International Students

Any applicant who is not a citizen of the United States and who does not qualify as a legal resident or resident allowed by Congress to adopt the United States as his/her domicile while at Laredo Community College must meet the admissions requirements for International students. Compliance with all additional requirements, procedures, and restrictions established for the student visa category by the United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) is required for enrollment.

Student Visa Processing Deadlines

Fall Semester (Aug-Dec): May 28
Spring Semester (Jan-May): Oct 15
Summer (Jun-Jul): Mar 4

Applicants must meet the deadlines listed above. If deadlines are not met, the student’s documentation will not be processed in time for student to register for that session/semester.

General Requirements:

Admissions will be granted for full-time status (12 or more semester credit hours), or part-time status (6-11) for Border Commuter students (students thar reside 75 miles from the border). Students must apply for a student visa under the following conditions before an I-20 is issued:

Submit a completed application to the Office of Admissions & Registrar's or by completing the application on-line at www.applytexas.org or www.laredo.edu/admissions.
Foreign high school transcripts that are not in English must have a translation and an evaluation completed by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Evaluations by other agencies not listed on the NACES website will not be accepted. Original transcripts will be returned to the student. A list of NACES agencies can be found at www.naces.org/members.htm.
Complete a Memorandum of Understanding Form. This form outlines specific enrollment and transfer requirements for International students.
We also recommend that you schedule your TOEFL exam during the application process. Visit the TOEFL test website to schedule the test in your home country at www.ets.org/toefl. Passing scores are 500 for the written test and 61 for the internet based test.
Complete a Student’s Financial Responsibility Statement. Proof of financial support documentation is required. Students requesting a re-issuance of an I-20 must submit revised financial support documentation.
All documentation required must be submitted 90 days prior to the beginning of the semester or session that the student is planning to attend.
Admission to Laredo Community College does not imply financial support for International Students. Each student is responsible for acquiring his/her health insurance, supplying his/her own living quarters; food and other personal need items.
Submit an international student's document checklist; this checklist outlines all the documentation that is required to be submitted by the student in order to obtain an I-20. This form must be attached to all the documentation brought in by the student. The student packet is not complete until all documents are received. All forms are available at the Office of Admissions & Registrar's.

How do I obtain an I-20 Sevis Form?

Upon the receipt of the required documents, the Designated School Official for the College will prepare the student visa document, the I-20 form. Compliance with college policy/procedures and the rules of ICE will be enforced. The I-20 form will be forwarded to the applicant through regular mailing services. The I-20 form will not be given to a third party without the expressed written consent of the applicant. The student must take the I-20 form to the U.S. Embassy of their native country for approval.

Document Verification

The student will be responsible to submit the following documents to the Office of Admissions & Registrar's for verification. Documents need to be verified prior to the student being allowed to register for classes.

F-1 Visa Passport
I-20 Form
I-94, Arrival and Departure Record (air, water, land ports) - printed from https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html

International Student Transfer Admissions

Students may request transfer from another institution to Laredo Community College, or from this college to another institution under the provisions of ICE rules. Students must request this process two weeks prior to the first class day for the semester/session for which they intend to enroll. An F-1 student is eligible to transfer if the student:

Is a bona fide non-immigrant student (in-state);
Has been attending a full course of study;
Is in good academic standing with the institution;
Intends to pursue a full course of study at the institution to which the student intends to transfer; and
Is financially able to attend the institution to which the student intends to transfer.

Transfer from Another Institution to Laredo Community College

In order to request and be approved for transfer to Laredo Community College from another institution:

The student must be eligible to transfer by meeting attendance and full course of study criteria.
The student must complete his/her file for full admission to the College and request the issuance of an I-20.
Upon issuance of the new I-20, the student must return the I-20 issued at the previous institution to the Laredo Community College Designated School Official.
The student will be responsible for initial notification to the original institution of his/her intent to transfer.

International Students - On-Campus Employment

Guidelines

May work at any qualifying on-campus job that does not displace a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. (LPR)
May work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session (full-time during those periods when school is not in session or during the annual break).
Should report their work to the Designates School Official and receive a certification letter to present to the Social Security Administration in order to be able to receive a Social Security number.
On-campus employment expires when the students graduate or transfers to another institution.

Not complying with these guidelines may result in a violation of status that could result in the F-1 student having to leave the United States.

International Students - Off-Campus Employment

Employment that is for economic need and does not necessarily have to relate to the student's academic course of study. Student must have remained enrolled for at least one academic year, in status and in good academic standing before USCIS will authorize. USCIS makes case-by-case decisions for off-campus employment for students who can show that new, unexpected circumstances beyond their control have created severe economic hardship. These may include the following:

Loss of financial aid or on-campus employment (if the student is not at fault)
Large increases in tuition or living costs
Substantial decrease in the relative value of currency the student depends upon to pay expenses
Unexpected changes in the financial conditions for a student's sources of financial support
Unexpectedly large medical bills not covered by insurance

An LCC student while under a Student Visa at Laredo Community College must be attending Laredo Community College in order to qualify for student employment.

Transfer from Laredo Community College to Another Institution

The student will notify the Designated School Official, in writing, of his/her intent to transfer as soon as possible after making the decision to do so. Notification from a third party will not be accepted.

International Student Reinstatement

Students whose F-1 status has been terminated for failure to maintain USCIS guidelines, maintain satisfactorily academic progress or have failed to enroll for the required academic semester will be required to file petition for reinstatement. For additional information, please visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.

The USCIS Service Center will process the request for reinstatement and notify the student of the decision to reinstate him/her to student status or of other action to be initiated regarding the student’s non-immigrant status.

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