Admission to LaGuardia. Your Future Awaits

International students play a very important role at LaGuardia. Because of the college's small class sizes, LaGuardia attracts international students who want an individual, personal approach to their education. Because of our reputation as The World's Community College, students see their own communities actively reflected in our student body while they learn about and interact with students from other communities. The result is a global community that transcends all boundaries and represents the future direction of the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is an international student?

At LaGuardia, an international student is a student who holds a temporary student visa, while enrolled at the college. Immigrants (permanent residents), citizens, refugees, and resident aliens are not international students.

How do I enroll at LaGuardia as an international student?

Step 1

Apply to LaGuardia, You should file the appropriate CUNY Freshman or Transfer Application. This includes TOEFL results, officially translated documents, and a financial statement that attests to your ability to meet all financial obligations.

Step 2

Obtain a F-1 Student Visa, which will allow you to enroll in a U.S. college as an international student. B-1/B-2 Tourist Visas and other types of visas cannot be used to enroll in a U.S. college.

How do I apply to LaGuardia as an international student?

File the appropriate Freshman or Transfer application. If you're transferring from another college, you should file a transfer application, even if you'll have freshman status at LaGuardia (less than 30 credits).

Freshman and transfer applications can be filed online or mailed via the City University of New York's Application Processing Center (UAPC).

Enclose the application fee: which is valid for 2 semesters.

If you're filing online or via the mail, you'll need to send to UAPC (not LaGuardia) photocopies of your secondary school diploma/certificate and transcripts from your secondary school and any post-secondary school you attended. If a transcript is not written in English, you'll also need to enclose a professional translation of it. You must also arrange for your official sealed transcripts to be sent directly from those schools to UAPC.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) â€“ All international students, regardless of how they file their application, must submit scores of TOEFL scores of 450 or above (computerized version scores of 133 or above), unless you are from a country where English is the official language. If your TOEFL scores do not meet this requirement, you can enroll in one of LaGuardia's English Language Center's intensive programs, before applying to the college.

How do I obtain an F-1 Student Visa?

Choose one:

I'm currently in the U.S. with a valid F-1 visa

Obtaining an F-1 visa, if youre already in the U.S. with a valid F-1 visa

Step 1. Complete a LaGuardia I-20 Request Form - An INS Form I-20 is a certificate that indicates you may be eligible for F-1 Student status.

The U.S. government has strict regulations on who can receive this form. LaGuardia can issue the form only to students, who:

have applied for admission to LaGuardia while living outside the U.S. OR
are currently studying in the U.S. and holding valid F-1 Student Visas. Please do not try enroll using a different type of visa, like a B-1/B-2 Tourist Visa. The government could try to deport you.

In addition, applicants must:

have been admitted to LaGuardia Community College for a full-time program AND
plan to register for a fulltime course of study each semester at LaGuardia AND
have sufficient financial support to live and study here for 2 years without employment

Step 1 filing deadline: no later than the 14th day of classes at LaGuardia.

Step 2. Complete a Statement of Financial Resources and submit it and the requested financial documents to: LaGuardia Office Of Admissions, 31-10 Thomson Ave., M-147, Long Island City, NY 11101.

Step 2 filing deadline: no later than the 14th day of classes at LaGuardia.

Once youre enrolled at LaGuardia, dont travel outside the U.S. on your previous school's Form I-20. If you do, youll lose your legal status. If you need to leave the U.S., please get your financial documentation to the Admissions Office quickly so you can travel with the LaGuardia I-20.

Note: If, for some reason, you apply for a new visa other than F-1, you must state clearly on your visa application that you intend to be a student and ask for a "prospective student" notation on your visa.

We recommend visiting the following websites for additional information on student visas:

*The U.S. Department of States Tips for Getting a Student Visa, and Student Visas

*The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services How Do I Become An Academic Student in the U.S.

* The City University of New Yorks International Student Admissions Page

I'm currently not in the U.S

Obtaining an F-1 visa, if youre currently outside the U.S.

Step 1. Complete a LaGuardia I-20 Request Form - An INS Form I-20 is a certificate that indicates you may be eligible for F-1 Student status.

The U.S. government has strict regulations on who can receive this form. LaGuardia can issue the form only to students, who:

have applied for admission to LaGuardia while living outside the U.S. OR
are currently studying in the U.S. and holding valid F-1 Student Visas. Please do not try enroll using a different type of visa, like a B-1/B-2 Tourist Visa. The government could try to deport you.

In addition, applicants must:

have been admitted to LaGuardia Community College for a full-time program AND
plan to register for a fulltime course of study each semester at LaGuardia AND
have sufficient financial support (link) to live and study here for 2 years without employment

Receiving a Form I-20 doesnt guarantee the approval of your F-1 student status by the Immigration and Naturalization Office OR your F-1 student visa by the US embassy or consulate office in your home country.

Note: Some international students may still be able to attend LaGuardia even though they dont qualify to receive the I-20 Form. Please contact your International Student Office if youre not sure.

Step 1 filing deadline: May 30, 2004 for Fall 2004 semester
November 30, 2004 for Spring 2005

Step 2. Complete an Affidavit of Financial Support and submit it and the requested financial documents to: LaGuardia Office of Admissions, 31-10 Thomson Ave., M-14, Long Island City, NY 11101.

Step 2 filing deadline: November 30, 2003 for Spring 2004 semester
May 30,2004 for Fall 2004 semester

Step 3. LaGuardia will send you a Form I-20 and return the original financial documents you submitted with the Affidavit of Financial Support.

Step 4. Take your Form I-20 and your Affidavit of Financial Support to your U.S. embassy or consulate to request an F-1 Student Visa.

Step 5. When youre granted a visa, the embassy/consulate will return the Form I-20 to you in a sealed envelope. Youll need to present this sealed envelope to U.S. immigration officials before youre admitted into the U.S. The inspector will stamp your I-20, take the first 2 pages and return the last two pages to you. Do NOT lose your portion of the I-20 since it is a very important document.

Permission to enter the U.S. will be given to you at your port of entry into the country on a I-94, a small white card stapled into your passport at your port of entry into the States. Remember: your visa is only your travel document.

If, for some reason, you apply for a new visa other than F-1, you must state clearly on your visa application that you intend to be a student and ask for a "prospective student" notation on your visa.

We recommend visiting the following websites for additional information on student visas:

*The U.S. Department of States Tips for Getting a Student Visa, and Student Visas

*The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services How Do I Become An Academic Student in the U.S.

* The City University of New Yorks International Student Admissions Page

After LaGuardia accepts my educational documents, what else do I need to submit?

1. Your personal bank statements that demonstrate your ability to finance or partially finance your education and stay in the United States.

2. A statement of financial support from each of your sponsors. If a sponsor lives in the U.S., you'll need a specific statement of the type of support that will be provided (examples: room & board, personal expenses, etc)

3. Immunization records that show your immunity from mumps, measles and rubella.

Note: You'll also need to take the ACT Placement Tests before you can choose your classes.

For additional information about the admissions process (link) for international students, please visit the City University of New York's website.

Why do I need to prove my ability to afford college and living expenses? How do I do this?

The U.S. government has strict regulations about international students' financial support. Students who can't show adequate financial support will not be permitted to study in the U.S.

This means you'll need to submit proof that you have enough financial support to cover your educational and living expenses without needing to work while you're here. Usually, a sponsor guarantees sufficient money to cover your educational and living costs. A sponsor can be a family member or friend. Students may even sponsor themselves.

For the 2004-2005 academic year, educational and living costs are estimated at $21,000/year. More than half of this amount is budgeted for room & board. If a New York City-based sponsor is providing free room and board to a student, the required financial support is dramatically less. This sponsor will have to complete and sign a notarized form attesting to the free room and board he/she is providing and provide documents to support this.

New York City is one of the most exciting, dynamic, vibrant cities in the world. It is also one of the most expensive. Inadequate finances can cause international students stress, discomfort and suffering. Please plan realistically about the actual costs of studying and living here.

10 Tips for International Students and their Sponsors

Things to remember when youre preparing your LaGuardia I-20 Request Form:

Proof of a sponsors income should be on his/her employers letterhead, income tax receipts of forms or estimated by a bank if the sponsor is a self-employed businessperson. A companys income is not the same as an owners income and cannot be accepted as proof of the sponsors income. We need the proof of the official salary paid to the sponsor
Only LaGuardia can determine how much money is sufficient. Letters from banks or other entities saying that a sponsor "has enough" will not be accepted. Its okay, however, to say that a sponsors income or savings are "in the high five figures (or low six figures) in U.S. dollars."
All financial papers should be submitted together. Partial documentation will be returned to you so please do not send papers separately.
Every sponsor must submit a complete affidavit stating exactly what he/she will be providing. The sponsor must sign the affidavit in front of a notary public, who will put his/her official seal on the document. If it is modified in any way, the sponsor and notary must both sign next to each change.
You can sponsor yourself, either partially or fully. No affidavits are needed for self-sponsorship. Just supply recent bank statements in your name; the amount of money in the bank account will need to cover 4 semesters (2 full years) of expenses, if you are sponsoring yourself fully.
Sponsors should not promise more than they can afford. Sometimes sponsors promise more money than they can afford with the hope that this will help the student get an I-20 form. This is not true. In fact, we often have to refuse financial documents because a sponsor has promised more money than their income will realistically allow.
It doesnt matter how many sponsors you have, whether they are U.S. citizens or where they live. It is usually easier to get an F-1 Student Visa when at least some of the students support comes from abroad.
Submit only recent, original documents. If the originals are not in English, please supply official translations and convert currencies into U.S. dollars. Documents must be originals and no less than 6 months old. We cannot accept copies or faxes. The originals will be attached to the INS Form I-20 and returned to you, if you are outside the U.S. Supplying English translations and currency conversions will help ensure a timely review of your documents.
Free room and board is worth more than 50% of the estimated dollar amount needed to support a student. This means if a family member in New York will be providing you with a free place to live and free meals, you will need far less money from other sponsors. Youll need to submit an affidavit of free room and board along with a copy of the sponsors property deed or rental lease. If the habitation/apartment is too small or too far from the college, we will not be able to accept it.
Scholarships can be used to qualify for and INS Form I-20. Please submit an award letter from the scholarship committee stating how much you are receiving and for how many years.