International Student Orientation

Congratulations on your admission to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte! The staff at the ISSO are looking forward to seeing you here soon.

As a newly admitted student for the upcoming semester, use this page to understand what you will need to do to complete International Student Orientation, which has been designed to help you be successful in multiple areas here at the university. Click on the drop down menus below to learn about specific action items that you will need or want to complete after your arrival to Charlotte.

An overview of the full International Student Orientation is found below:

  • Saturday, December 14th, 2024: Online Orientation open and available. See below for details on how to access.
  • Various dates: International TA Testing begins. International TA’s must register for the English Language Assessment.
  • Thursday, January 9th, 2025: In-Person International Student Welcome Event, Rowe Hall Room 130, 9:30 AM (doors open) to 12:30 PM. Lunch provided.
  • January 10th, 2025: Exchange Student Campus Tour & Orientation Meeting; meets outside Popp Martin Student Union Starbucks at 9 AM. The formal orientation session will occur from 10 to 11:30 AM in CHHS, Room 109.
  • January 10th, 2025: On-Campus Employment Workshop, in partnership with the Career Center, 10:00am, Zoom
  • Monday, January 13th, 2025: First day of class for Spring 2025 semester
  • View and sign up to attend one or several in-person orientation events after January 1st, led by continuing student organizers. With activities ranging from game night to a trip on the light rail to Uptown Charlotte, you are sure to meet others and have fun no matter what you do!
Mandatory Online & In-Person Orientation

As a newly admitted international student, you have a lot to learn to succeed here at UNC Charlotte. In this mandatory, online Canvas course consisting of six learning modules designed to prepare new international students to understand the important terms of their visa status, know U.S. cultural and classroom adjustment stages and resources, and how to interact with the ISSO and other useful campus offices, you will gain the tools you need to succeed.

  • Saturday, December 14th, 2024: Online International Student Orientation is available (see link below)
    • Only students INSIDE the U.S. should complete online orientation
    • Students should expect to spend 2.5 hours to complete the self paced orientation

Click Here After 12/14/24 to Access the Online Orientation for Spring 2025

New Spring 2025 international students are also strongly encouraged to attend an in-person welcome event on January 9th, 2025, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm in Rowe Hall.

Mandatory Document Check-In

Module 6 of the Online Orientation course (see above), contains a link to submit your Visa Check In Form through another electronic ISSO system, called the ISSO Portal. You will need electronic copies of your I-94, F-1/J-1 visa stamp, I-20/DS-2019, and passport to complete this mandatory step. It goes without saying that you must have arrived in the U.S. and completed the first 5 modules of Online Orientation before you can begin this step, as the link to the submission form is only found embedded within the Canvas course.

Update Your Address in Banner

After you have arrived in the U.S., you must report where you live (called a Mailing Address) to our office via Banner Self-Service, which is found on My charlotte.edu. This step is mandatory. If you have entered your address correctly, our office will then report this information to the U.S. government on your behalf. To learn how to enter your address correctly per U.S. address conventions, see below:

SEVIS Activation

After you have completed the Online Orientation, successfully submitted your International Student Check-In documents, and updated your address, our office — the ISSO — will report your attendance to the U.S. government automatically. It’s important to know a few things about this: 1) the ISSO has up to 30 days after the first day of class to report your arrival to the government and 2) you will NOT be notified when this action has been completed. You do not need to know exactly when this step occurs within the 30 day period, nor do you need to take any action for this step to occur, beyond enrolling in classes and completing the three previous steps.

Join Student-Led Meet Ups

New students can meet other new students and senior students by joining optional social, student-planned and led meet ups held at the beginning of the semester. From excursions to Uptown Charlotte on the light rail, to indoor volleyball games, yoga and more, attending one (or all) of these optional activities will help you build a network of friends and acquaintances in no time. See “Important Dates”in the page overview of orientation at the top to learn more about the social activities planned for the start of the upcoming semester.

TA Testing, Immunization Requirements, & Campus Employment

All new international students will need to comply with the State of North Carolina’s Immunization requirements. This is mandatory. Students who fail to comply will have their courses dropped approximately three weeks into the semester (forcing to you have to go home early). Whether you get your shots done before arrival or after, get your immunizations done. Period. Bring a copy of your immunization record with you, in English if possible. Have you been offered a TA position your first semester as an international student? International TAs must register for the English Language Assessment, held on various dates. (If you won’t be a TA, you don’t need to do this.) If you’ve been offered an on-campus job (including TA-ships or other opportunities), you will need to complete the I-9 process. You can learn more about this here, though most of the process is completed with the campus Human Resources office.

Check List & Miscellaneous Resources
  • Pay your SEVIS fee and schedule a visa interview.
  • Make housing arrangements either on-campus or off-campus.
  • Get your immunizations done. Bring a copy with you, in English if possible.
  • Think about your required Health Insurance plan & either bring your own plan or purchase from UNC Charlotte.
  • Plan for your finances and payment of tuition and fees.
  • Prepare for academic advising and registration upon arrival at UNC Charlotte. Bring transcripts from your home institution if necessary.
  • Consider purchasing a Meal plan
  • Make your travel arrangements to arrive to the U.S. NO earlier than 30 days from the start date on your I-20.

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Orientation Resources