About Us
The University of Oklahoma International Student Services (OU ISS) has been providing services to international students for over fifty years. We assist more than 2,000 international students and their dependents from over 100 countries, providing expert advice and support to every international student. We work with international students, faculty and staff, community members, US federal officials, and a variety of government agencies.
OU ISS is a key university resource for US federal immigration regulations, particularly the benefits and restrictions of F and J visa status. We advise international students and campus departments on US immigration laws, recommend, and in certain cases approve, immigration benefits, assist students in filing applications with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and file reports as required by the US federal government.
OU ISS should be the first point of contact for incoming international students. OU ISS, along with the office of Education Abroad, presents a mandatory New International Student Orientation program each semester.
The office of Education Abroad and International Student Services develops programs for every international student and their families, working closely with the International Advisory Committee (IAC).The office of Education Abroad and International Student Services supports the IAC, comprised of the presidents of more than 25 international student organizations.
OU ISS maintains the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) compliance for OU and registers all eligible F-1 and J-1 international students in SEVIS each semester. We are the federally designated office for creating, extending, or terminating the visa status of international students, and routinely respond to federal audits, site visits, and requests for information.
OU ISS provides regular workshops and campus outreach programs throughout the calendar year, including Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization workshops for F-1 students. F-1 students who wish to seek off-campus employment authorization MUST first attend a workshop. We also provide workshops for exchange students who are interested in seeking a degree at OU.
Additional services provided for the international community include immigration advising for international students at all levels (CESL, undergraduate, graduate, short-term exchange), short-term employment authorization advising and support for qualifying students through OU ISS and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), change of visa status advising and support for the application process, immigration advising for dependents, extensions of stay, support for visa applications, SEVIS transfers to and from OU, and advising and support for the US visa application process abroad.
International students must maintain their lawful visa status in order to pursue and complete their academic programs in the US. It is the student's responsibility to maintain lawful visa status.
OU hosts two principal student visa programs: F-1 and J-1. F-1 and J-1 visas are issued by US consulates to qualifying students pursuing a course of study in the US. F-1 visas are issued to students whose primary source of funding is personal or family funds. At OU, these are often long-term, degree seeking students. J-1 visas may be issued to students whose primary source of funding is a third party, such as a university, a corporation, a non-profit organization, or government.
Due the evolution of international student programs at OU, the F-1 and J-1 programs are handled separately. F-1 students at the Norman and Tulsa campuses are supported by OU ISS on the Norman campus. F-1 students at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) are supported by the OUHSC. The OUHSC is a separate campus for F-1 immigration purposes. All OU J-1 students are supported by OU ISS on the Norman campus. Tulsa, OUHSC, and Norman are all the same campus for J-1 immigration purposes