Foreign Applicants

As a non-immigrant student, your stay in the United States will require compliance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Government. These rules and regulations are complex and subject to change. Helpful information is available at www.uscis.gov, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ website; travel.state.gov, an official source regarding U.S. visa policy and procedures; and www.ed.gov/NLE/USNEI, the U.S. Network for Education Information. Internet research will be a valuable resource for the most up-to-date, first-hand information on the appropriate process for your particular situation. Please understand that it is your responsibility to attain current, valid procedural information regarding your specific visa requirements.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(800) 375-5283 or (800) 767-1833 (TTY)
www.uscis.gov

U.S. Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html

To allow time to overcome any unforeseen problems that might arise, be sure to have a valid passport and apply for your visa several weeks before you plan to travel. It is important to remember that applying early and providing the requested documents does not guarantee that you will receive a visa. Also, because each student’s personal and academic situation is different, two students applying for the same type of visa may be asked different questions and be required to submit different documents.

The Registration and Academic Records Office can often answer Visa questions. 

If you find the need to look for longer-term temporary housing than is included in Southwestern's detailed housing information, you may find these options helpful.

If you need to transfer money from abroad, Travelex Global Payments offers a variety of services, including bank drafts, wire transfers, traveler’s checks in U.S. dollars and foreign currency, and foreign currency exchange. They charge a nominal fee per check to convert nearly any foreign currency into U.S. dollars and offer a competitive exchange rate regardless of the amount of the foreign check. Southwestern does not specifically endorse this vendor - it is listed only as an example of a service provider that you may wish to explore. Please consult their website for more information, and contact them directly to determine whether you can benefit from their services.

International students must remember that all law school tuition and fees are required to be paid in U.S. dollars, by check or U.S. money order (payable to Southwestern Law School). Checks must be drawn from U.S. bank accounts or from banks that have branches in the U.S. No money orders in non-U.S. currency will be accepted. Click here for more information on banking.

If you plan to rent or purchase a car in Los Angeles, you should bring an international driver's license with you, as it takes at least a few weeks to get a California driver's license. Please be aware that most banks or stores will not accept an international driver's license as an identification card. However, your passport will work fine for this purpose.

It is mandatory for foreign students to have health insurance while attending Southwestern.

If you chose to obtain a SSN, you must present the following items at a local Social Security Office:

The Social Security Administration will verify your documents before they issue a Social Security card; this process can take one to four weeks. There is no charge to get a Social Security card; it is a free government service. Please contact the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov) for more information and to ensure requirements and procedures have not changed.

Customer Services Representatives can be reached Monday - Friday, 7 am to 7 pm, EST. If you have a touch-tone phone, recorded information and services are available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.