As an initial student who has just been admitted to S&T, you will need to upload and complete a request for your I-20 or DS-2019. You will not immediately gain access to your portal once admitted. Please be sure to make the enrollment fee/deposit payment. Once that payment has been made, you will receive an email to your student email. Review all information in the email and in your ISSS Gateway Portal before submitting your I-20 or DS-2019 request. 

• To begin this process, review the information on the home page once you login (Tab #1).
• Next, upload the required documents based on Your Biographical Information, Dependent Information, and Financial Information (Tabs #2-4). Be sure to review the requirements of your financial documentation and to obtain your I-20.
• Once all documents and information have been provided submit a request for your I-20 or DS-2019 on Tab #5. The complete button is located in the bottom right corner of the tab, if all information is not provided you will be emailed regarding missing information needed.

• On the Request Center Tab, be sure to scroll down and see on the side the Document Center. 
• This is where any documents released or uploaded into your ISSS Gateway Portal will be found. 
• If you do not see the document you are looking for, be sure to see how many documents are on the listed menu. Only a certain amount of documents will show at once. Once you increase the number of documents listed, you will likely see the documents we contacted you about. If you do not see the documents, please email ISSS@mst.edu. 

• All updates to your information should be first made in your Joe'SS Student Portal. 

• Your international advisor will receive notice of this change and will update your portal within 10 business days. 

• Your local address and contact information should remain up to date at all times. 

• You can request a Demographic Update in your ISSS Gateway Portal to update names, places of birth, and other biographical data. The icon will appear as a contact card with a person and three lines.

• You must be able to provide financial resources that demonstrate you have available funding to cover 12 months of expenses. When completing a Financial Information Update Request, note that any changes to your SEVIS record can be viewed by the visa officer during your interview. Updating funding many times could result in additional questions. 

• Be sure to upload a copy of your financial statement, affidavit of support form, and a financial institution certification (if you are using a business account or investment account as proof of funding). Additional information can be found on the webpage regarding I-20 or DS-2019 Issuance.
• Your funding information will be matched with the estimated cost of attendance, all Missouri S&T scholarships are taken into consideration to the estimated cost of attendance. Master's scholarship are for two-years, so only have of the funding provided may be used to cover the estimated cost of attendance amount.

To submit a request, log in to your ISSS Gateway Portal.

There are three separate requests for these processes. Each request serves a different purpose. 

• To add a dependent, select the Add dependent request. For more details, see the information onDependents.
• To remove a dependent, select the remove dependent request. This request will remove a dependent from your SEVIS record. 
• To update a dependent, select the 'Update Dependent Request' option. This request is for biographical updates that require correction. 
• Documents required to add dependents:
  • Copy of passport for all dependents
  • Copy of marriage certificate for you and your spouse (must be in English)
  • Copy of birth certificate for each accompanying child (must be in English)
  • Financial documentation: An additional $4,000 in financial support is required for each dependent. 

To submit a request, log in to your ISSS Gateway Portal. 

• All information about international travel is included in the travel request. You are responsible for notifying your professors about any class absences and completing all missed work.

• A travel endorsement is not approval for a leave of absence. Students must speak with their faculty supervisors and academic advisors before making any travel plans.

• Traveling on behalf of the University for conferences or other activities requires additional approvals; contact your department administrator. 

At a minimum, bring the following documents for admission through a United States Port of Entry:

• Current I-20 or Current DS-2019 with travel endorsement dated no earlier than twelve months before your expected reentry date.
• Unexpired and valid passport and F-1 visa/J-1 J-1 visa.
• Proof of financial support and/or proof of enrollment (admission letter). 

To submit a request login to your ISSS Gateway Portal. 

• The following reasons are acceptable for extension requests: (1) Change of Major, (2) Approved for reduced enrollment in a previous semester due to a medical condition, (3) Change of Program between Master's non-thesis to Master's with thesis, (4) Change in Academic Advisor, (5) Change in Research Topic, or (6) Unexpected delays in publications, thesis/dissertation, or other research problems. 
• The following reasons are not acceptable for extension requests: (1) Delays caused by academic probation or suspension, (2) Delays caused by participation in Curricular Practical Training (CPT), (3) Delays caused by enrolling in courses that were not required for your program or could not be counted toward your degree requirements (excluding courses required as a condition of admission or by your academic advisor), (4) To complete a certificate program or minor degree, or (5) To participate in a future CPT.
• You can request an extension by submitting a Program Extension Request in your ISSS Gateway Portal, be sure to include your academic advisor as the approver, they will need to sign affirming that the information you have provided is correct. 

• The primary reasons a student will request a reduced course load include: (1) diagnosis of an illness or medical condition, (2) improper course level placement, (3) initial difficult with reading requirements, (4) initial difficulty with the English language, (5) being a part-time commuter student, (6) the student will complete their course of study in their current term, or (7) the student is unfamiliar with the American teaching methods.
• Approval for a reduced course load requires the affirmation from a student's academic advisor. 
• Students may also receive full-time enrollment exceptions in the cases of participating in full-time CPT, concurrent enrollment, or because they have been approved by Policy Memo II-20 by the Graduate Education Office. 

• Approval for concurrent enrollment requires that the credit hours/course taken at another school must be transferable to Missouri S&T upon completion and will apply to the student’s degree program as listed on their Form I-20.  
• Full-time enrollment requirements can be met by combining the number of credit hours taken at Missouri S&T with those taken concurrently at another school. 
• Method of instruction requirements apply to the combined number of courses taken at Missouri S&T, with those taken concurrently at another school. 
• Proof of enrollment at another school is required before the credit hours taken concurrently can be counted toward full-time enrollment. The method of course instruction will also be evaluated before the student can be considered full-time enrolled. If the requirements listed above are not met, the student’s SEVIS record will not be registered for the semester. 
• If you are approved for concurrent enrollment, you will be issued a Concurrent Enrollment Approval Letter. This letter may be requested by the school at which you are, or have been, concurrently enrolled. 
• The Missouri S&T Course Equivalency Database can be accessed through the following path: Joe’SS > Self Service > Transfer Credit > Evaluate Transfer Credit.

The SEVIS Transfer Process can look different based on whether this is your first semester with Missouri S&T or not. Current students are required to submit proof of admission to another Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Certified School, your admission letter. Current students are required to complete the SEVIS Transfer Out Request, which can be found on our Request Center.

New students should review the information onSEVIS Transfers. You must complete both our SEVIS Check-in and Registration Request and the SEVIS Transfer Out Request. You can view it here to determine the steps you need to take. The documents required for check-in include: 

• Copy of your F-1 or J-1 visa
• Copy of your Form I-94 Record
• Enter your U.S. Local Address

SEVIS Transfer Out students are not the first priority of requests for our international advisors. Your request will be processed by the requested transfer date, provided you complete your transfer-out request in a timely manner, as required by the SEVP.

An update to your program information is required for a change in education level/degree level or a change in major. All graduate students are required to upload a copy of their admission letter. 

In addition to your admission letter for your education/degree level change, you will need to provide updated financial support documents demonstrating that you have the required estimated cost of attendance for one academic year. 

• All cost estimates for our degree programs, which are required for your I-20 to be issued, can be found here. 
• You can review the requirements for financial documents here. 
• If you have additional questions about changes in education levels, changes in majors, or other program information updates, please email isss@mst.edu. 

• On-campus employment is not guaranteed. 

• The On-campus Employment Form can be found on our website. Your supervisor should complete the form and you should submit it in-person to the ISSS Office located at 109 Centennial Hall. The Social Security Administration will not accepted altered or electronic signatures. 

• Do not seek opportunities for employment by approaching offices on-campus.  Working unauthorized, or failing to maintain your student status will result in negative action being taken on your SEVIS record. 

• Approval for CPT is subject to the discretion of your international advisor. However, the Approver section on the Request Form is intended for your Academic Advisor; be sure to enter their name and contact information in that section.

• All requirements must be met as outlined in the details provided on the request form. 

• If you do not provide the required details, you will receive a notice from your advisor indicating missing information for your request. 

• All requests should be made well in advance of your start date with your CPT employer. 

• Meeting the requirements listed for your offer letter is not optional; these requirements must be explicitly stated on the offer letter for the CPT opportunity to be approved. 

• See more information here: Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

• Instructions for the OPT process can be found on our website and on the request form itself. Consult with your international advisor by making an appointment for more details. 

• The Approver on the Approver Section of the Request Form is meant for your Academic Advisor. Be sure to enter their name and contact information in that section.

• See more information here: Optional Practical Training (OPT and STEM OPT)

• STEM OPT is an extension of OPT, you are not eligible for STEM OPT until you have nearly completed the 12 months of authorization for OPT as approved by the USCIS.

• See more information here: Optional Practical Training (OPT and STEM OPT)