Congratulations on your acceptance! To begin the process of applying for an F-1 visa, please visit www.fmjfee.com to submit your I-901 SEVIS fee. You will need your SEVIS number and our SEVIS School Code (found on your I-20) to complete the form. Once paid, you can schedule your visa interview at your local US embassy or consulate. To check visa processing times, for your closest embassy/consulate please visit: travel.state.gov/visas.

We recommend reviewing these Tips for your Visa Appointment at least a few weeks before your appointment.

You may enter the US up to 30 days before the start of your program. This date is listed as the "Earliest Admission Date" on your I-20. Please understand that we cannot allow late arrivals. If you are not able to obtain your visa in time to join us by the start of classes, please contact us at gcciso@glendale.edu to request a deferral of your admission. All students are eligible for an automatic deferral of up to one year from their original term of admission. If already approved, you will not need to apply for a new visa but you will need your deferred I-20 to enter the US. If not already approved for your visa, you will need to update your appointment paperwork with the new I-20 (if allowed by your embassy/consulate) or take it with you to the appointment. Please do not cancel any pending appointment. 

The First Year Experience (FYE) Program prepares you for academic success and help you make new friends in a supportive, multicultural environment! This program is intended for first-time college students or those returning to college after some time away. 

As part of this program, you will need to take the one-week long Summer Bridge program. You may take Summer Bridge in-person or online. Please keep in mind that you may only enter the US 30 days before the Fall semester starts (your earliest date of admission is listed on your I-20). This date cannot be changed. If you wish to take the Bridge program in-person, please ensure you register for a session that starts after your allowable admission date. You must enter on your F-1 visa and should not enter the US on a tourist visa or ESTA/visa waiver in order to participate in an earlier in-person Bridge session.

Apply to be an FYE student today! Note: this program is currently offered only for Summer/Fall semester admits. It is recommended that you be accepted to this program before completing pre-orientation and meeting with an academic counselor so that your course schedule can be built according to the program requirements. 

If you are currently in the US on an F-1 visa, and have not yet requested a Transfer to GCC from your current school, please contact their international student office immediately to provide them with our Transfer Instructions sheet. Most schools will also have a form you need to complete with our SEVIS School Code. Our SEVIS School Code is found in on the Transfer Instructions sheet.

You must request a transfer of your SEVIS record no later than 60 days after the end date of your current semester or no later than 60 days after your last day of Optional Practical Training (OPT). Please contact your current school if you are unsure of your specific deadline. 

Please remember that your new I-20 will be issued to you after the start of the semester, unless you are traveling outside of the US before then. You do not need an I-20 during this time and may remain in the US. 

How to Complete International Student Pre-Orientation:

To get started, download the Pre-Orientation Checklist and review the instructions. You will find the required videos and quizzes in the sections below. After you have completed all sections, please submit the Pre-Orientation Completion Certificate AND required Credit ESL Self-Placement Survey (SPS) to our office to clear your registration hold. We expect this program to take a maximum of 85 minutes to complete. You may complete this program at your own pace, but you will not be able to register for classes until all sections have been completed. Please complete International Student Pre-Orientation before the regular orientation program.

Need help? If you get stuck at any time, please use Drop In Counseling to connect with our student workers. They can help answer any questions you have about completing the program.

Module 1: Rules & Regulations (estimated time 60 minutes)

Academic Success Guidelines - Video (13 min.) and Quiz

Immigration: Part 1 - Video (15 min.) and Quiz

Immigration: Part 2 - Video (15 min.) and Quiz

Tuition Office - Video (3 min.) and Quiz

Module 2: A Spotlight on Support Services (estimated time 25 minutes)

Career Services - Video (4 min.) and Quiz

Transfer Center - Video (6 min.) and Quiz

International Student Health Insurance - Video (10 min) and Quiz

Module 3: Activate MyGCC (estimated time 5 minutes)

Activate your MyGCC Account and Student Email Address at https://mygcc.glendale.edu. You may find this Step-By-Step guide helpful.

Module 4: Credit ESL GPS Survey 

The Credit ESL Self Placement Survey assessment is required for all students unless you meet one of the exceptions listed in the Pre-Orientation Checklist. To take the Credit ESL Survey, log into MyGCC, click on "Other Services" and then select "My Credit ESL SPS."

Congratulations! You have completed the International Student Pre-Orientation! Please download and complete the Pre-Orientation Certificate and send it to our office along with a copy of your required assessment results, if required. Please send all attachments in one email. We regret that we cannot keep incomplete submissions. Once we have verified your completion, an appointment will be made for you with an academic counselor to register for courses. Please check your GCC student email regularly so that you do not miss your scheduled appointment! 

Our required Spring 2025 International Student Orientation is designed to help you become a successful student at Glendale Community College. Orientation is made up of a virtual orientation day and an in-person orientation day. Students are expected to attend BOTH a virtual orientation session and the in-person orientation, as the information covered is different. Details for Spring 2025 orientation are coming soon!  

Glendale Community College is proud to partner with International Student Placements to offer housing placements in the local area. ISP offers a wide array of placements including traditional homestays and independent living placements. The program is flexible and affordable. You may also wish to explore off-campus housing. You may find these Tips for your Housing Search helpfull.

Need a roommate?

Complete our Housing Connections Form to connect to other international students looking for roommates. New students must have completed the Pre-Orientation and registration process to gain access to this list. Please complete the Housing Connections form only after you have completed these steps. This process is open to students who have obtained their visas or are physically in the US.

Current GCC domestic students wishing to connect with international students may also request access to this list. Please list your current, valid GCC email address when placing your request.

Housing Costs

Startup costs for new students moving into rentals (apartments, rooms for rent in private homes, rental houses, etc.) can be significant. It is not unusual for students to spend up to $3,000 to $4,000 within their first week in Glendale on their initial rent, utility connection costs, deposits and furniture.

• Rent – Rents for apartments will vary depending on apartment type, number of rooms, location and other factors. Rents for rooms in private homes can also vary. Generally, rental rates for units close to campus are higher than those in the surrounding communities.
• Utilities – Utilities (the cost of paying for electricity, gas, water, and trash pickup services) for apartments is typically not included in the monthly rent. Costs for utilities will vary depending on the number of people living in an apartment and their personal habits. A good, high-end, estimate to use for utilities is $100 – $150/month. Costs for utilities may or may not be included in the rent for a room in a private home – you will need to clarify this with the homeowner. There may also be initial costs to startup and connect certain utilities.
• Deposit – It is common for landlords to require the equivalent of up to 2 – 3 months’ rent as a security and/or damage deposit. You need to be prepared to pay this deposit before moving in. The specifics of how this deposit is collected and returned will be outlined in the lease agreement.
• Furniture – Generally, off-campus apartments for rent are unfurnished. Most rooms for rent in private homes are furnished.

Opening a Bank Account

It is pretty simple to open a bank account after arriving to the US. Most banks will require you to present the following documents in person in order to open an account:

• Passport
• I-20
• Printed I-94
• School ID card or copy of admission letter

Please note: You do not need a U.S. Social Security number in order to open a bank account. However, if you have one, you must provide it to the bank. If you do not have a job in the US, you cannot apply for a Social Security Number and should simply inform the bank you do not qualify for one at this time.

Please note that there may be a delay on funds from bank drafts or checks from a bank in your home country. It may take up to 6 weeks for you to be able to get money from your account if you open it using a bank draft or bank check. If you use cash or traveler’s checks (U.S. dollars), you generally will have immediate access to your money.

Some banks may ask you for a zip code or postal code to continue to their website. Use the zip code for your local address in the US at which you can receive mail. 

Types of Accounts

Most students have two types of bank accounts: checking and savings. A checking account is generally used for regular monthly expenses or bills, and allows you to write checks. You can also open a savings account which earns interest on cash which is not needed immediately. Banks offer various free services, such as free checking, automatic teller, online banking and more. You may want to check on these, including interest rates, before deciding where to bank.

Which Bank to Use

Banks generally offer similar services such as online banking, check/debit cards, access to automatic teller machines, and other common financial services. Banks will have varying fees for services such as electronic transfer – you should check with both your home bank as well as the new bank to see what they charge to conduct an electronic funds transfer before deciding where to bank.

Below is a list of a few multinational banks with branches close to GCC. We recommend browsing their websites to see which bank best fits your personal needs.

Bank of America

CitiBank

Chase Bank

Wells Fargo

Contact Us

Contact us at gcciso@glendale.edu with details about your denial. Please let us know what questions you were asked and how you answered them – the more complete of a “transcript” you can provide us the better. This will help us determine areas in your interview that need improvement. You should have also been given a written notice stating the reason for the denial. Please provide a scanned copy of this document, if provided.

Help Us Make a Difference

The National Association of International Educators (NAFSA) is an organization that advocates for international student issues within the US. One of the agencies they regularly engage with is the Department of State (DOS) Consular Affairs. In response to recent reports about an increase in visa denials from Africa and the Global South, NAFSA, along with other higher education partners, are gathering data to help identify patterns/trends and request DOS to investigate these occurrences.

Please use the Visa Denial Information Collection form to provide details about your visa denial to aid in this study.

^{Please note that DOS will not discuss specific visa applications with anyone other than the applicant and attorney, so we will not be able to obtain details about the cases you report, but all information will help to create an image of potential problems at certain posts around the world.}