U.S. Visa Documents

Thank you for visiting Gordon's resource for all forms and items related to your F-1 international student status in the U.S. Please work with Ms. Caroline Dixon ([email protected]) on anything listed here; she is the Director of International Initiatives and Operations, and she is the SEVIS PDSO for Gordon College. 

Undergraduate F-1 Students

• Request an Initial I-20
• Request an Initial I-20 as an Exchange Visitor
• Request an Initial I-20 to Return to Gordon College after an LOA

Master's-Level F-1 Students

• Request an Initial I-20 for Graduate Education (MEd, EdS, Montessori)
• Request an Initial I-20 for Graduate Finance (MSFA)
• Request an Initial I-20 for Graduate Leadership (MA Leadership *summer residency*)
• Request an Initial I-20 for Graduate Music Education (MMEd *summer residency*)

All F-1 Students

• LOA: Returning from a Leave of Absence -- Practical Tasks and Checking Visa
• Transfer a SEVIS Record to Gordon College
• RCL: Reduced Course Load
• CPT: Curricular Practical Training - with new instructions for undergrads & master's-level
• OPT: Optional Practical Training - including the application checklist, STEM-extension information, example I-983, and Caroline's online form to report your new address & jobs during OPT
• SEVIS I-901 Fee 
• U.S. Embassies - find "consular services" for "nonimmigrant visas" 
• Airport Customs in Boston
• Secondary Inspection
• I-94 - look up your most recent entry into the U.S.
• Maintaining Status
• Social Security Number (SSN)
  • DO NOT WORK WITHOUT COMPLETING THIS PAPERWORK.
  • Find a Job: Apply for an on-campus job using Handshake. 
  • Next, get a paper Job Offer Letter from your supervisor (here is an example), and email it to Caroline. 
  • Print the SSN Request Letter that Caroline will email to you, next.
  • Arrange a time for Caroline to take you to the SSN Office in Salem, Massachusetts.  
  • Finally, print and complete page 5 of the Application for Social Security Card (the form; here is an example).
  • Also, before you start working, do your on-campus New Hire Paperwork (ask Student Employment for all their forms).
  • AFTER GOING TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE, YOU MAY BEGIN WORKING! 
• Driver's License
  • Transfer your driver's license from one of these a foreign countries: Canada, Mexico, U.S. Territories, Rep. of Korea, Germany, France, Taiwan. (Use this online form to "Transfer Out Of State License")
  • Proof of Residency Letter: Caroline can write & sign one for you.
• Visitor Invitation
  • Email Caroline to ask, and include information about the visitor: full name, date of birth, passport country, relation to you the student, reason he/she is visiting, approximate length of stay in the U.S. (in weeks), and the month he/she plans to arrive in the U.S.
• Taxes and Reporting Obligations ​
  • Overview: Tax Workshop WORKSHEET; F-1 Taxes; Free Resources
  • Professional Help: www.sprintax.com/gordon ​Sprintax is the company that we recommend for complex tax preparation (e.g., married not single; working in multiple states; taking advantage of a tax treaty; amending or completing a form from a previous year).  
  • Calculating Days in U.S.: Look up your I-94 Travel History and use the Date-to-Date Calculator (check "include end date").
  • Forms: Form 8843 (all F-1, even if did not work), Form 1040NR (all F-1 who worked in U.S.), Massachusetts Form 1-NR/PY (all F-1 who worked in Massachusetts and earned at least $4,400). Find "true tax owed" on the federal tax table (p. 65) and the Massachusetts tax table (p. 44). Your income is listed in Box 1 of your W2 from your employer (Student Worker W2 lookup: employee self-service, click "Sign Up," company = Gordon, and if it doesn't work then you need to email Student Payroll for help). 1042-S for a taxable scholarship. 1095-B and 1099-HC from American health insurance company.
  • "0" or "1" on the W4: Entering "0" on the W4 tells your employer to withold some of your earned income on each paycheck, and you might get a tax refund in April.  Entering "1" on the W4 tells your employer to withold nothing, and you will have to personally save 10-15% of your income, in case you need to pay U.S. taxes.