standard IBCS admissions procedure. The second is the application to the U.S. State Department for an F-1 student visa. IBCS is approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to issue foreign students the I-20 form needed to apply for permission to enter the United States for college training. Students admitted to the United States on an F-1 visa are required by law to be registered as full-time students.
IBCS Admissions Process
Apply: Applications should be submitted at least six months before the start of the initial semester to provide enough time for processing of both the application and the student visa.
Documentation: Foreign applicants must demonstrate that they are educationally prepared for college-level work. Foreign academic credentials must be provided in two ways.
- Official transcripts of foreign academic work: Applicants must request, if possible, that transcripts from foreign educational institutions be provided directly to IBCS. If needed, the applicant must also provide an English translation of the transcript.
- Verification of transcripts: Applicants must verify their academic credentials by submitting transcripts to Foreign Credentials Service of America, who will supply IBCS with a statement of academic equivalency. Please contact the IBCS Admissions Office for more information.
English Proficiency
If English is not your first language, you must demonstrate to the Admissions Committee that you have enough skill in academic-level English to be successful. This skill is demonstrated by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT. A score of 76 is considered adequate for the academic language level of our programs. You can register for the TOEFL iBT here. Our institution code is B592. Follow the links below for some good advice on how to prepare and for links to practice tests:
Visit the official TOEFL test website to register for the test and to take some practice tests to see if you are ready.
Before an application can be submitted to the Admissions Committee for consideration, all academic documentation must be received by IBCS. These documents become the property of IBCS. After the Admissions Committee considers the applicant’s completed file, they will send to the applicant official notice of acceptance or denial; if the applicant is accepted, further information will be provided about the visa application process.
F-1 Visa Application Process
Foreign students who study at IBCS must come on an F-1 non-immigrant visa. Before a student who has been accepted at IBCS can apply for this visa, the Department of Homeland Security requires IBCS to issue a Form I-20 to verify that the applicant has sufficient financial resources to pay for the cost of travel, living expenses, and education in the United States. Here is the process:
- Accepted student provides personal and financial information to IBCS.
- IBCS issues the Form I-20
- Accepted student registers with SEVIS
- Accepted student applies to the U.S. State Department for the student visa and completes the visa process
You can request more information about the visa process from the Admissions Office.