Late Arrival for New Students

Requirements for Late Arrival

• Must satisfy pre-enrollment requirements such as Orientation (Check-In), the mandatory TB test, etc.
• Must meet physical presence and full-time enrollment requirements for their admitted semester.
• Graduate students must obtain an approval from their academic department prior to requesting the ISSO letter.

ISSO Late Arrival Letter

The ISSO can issue a late arrival letter via iComet that students may use at their visa interview and/or the U.S. Port of Entry. The ISSO will not change the program start date on the I-20 for F-1 visa interview appointments as this falls in line with the UT Dallas academic calendar and the dates we have informed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that school starts.

Although Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. airport might permit students to enter past the program start date, it is our experience that late-arriving students have a stressful time settling in and meeting all the pre-registration requirements (mandatory TB test, orientations, housing, etc). The inability to meet all these requirements may jeopardize a student’s F-1 or J-1 visa status.

The letter does not guarantee visa issuance or entry into the U.S. It simply reduces the likelihood that late arriving students will be turned away at the U.S. Port of Entry. However, being denied entry remains a risk. If late arriving students are turned away, it is generally their responsibility to pay the cost to return to their home country

When to submit?

• Fall admitted students can submit this form on August 01. 
• Spring admitted students can submit this form on December 01.

How to Request Late Arrival Letter

1. Log in to the iComet Portal using your UT Dallas NetID and password
2. On the menu to the left, locate and click ‘Prospective Students’ 
3. Click ‘F-1 Prospective Services Request and click on ‘Late Arrival’
4. Complete all required section of e-Form

If Entering Late

If a student decides to try and enter the country after the first day of classes, they should contact the following areas as soon as possible:

1. Student Health Center (Healthcen@utdallas.edu) to schedule a TB Test.
2. Academic department to communicate about late registration.
3. Intercultural Programs (ICPrograms@utdallas.edu) to meet International Student Orientation requirements.
4. ISSO (ISSOProspective@utdallas.edu) to meet the F-1 Status Workshop. The F-1 Status Workshop is separate from International Student Orientation. Workshops are offered each semester for new arrivals.

Please note, even if a student is allowed to arrive late, they may face the following consequences, but not limited to:

• Late registration for courses
• Limited class availability
• Late registration fees

Late arriving students are required to maintain full-time enrollment throughout the semester. The ISSO will not approve reduced course loads for students who are not able to find the right classes or who are likely to receive poor grades due to late arrival.

Learn more about how to defer your I-20.

In order to keep the same SEVIS ID number, you must defer your admissions and I-20 before the Census Day of the semester you were admitted. There are two steps – the deferral of your academic admission, and the deferral of your I-20.

Step 1: Deferring Your Admission

If you would like to Request to Defer your Enrollment to a later term:

Important: Enrolled students will need to drop their classes prior to the first day of class to be eligible to defer. To drop/withdraw from a course, please follow the instructions at http://registrar.utdallas.edu/registration/

1. Log into your Galaxy account using your Net ID and password
2. Go to Orion and select the Admission Forms option in the Applicant Center
3. Within the Admissions Forms section, select the “Request Graduate Deferment” or “Request Undergraduate Deferment” option
4. Fill out and submit the form by Census Day of the semester you were first admitted to

For questions regarding your deferment of admission request, please contact the Office of Admission and Enrollment at admission@utdallas.edu.

IMPORTANT: If you have deferred your admission once before, you may need to re-apply for admission. Please contact the Office of Admission and Enrollment to check your eligibility.

Step 2: Defer Your I-20

After your admission deferral has been processed and you are admitted to a future semester, you can request a deferred I-20 through iComet.

Step 2: Deferring Your I-20

To defer your I-20, please follow the instructions below:

1. Log into icomet.utdallas.edu
2. Click on “Prospective Students”
3. Click on “F-1 Prospective Services Request”
4. Complete the “Deferral I-20 Request” eForm
   • Upload updated financial documents if applicable

Important: If you were awarded an assistantship/scholarship previously, for more information refer to the FAQ section.

I was awarded a scholarship. Will it be automatically deferred to the next semester?

• If you have received a scholarship but are planning to defer your admission and I-20, you will need to reach out to your academic department or the department that issued your scholarship.
• It may not be possible to defer your scholarship and your academic department will ask you to re-apply for your scholarship.
• If you do not have an updated scholarship letter, be prepared to show updated funding for Non-Resident estimated expenses on your I-20 Deferral Request.
• Make sure your financial documents are valid. If your financial documents no longer meet the financial requirements, you may not be eligible for a deferred I-20 and will need to submit updated financial documents.

I have an assistantship (TA/RA/GA). Will it be automatically deferred to the next semester?

• If you have received an assistantship (TA/RA/GA) but are planning to defer your admission and I-20, you will need to reach out to your academic department. You will need an updated assistantship letter or assistantship affidavit for the ISSO to apply the school funding to your deferred I-20.
• It may not be possible to defer your assistantship, and your academic department may ask you to re-apply.
• If you are unable to obtain an updated assistantship letter or assistantship affidavit, be prepared to show updated funding for Non-Resident estimated expenses on your I-20 Deferral Request.
  • If you need to show further financial documents in addition to your assistantship, make sure your financial documents are valid. Your financial documents must meet the the financial requirements.

When to submit the Deferred I-20 Request?

Schedule an Advising Appointment

If you know that you will not be able to attend the semester by the program start date listed on your I-20, the earlier you start the deferral process, the earlier the ISSO will be able to defer your I-20.

The ISSO can only provide processing times for the deferral of the I-20. For inquiries about admissions processing times, you will need to reach out to the Admissions Office: admission@utdallas.edu

The last day the ISSO can issue the deferred I-20 is Census Day. This means if your admission is not deferred and approved by Census Day, we will not be able to defer your I-20. The SEVIS ID associated with the I-20 will be cancelled and no longer valid.

You must also make sure your financial documents are valid. If your financial documents no longer meet the requirements listed on our website then the ISSO will not be able to defer your I-20.

Monitor your UT Dallas email for important communication regarding deadlines about the deferral process.

For any further questions, please reach out to an ISSO Prospective Advisor here-

Email: issoprospective@utdallas.edu