Overview
F-1 students are allowed to enter the U.S. as early as 30 days prior to the Program Start Date listed on the Form I-20. Graduate International Student Orientation begins on August 11. Arriving 10-15 days before the first day of classes is highly recommended, as there are many logistics to complete before the first day of classes:
- Finalize housing arrangements and move into your living unit
- Set up your U.S.-based cell phone
- Open a U.S. bank account
- Shop for food and essentials for your apartment
- Meet with your Academic Department to finalize your schedule
- Meet with your Graduate Assistant supervisor to complete hiring paperwork
- Complete your SEVIS Registration
- Apply for a U.S. Social Security Number
- Attend orientation sessions with ISSS, TGS, and your academic program
- Pay your student bill
Housing at JMU
Finding housing in Harrisonburg can be a challenging process. It's important to begin early. The Office of Off-Campus Life can help you navigate this process.
Tips when searching for off-campus housing
- Begin your search with JMU's Office of Off-Campus Life.
- When reaching out to potential roommates, ask if they are undergraduate or graduate students. Undergraduate student lifestyles can differ greatly from those of graduate students.
- While most of the apartments may be around JMU, make sure to ask where the nearest bus stops can be found.
- If the apartment that you are considering is not listed in the OCL’s Housing Guide ask the contact person for more information, such as photos and walking distances to JMU.
Many apartment applications will ask for a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) and/or a guarantor. An SSN is a personally-identifiable number that allows a company/vendor/employer to check someone’s financial history in the U.S. A guarantor is a person who is responsible to pay if the renter does not honor their lease agreement. (Most landlords will require the guarantor be a person in the U.S. who has a U.S. SSN.) The reason a landlord or property manager is asking for this information is to evaluate credit history and whether you are fiscally responsible. Most students do not have access to a U.S.-based financial guarantor or an SSN before arrival. To resolve this and to provide proof of revenue, you can:
- Share your graduate assistantship (GA) offer letter (if any) as it stipulates what the assistantship pays and covers.
- If you do not have a GA, contact ISSS and ask for a letter stipulating that a student has provided proof of funding to ISSS to obtain a student visa.
Most housing interest/application forms are online and may require a response in the SSN and Guarantor fields. You may be able to leave the field blank by pressing the space bar a few times, entering “N/A,” or entering “111111111”. This may enable you to get the landlord/property manager’s email address. Once you do, we suggest that you reach out to them and explain your situation.
We recommend waiting until you have arrived in the U.S. before signing any forms (online ones included).
Before you sign a contract or lease agreement:
- Be sure to agree to all the terms indicated on the contract/form before signing the document. Once a lease or contract is signed (even virtually), it cannot be cancelled or altered without consent from both parties. This includes shortening the lease from 12-month to a shorter one.
- Per the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act, deposits cannot be more than twice the monthly rent cost.
In addition to the deposit (most likely twice the monthly rent) and the agreed-upon rent cost, additional fees may apply. Some of these extra fees may include:
- Internet activation fee
- Renter's insurance. This provides you, the tenant, coverage for loss or damage to property if there is an incident in your apartment or at the apartment complex that leads to damage. You can conduct a search online for renter's insurance to select the best choice to fit your needs.
- Utilities (electricity, water, internet, etc.). If you need to pay separately for utilities, you can use JMU’s UDAP Program to simplify this process. Learn more about UDAP here. The online UDAP Form will ask for your U.S. Driver’s License Number. If you do not have an SSN, OCL has provided the following instructions:
- Create a fake number that starts with a letter of your choice followed by 8 numbers of your choice. Example: A12345678
- For the Driver’s License Expiration Date, enter the Program End Date on your I-20 Form.
- For the Driver’s License State, enter VA.
- Complete and submit the contract. Use your 5-digit UDAP contract number to connect your utilities without a deposit.
Check the Graduate International Student Orientation schedule and plan your arrival before the start date.
Questions to ask the landlord/property manager:
- What date and time can I obtain the keys to the apartment? Depending on their response, you may need to ask for special permission to arrive earlier, adjust your arrival date and time, or even plan to stay overnight in a hotel. For example, depending on the time of your flight and bus to Harrisonburg, you may arrive after their offices have closed, as many offices close at 5:00pm.
- What is the total amount of money I will need to pay upon arrival?
- What is the method of payment? It is helpful to know if you will need to pay with a certified check, credit card, debit card from a U.S. bank account, or via Zelle or Venmo account. You may want to remind them if you do not have a U.S. Social Security Number so that they keep that in mind when they answer the question.
JMU Immunization Form
All students studying in the state of Virginia are required to complete an immunization form, documenting a specific set of vaccinations, before the start of classes. This is to help prevent outbreaks of contagious diseases. The University Health Center provides information on what new students need to complete. UHC has translated versions of the JMU immunization form that may be helpful for doctors in non-English speaking countries.
The immunization form should be completed and submitted before beginning your studies at JMU. Completing your vaccinations in your home country could be considerably less expense than receiving immunizations in the U.S.
Once the immunization form is completed, including your doctor signing it, you will need to save the document as a PDF file and upload it to your MyJMUChart.
If the immunization form is not submitted by the first day of classes, a $50 fee and a hold will be placed on your JMU account, which prevents you from making changes to your academic schedule.
Health Insurance
JMU requires all students on F and J visas to have health insurance coverage. ISSS offers a comprehensive accident and illness insurance plan through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and enrolls all students in this coverage to meet JMU’s requirement. For more information, please visit our Health Insurance page.
If a student currently holds an insurance policy, they may review the waiver requirements (e.g. provides equal levels of cover, etc.) to see if they qualify to waive out of the JMU-sponsored health insurance plan through CISI. If you wish to apply for a waiver, you must complete an insurance waiver application.
Cell Phones in the U.S.
Selecting a phone plan may require some research, and you may want to contact other students and colleagues, particularly those from your home country, for suggestions.
Most international students keep their current phone and insert a SIM card, which can be purchased from companies like CampusSIMS/Mint Mobile, or purchase an eSIM, which is a digital SIM card. Not all phones support eSIMs, so it's important to check that your phone is compatible before you purchase this option.
- Make sure your phone is unlocked and is eSIM-compatible
- ISSS can provide free physical SIM cards to students who request it upon arrival.
Click here for information and to get started with CampusSIMS.
Paying Fees at JMU
- The University Business Office (or UBO) oversees fees and payments at JMU with various payment methods (including international payments to JMU) available.
- The first bill for Fall semester will be sent in late July and the first bill for the Spring semester will be sent in early December.
- M3, short for Madison Money Manager, is the student financial account portal. This is where students can view or make an online payment to their student account.
- Installment payment plans are available for the fall and spring semesters to all enrolled students. Some students sign up for an installment plan to make it easier to offset making large payments at the beginning of each term.
ISSS recommends having $4,000 available for the first couple of months at JMU. This will help cover expenses related to getting settled, especially as administrative procedures for receiving the GA stipend can take several weeks.
Planning Your Arrival to JMU
Based on when and where you land, you may not be able to find a ride to Harrisonburg on the day you arrive and you may need to spend the night near the airport before traveling to Harrisonburg. Students in the past have flown into Dulles International Airport and stayed at nearby hotels before taking the MegaBus to Harrisonburg.
- Harrisonburg hotels may be booked by families bringing new students to campus
