The University of Florida International Center (UFIC) is here to assist students with making a smooth transition to American culture and student life at the university. Every year the University of Florida hosts over 6,000 international students on its beautiful campus. International students may come to the United States in F-1 or J-1 visa status.

Some of the services provided for J-1 students are:

  • Processing DS-2019s for incoming J-1 students.
  • Advising international students and UF faculty/staff regarding immigration compliance, visa status maintenance, employment eligibility, and acculturation issues.
  • Offering workshops on employment; collaborating with other campus units to present workshops on cultural adjustment and other topics.
  • Developing and presenting orientation programs for new students.
  • Collaborating with other UF departments including UF off campus sites to increase the level of understanding regarding immigration issues and the role of UFIC services.

One of the primary services provided by the UF International Center is to process the documentation for new incoming international students to obtain a student visa to study in the U.S. Our International Student Services unit is responsible for processing the Form I-20 for students seeking the F-1 student visa, and our Exchange Visitor Services unit is responsible for processing the Form DS-2019 for students seeking the J-1 student visa. UFIC will begin the process once the student has been formally admitted by the University of Florida.

UFIC is a separate department from the International Admissions Office. The evaluation of the admission application, foreign transcripts, credentials, credits and/or funding decisions are made exclusively by the Office of Admissions and the academic departments. Information about the admissions application process may be accessed via the University of Florida Admissions website: http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/. Undergraduate students may contact the Office of Admissions (international@ufl.edu) with inquiries about the status of their application; graduate students may contact the academic department to which they applied for admission. UFIC works with international students once admission is granted.

J-1 Non-Degree Students:

Non-degree seeking students sponsored by a UF faculty to complete a required internship or take courses toward a degree being pursued abroad are also required to receive a DS-2019 issued by the University of Florida International Center (UFIC), depending on the situation:

  • Partner School Exchange Students: Students from an exchange partner institution interested in participating in the exchange for a specific semester will be required to obtain a J-1 visa in the non-degree category.
  • Other Non-Degree International Students: Foreign nationals who are seeking to engage in a prescribed course of study or participating under an active cooperative agreement (MOU) at the University of Florida will be required to obtain a J-1 visa in the non-degree category.