Pre-Arrival Information for Incoming Students

Once you have been admitted, you will receive an email from VIS with instructions in how to request your Form I-20/DS-2019. Requesting a Form I-20 or DS-2019

Upon receipt of your Form I-20 or DS-2019, review it carefully to confirm the biographical information matches your passport. We issue Form I-20/DS-2019s based on SEVIS Name Standards. Please review the standards here.

If there are any mistakes, please contact our office at vis@stonybrook.edu. 

After you receive your SBU issued I-20/DS-2019, you are required to pay the mandatory, one-time SEVIS I-901 Fee.  

Print a copy of your SEVIS fee payment receipt and have it with you when applying for your F-1/J-1 Visa at a U.S. Embassy and when entering the U.S.

Pay Your SEVIS I-901 Fee 

If you are outside the U.S. and do not have a valid F-1/J-1 Visa, follow the steps here to apply for your student visa at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your home country.

Undergraduate Students: Newly admitted summer and fall undergraduate students apply for housing using the housing portal starting in early April. Spring applicants are administratively placed based on preferences, eligibility, and space in late December and early January.

Graduate Students: New graduate students are housed primarily in Chapin and Schomburg Apartments. Spring new student assignments are administratively assigned. Fall and summer graduate students select a space in June.

Visiting & Exchange Students:  Intensive English Center and International Academic Program students will be administratively assigned a room. No application or deposit is required. Your room assignment will be posted in SOLAR and emailed to you. 

For more information regarding on-campus living, view Campus Residences' website here.

For questions or concerns regarding off-campus living, housing/apartment listings, and other related matters, visit Off-Campus Living.

International Student Health Insurance is mandatory for all international students. Your account will automatically be billed upon course registration. For more information, click here.

All students attending courses on Stony Brook campus must submit all immunization requirements to the Wolfie Health Portal, demonstrating compliance with New York State Health Laws.

If you do not submit the required immunization records, there will be a registration hold on your SOLAR account, and you cannot register for classes until that hold is removed.

All F-1 and J-1 students starting a new program at Stony Brook, transferring to SBU from another U.S. institution, or entering the U.S. with an initial I-20/DS-2019 (this includes those returning from leave) are required to complete the International Student Check-in process. The process differs slightly for F-1 and J-1 students, so please follow the respective instructions carefully.

F-1 International Student Check-In

J-1 International Student Check-In