Coming to Clark

• As a citizen of a foreign country, you must obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in your passport and allows you to seek entry into the United States for the purpose indicated on your visa (e.g. study, research, employment).
• To understand the length of your visa, visit the U.S. State Department’s visa reciprocity page and search for your country and visa type (e.g., “F” for F-1 visa). The length of your visa is not determined by the length of your DS-2019 or Form I-20 but on agreements between your country of citizenship and the United States.

• When you receive your visa document from Clark or USCIS (e.g., Form I-20, Form DS-2019, I-797 Approval Notice), check it to make sure the information is correct. Contact the ISSO if you have any questions or notice any errors on your form.
• Make your visa appointment at a U.S. consulate in your country of citizenship or legal permanent residence. Follow all steps as directed by the consulate where you will be applying for you visa, as procedures vary by county.
  • Schedule your visa appointment as soon as possible to avoid possible delays.
  • If necessary, complete the Form DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application and pay the DS-160 fee.
  • F-1/J-1 Visa Applicants: You will need your SEVIS number to make your appointment. The SEVIS number can be found on your Form I-20 or DS-2019
• F-1/J-1 Visa Applicants: Pay your I-901 SEVIS Fee at least three days before your visa appointment.
• Read Tips for a Successful Visa Appointment
• Prepare your visa application materials, including but not limited to:
  • Your passport, which should be valid at least six months into the future
  • Your visa document (Form I-20, DS-2019, etc.)
  • U.S. passport photos
  • F-1/J-1 Visa Applicants: Your I-901 SEVIS fee payment receipt (F and J visa applicants only)
  • Financial documents, such as your scholarship letter(s), bank statements, or job offer letter from Clark
  • Students: Your Clark admission letter
  • Scholars/Employees: Appointment letter
  • Passports and proof of family relationship for any dependent family members coming with you to the U.S.
    • Passports must be valid at least six months into the future
  • Additional supporting materials as instructed by the ISSO or the U.S. consulate
• The U.S. consulate will provide important instructions regarding the visa approval process, timelines, and pick-up instructions.
• Plan your arrival to the United States.
  • F-1/J-1 Visa Holders: You are permitted to enter the U.S. 30 days or less before the start date printed on your Form I-20 or DS-2019. Contact the ISSO if you will be arriving later than the program start date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019.

Sometimes applicants for visas may face delays or denials for reasons such as missing documents or inability to demonstrate non-immigrant intent. In other cases, a visa application may be delayed due to a security check, which is known as administrative processing. Contact the ISSO if you have any questions.

If you are currently in the United States, contact the ISSO with details about your specific immigration status and situation. The ISSO may recommend that you change your status from within the United States  before joining Clark. In other cases, the ISSO may recommend that you depart the United States and return with a new visa.

Contact the ISSO if you have questions about change of status.

• Know what to expect: Interviews at U.S. consular posts are typically set up so that you are standing at a counter while other people wait and watch in the background. For security reasons, a thick piece of glass typically separates you from the interviewing officer. Before you even get to the counter, you will have to go through a strict security screening process (similar to an airport) and may wait for several hours for your case to be called. Ensure you arrive with plenty of extra time to go through security and prepare for your interview.
• Come with the right documents: It is critical to arrive at your interview with all necessary documents.
• Dress and act professionally: The ISSO recommends wearing business attire to your interview. When speaking to the officer, speak as confidently as you can and maintain good posture.
• Familiarize yourself with your application materials: Most questions you will be asked at the interview will already be addressed in your application materials. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the details of your Clark materials, DS-160, and all other supporting docs before your appointment.
• Demonstrate nonimmigrant intent: Most U.S. visas are granted for nonimmigrant intent. This means that your purpose for coming to the United States is temporary, and you do not intend to stay in the United States. The consular officer may deny your application if they believe you intend to stay in the U.S. permanently.
  • Be prepared to show ties to your home country such as family ties, employment, or property. This may be difficult for a student to show, so be ready to talk about future career plans in your home country.
  • Note: The H1-B visa is considered a dual-intent visa, which means that you can plan to either return to your home country or eventually apply for permanent residency in the United States.
• Biometrics will be collected when you apply for a U.S. visa.
• Consular officers have absolute authority to grant or deny visas, and their decisions cannot be overturned. If denied, you can re-apply for the visa if you can provide additional supporting documents.
• F-1/J-1 students: Be prepared to answer questions such as “Why do you want to pursue this field of study?” or “Why did you choose Clark University?” Your application may be denied if the consular officer suspects that you have accepted Clark University’s offer of admission but do not intend to be a student.
• F-1/J-1 students:Bring financial documentation to show your ability to support yourself during your time in the U.S. — examples include financial aid documents, bank statements, and affidavits of support.
• F-1/J-1 students and scholars: Be prepared to demonstrate your nonimmigrant intent:
  • Outline post-graduation plans upon returning to your home country.
  • Document family ties, business interests and assets in your home country.
  • Discuss job prospects in your home country upon completion of your program.
• Clark employees: Prepare yourself for questions. Be prepared to talk about yourself and your work. For many individuals, it may seem odd to discuss one’s credentials. However, it is important to realize that your eligibility for a particular visa category is almost always dependent on these credentials. When answering questions, you should focus on demonstrating that you meet the legal standard for admission in a particular visa category. Another important consideration is that you should not become too technical while discussing your jobs, as consular officers cannot be expected to possess specialized knowledge in every industry. Finally, we encourage you to speak truthfully, as your credibility is key to a successful interview. Listen carefully to each question, give a complete answer, and do not simply give one-word answers.

F-1 students and J-1 students and scholars are required to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee when applying for a visa for the first time. The SEVIS fee is used to support and maintain the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS) system. The SEVIS fee is usually a one-time fee that lasts the duration of your F-1 studies or J-1 program. You will need to pay a new fee if you take an extended leave of absence from your program or if you return to the United States in the future for a new program.

Only the person on the F-1 student or J-1 student/scholar visa needs to pay the fee. F-2 or J-2 family members are exempt from the fee.

If you are a citizen of Canada, you are not required to apply for a visa before entering the United States to study, teach, or engage in research. However, you must carry an appropriate immigration paperwork from Clark such as your Form I-20, Form DS-2019, or Form I-797 H1-B approval.

There are rules for how early you can arrive in the United States the first time you are traveling in a new visa category.

• F-1 students: You may arrive up to 30 days before the program start date printed on your Clark Form-I-20
• J-1 students and J-1 scholars: You may arrive up to 30 days before the program start date printed on your Clark or J-1 program sponsor DS-2019
• H1-B temporary workers: You may arrive up to 10 days before the validity date on your I-797 Approval Notice. Your earliest arrival date may also be printed on your H-1B visa.
• Other visa types: Contact the ISSO if you have questions about your arrival date.

When you arrive at a port-of-entry to the United States, you will be subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. CBP officers will conduct the Immigration, Customs, and Agriculture components of the Inspections process. A CBP official will inspect your travel documents, ask you questions, and make the final decision about your admissibility to enter the United States.

Be prepared to discuss you reasons for coming to the United States — such as to study, do research, or teach at Clark — and the expected length of your stay in the U.S. You can find more information about the admissions requirements and process on the CBP International Visitors webpage. If you are flying to the U.S., make sure you bring all your travel documents with you in your carry-on and do not put them in your checked luggage as you will not have access to luggage until after you clear customs.

For more information about CBP inspection, you can check out CBP’s Know Before You Go page.

• Unexpired passport that will be valid at least six months into the future on the day you return to the United States
• Your visa document from Clark (Form I-20 / Form DS-2019 / I-797 Approval Notice)
• A valid U.S. visa (exception: Canadian citizens do not require visas)
• Supporting documents such as:
  • Financial documents, such as your bank statements, scholarship letters, or job offer letters from Clark
  • F-1 and J-1 visa holders: Your I-901 SEVIS fee payment receipt
  • F-1 and J-1 students: Your admission letter
  • Employees and research scholars: Your appointment letter
  • Employees and scholars: CV or resume
  • Other evidence that shows your purpose for coming to the U.S.

Upon arrival, CBP gathers travelers’ arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records. This electronic record of your arrival is also known as your I-94. Every time you enter the United States, a CBP officer must update your I-94 with the date you entered and the status (e.g., F-1, J-1, H1-B) with which you were admitted to the U.S. This electronic record is your proof of legal admission into the U.S. in the appropriate student, scholar, or employee status.

After arriving in the U.S., make sure you download a copy of your I-94 from CPB’s I-94 lookup site and ensure that it is accurate. Contact the ISSO immediately if you are not able to locate your I-94 or there are errors; any mistakes need to be corrected right away.

F-1 and J-1 visa holders, and their F-2 / J-2 dependents, should always have an I-94 that indicates an “admit until” date of “D/S.” D/S stands for “duration of status,” which means that you are allowed to remain in the U.S. for as long as your F or J documents are unexpired and you are continuing to pursue your program of study, research, or teaching at Clark. H-1B and other visa holders will have I-94 records that have a specific expiration date.

The main port of arrival in the Greater Boston area is Logan International Airport (BOS), which is served by all major U.S. airlines and many international airlines. From Logan, Worcester can be reached by public transportation (commuter rail), shared van service, taxis, and private car services such as Uber or Lyft. Please note that if you use Uber or Lyft, your pick-up will not be directly outside the terminal, but rather in a designated pick-up place for Ride Apps in the Central Garage. Please visit click here for more information. Peter Pan bus company offers a daily bus service from Logan Airport to Union Station in Worcester.

The most convenient way to get to Worcester is to use a shared van service. The service will pick you up outside of the airport terminal and bring you directly to Worcester. Knight’s Airport Limousine Service provides a shared van service to Worcester.

You can use public transportation to reach Clark. This may be the least expensive option, but it requires you to take multiple forms of public transportation, which can be difficult when you have luggage with you.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), or the “T”, operates an extensive network of subways, buses, commuter rail and ferry lines. From the Airport station, take the T’s Silver Line bus to South Station or Back Bay station where you will take the commuter rail to Worcester. Visit the MBTA web site for fare information, trip and route planners, and schedules.