Office of International Programs

The University pays the insurance premium. Academic Affairs has funds set aside for this purpose for all university employees traveling abroad on university-related business (especially Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Student Development, Etc..)

Information on filing your tax documents and receiving tax assistance may be found HERE.

A: You will file Form 1040, 1040EZ, or 1040A if you have U.S. source income and Form 8843.

You will file only Form 8843 if you have no U.S. source income during the prior calendar year.

If you have completed all degree requirements and / or you have graduated, travel outside the U.S. with the intent to re-enter in F-1 or J-1 student status can be problematic.

If you have applied for post-completion F-1 OPT (Optional Practical Training) or J-1 AT (Academic Training), you will need:

U.S. regulations require international students to enroll in full -time classes, or for full -time thesis research for two semesters (9 months) each year. If you are not enrolling for full time classes during a term you would otherwise be expected to enroll, it is likely that you will not be able to remain in the U.S. in legal student status. When you plan to depart the U.S. you will need to work with our office to get new paperwork BEFORE you make plans to return to the U.S.

In a few cases, you may be able to re-enter the U.S. without applying for and receiving a new student visa. This is called "Automatic Revalidation" of your expired student visa, and it is only possible if:

In order to leave the U.S. and re-enter in valid student status, you will need to plan carefully, and have all your papers in order.
A student who is returning to enroll in classes needs the following documents to re-enter the U.S.:

• valid passport
• valid F-1 visa sticker in the passport
• unexpired Form I-20 ID signed by a Designated School Official within the last 12 months.

Valid Passport

F-1 students and J-1 Exchange Visitors who wish to obtain a North Carolina driver’s license may be able to do so.

The documents you will need to present to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are:

All international students who have been approved for either on campus or off campus employment will need to apply for a Social Security number. You must apply in person at the Social Security Administration office in Wilkesboro.

If you are a F-1 or J-1 student and need a social security number for employment, you will need to bring the following documents with you:

ALL students on post-completion OPT MUST report their employer information to Appalachian State University every time there is a change. Please click on the link below "Report my OPT Employment" to do so. Failure to report your employer information can result in a loss of legal  visa status. If you are currently a student on active post-completion OPT and need to update your employer information, please do so here.