International Students

Welcome to LCCC!! To request an Application Packet for International Students please email the international student advisor at international [at] lccc [dot] edu

The college welcomes applications from international students who can benefit from the educational programs at Lehigh Carbon Community College. International students are encouraged to begin the admission process six months prior to the start of the school semester to allow ample time for processing by both LCCC and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). After you have read this page, please contact International [at] lccc [dot] edu (Christine Orban), International Student Advisor, with any questions you may have.

General Information
How to Apply
International Student Advisor
Admission Agreement
Obtaining an F-1 Visa from your native country
Transfer of F-1 visa to LCCC
What to do once you arrive in the Lehigh Valley
Testing
Registration/Advisement
Important Information
Foreign College Transcript Evaluations
Requesting a Change of Status to and F-1 Visa
Re-Instatement
Helpful Links about immigration and the Lehigh Valley area

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General Information
--Some important facts that international students (students on an F-1 Visa) should know about Lehigh Carbon Community College:

What is a visa or an I-20? Click here.

The College has no housing on or off campus.

Public transportation (bus service) is limited. The majority of international students who attend LCCC live with sponsors who can provide the student with a car or transportation to the college.
International students are ineligible for financial aid and must have financial sponsors cover the cost of tuition, housing, books, meals, and any other supplies for the duration of their studies in the US.
International students may NOT be employed off campus while they are students..
International students MUST maintain full-time status which is a minimum of 12 credits.
International student tuition is $4845 per semester, effective Fall 2012. This figure does not include textbooks, housing, or supplies.
Public health care is unavailable to foreign/international students. It is recommended that students be prepared to purchase health insurance upon entry into the United States.
For information about studying in the US click here: http://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/
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How to Apply for Admission

International students are encouraged to begin their admission process six months prior to the start of the school semester to allow ample processing time by both LCCC and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Fall Semester typically begins at the end of August and Spring semester about mid - January.

You must request the International Student Application Packet by phoning 610-799-1137 or by e-mailing the International Student Advisor, International [at] lccc [dot] edu. If requesting a packet be sent to you by mail, please include your postal address as it would appear on an envelope. Please indicate whether you are a transfer student already studying in the US at another college, a new student interested in obtaining an F1 visa from your country, or if you are here on another visa type and would like to apply for a change-of-status to F1 Student Visa as the documents required for each are different.

For admission, the prospective student must provide the following:

a completed written application for admission with the $30 application fee.
financial resource statements (the Affidavit of Support forms from the packet) showing sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses for at least one-year (approx. $25,000) And a salary statement showing the student will be financially supported for the duration of studying in the US. - Both pages must be notarized.
evidence of high school graduation and a minimum of two years of English language instruction.
$1650 tuition deposit, payable in US Dollars and drawn from a US bank, is required before an I-20 is issued. This tuition deposit will be refunded (in the form of a check) if the student decides not to attend, or is denied a student visa. When the student does arrive, it will cover one-third of the first semester's tuition bill.
All international students are expected to be full-time (minimum of 12 credits) students for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Upon receipt of the above documents, deposit, and application fee, the application for admission will be reviewed. If the student is accepted for admission, the College will issue a Form I-20. There is a fee for the I-20, (I-901) that must be paid after being issued the I-20 and prior to going to the Consulate; the receipt must be presented at the consulate. All documents are sent by regular US mail and must be sent directly to the student; special arrangements can be made in advance for express mail, a fee is charged for this service.

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International Student Advisor

The international student advisor's office is in the Advising and Counseling Center (AD 126). International students are required to schedule an appointment with the international student advisor as soon as they arrive in the area and must bring their passport, I-94, and I-20 to update and maintain their SEVIS records. The international student advisor will assist international students in course selection throughout their academic career and will advise students on their responsibilities for maintaining legal status while in the United States. All international students must report regularly to the advisor, and must report with in 10 days any change in their address, major, finanicial and employment status; this and all other requirements will be explained at the first meeting.

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Admission Agreement
An international student will be admitted to Lehigh Carbon Community College with the following understanding: Any international student who is not proficient in reading, writing and speaking English must enroll in the English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. These courses are credit courses, and the fee is the same as for any other college credit course. Also, all international students must be full-time (a minimum of 12 credits) students.

International students must register for 12 credits or more. Any petition to take less credits must be approved by the international student advisor. Violation of this policy is a failure to maintain F-1 Visa status and requires that the student petition the USCIS, (a fee is involved in this process) for reinstatement before they will be allowed to continue their studies at the College.

How to Obtain a Student VISA (F-1) in Your Native Country
An international student who was issued a Form I-20 applies for an F-l (Student) visa at the U. S. consulate or embassy in his/her native country. In addition to the I-20, the student should also have documents that show proof of sufficient funds to cover all expenses. The reciept for the I-901 is also needed. It is also assumed that the student will depart from the U.S. at the completion of his/her studies. If the visa application is approved, the I-20 is returned to the student. When the student arrives at the U.S. port of entry, he/she presents his/her passport and the I-20 to the USCIS officer and should recieve a form I-94; keep this safe, it is an important document.. The student should plan to arrive in the Lehigh Valley area at least 3 weeks, but no earlier that 30 days prior to the start of the semester. Arriving early, helps students get acclimated to the area and language and this helps when taking the LCCC placement test.

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How to Transfer TO LCCC for Students with F-1 Visas
Students currently studying at another US institution may transfer to LCCC. All students who intend to transfer must first follow the admission procedures outlined above and, inaddition, must complete the Transfer In Form and return it will all required documents as listed above. Be sure to make your intent to transfer known to the Foreign Student Advisor at your current school. Click Here for the F-1 Transfer Guide.

What Needs to be Done After the Student Arrives in the Lehigh Valley?
Meeting the International Student Advisor - The International Student Advisor's Office is located in the Advising and Counseling Office in AD 126 of the main campus in Schnecksville. International students are to schedule an appointment with the advisor as soon as they arrive in the area prior to the start of classes and must bring with them their passport, I-94, and their I-20. Photocopies of these documents are kept in the student's file. Please call 610-799-1137 to schedule the appointment. When scheduling your first appointment, let the secretary know if you would like the International Student Advisor to provide a tour of campus, and help you with the purchase of your books.

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Testing
Students who are not proficient in speaking, writing, and reading English must take the English as a Second Language (ESL) test. Phone 610-799-1106. Some students may also need to take the mathematics assessment test. Phone 610-799-1854 to schedule this test.

Students who are proficient in the English language must take the Compass assessment tests in English, Reading and Mathematics. Phone 610-799-1854 to make arrangements for this testing and to schedule an advisement appointment with the International Student Advisor.

Registration/Advisement
Test results will be used to schedule students for appropriate courses. The Director of English as a Second Language Program assists students with registering for the appropriate level courses after the placement test. If additional advisement is needed, please make an appointment with thecorban [at] lccc [dot] edu ( International Student Adviso)r 610-799-1137.

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Important Information
You must keep your passport updated at least six months into the future. Passports must be updated at your native country's consulate or embassy. Most of these are located in either New York or Washington, D.C. Some countries require renewal in person. Before you leave the U.S. for a temporary visit to your home country (or any other country), you must obtain the signature of the International Student Advisor on your currently valid Form I-20, otherwise you will not be able to re-enter the United States. You must maintain full-time status to have your I-20 signed. If you have not maintained full-time status and wish to leave the country, you will need a new I-20 to take with you to your home country and you must go through the process of obtaining a student visa.

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Foreign College Transcript Evaluations
Students who have completed college-level credits at universities outside the US who wish to have some of their credits applied to their LCCC major, should have their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation agency. These agencies will not only translate degrees and courses, but will also convert instructional time into the US semester system. Among those agencies accepted are World Evaluation Service and Educational Credential Evaluators - . Agencies must be accredited through the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services; click here for a list of other NACES member-agencies. If you have any questions please email CreditTransfer [at] lccc [dot] edu

Students Changing from Other Visa Types to an F1 (Student Visa)
A person who has entered the United States on a B-1/B-2 Non-immigrant visa is not permitted to enroll in a course of study, as this violates the conditions of the B-Visitors visa. Students who are in the U.S. on a visitor's visa (B-Visa) and wish to enroll in a course of study must change their status to an F-1 student visa. Students on other visa-types should consult the International Student Advisor. Those who wish to change thier status, must comply with all the necessary steps outlined in "How to Apply for Admission" in LCCC's Guide For International Students. In addition they must do the following:

Write a letter to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service requesting the change of status (Sample letters are available from the Foreign Student Advisor.)
Submit a I-539 Form to Immigration and Naturalization Service. There is a fee to process this form.
This must be done no later than 45 days prior to the expiration of the B-Visa, and no more than 30 days before the beginning of the next semester start date.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service will determine if the change of status is approved.

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Students Requesting Reinstatement to Student Status
Students who have failed to maintain status at Lehigh Carbon Community College or another college/university should discuss their particular situation with the Foreign Student Advisor to establish the feasibility of petitioning USCIS for reinstatement to status. If it is possible for the student to apply for reinstatement the student must first comply with all the steps above for International Student Admission. In addition they must do the following:

Write a letter to USCIS requesting reinstatement and the reason for failling out of status. (Sample letters are available from the Foreign Student Advisor.)
Submit an I-539 Form to USCIS. There is a fee to process this form.
The USCIS will determine if the change of status is approved.

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Helpful Links for more information:

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) International Students information page.
Study in the States- Information to help students study in the US and how to maintain status.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS)
United States Department of State
EduPass - provides a list of words and definitions most commonly used in the American education system.
Information About the Lehigh Valley Area: http://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/
http://www.wfmz.com/weather/index.html This provides current weather information for the surrounding area.
Lehigh Valley Apartments This site provides listings of apartments and houses for rent.
Lehigh Valley This provides general information about the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pennsylvanian; events, things to do, things to see, etc...