Welcome to UTHealth Houston!
The Office of International Affairs (OIA) has created a new check-in process for F-1 International Students. This includes the New F-1 Student Orientation course, which is now 100% online.
As an incoming F-1 student, you are required to check-in with your sponsoring institution (UTHealth Houston). This allows us to report your arrival in the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and maintain your valid F-1 status in the United States. Failure to complete the check-in requirements with OIA could result in the loss of your valid F-1 status. If you have a registration hold in your myUTH account called “Intl Affairs” hold, completing the New F-1 Student Check-In process and submitting the required check-in documents will allow OIA to remove that hold. If you will also be working on-campus (ex. Graduate Assistantship position), you are also required to complete all check-in requirements with OIA prior to your first day of employment.
HOW CAN I COMPLETE MY CHECK-IN REQUIREMENTS?
*This online check-in course must be taken on a desktop computer. Mobile devices are not permitted.
Follow the steps below to complete the check-in process and have your “Intl. Affairs” hold removed from your account:
Arrive in the United States in valid F-1 status. Students who have transferred their SEVIS record to UTHealth Houston who are already in the United States are eligible to complete their check-in
Use the link below to register for our New F-1 Student Orientation course via the Canvas online platform: https://uthealth.instructure.com/register
- The link will direct you to this page, where you will click on the “I’m a Student” button.
Next, you will enter the “Join Code” W4PD66 and fill in the required information. Make sure to use your name as it appears on your passport where it asks for your “Full Name.” Your username and password can be created by you, but please write it down in case you need to come back to finish your Check-In later.
Once the information above is completely filled out and you have checked the box that “You agree to the terms of use and acknowledge the privacy policy,” you may hit the “Start Learning” button at the bottom
You should now see the Canvas course. There are four steps in total, with the fourth step being the actual submission of check-in documents. You must complete steps 1-3, which includes viewing the presentation, taking and passing the quiz with a 100% score, and correctly answering the Check-In Eligibility questions, before you can access Step 4 and submit your check-in documents.
When you reach Step 4, it will contain a link that says “CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CHECK-IN.” That will take you to a separate website, where you will follow the instructions to review, upload the required documents, and sign the forms to complete your check-in process with OIA. Your submission will be automatically sent to our office and reviewed by an OIA advisor. If your documents are complete, we will send you an email notifying you that you have completed your check-in requirement and your “Intl. Affairs” hold will be removed.
NOTE
*You may be able to access the Canvas course while outside of the United States and complete Steps 1 and 2. However, until you can correctly answer the Check-In Eligibility questions in Step 3, you will NOT be able to complete Step 4 and submit the check-in documents to OIA.
Failure to complete the New F-1 Student Orientation Course and submit the required check-in documents will result in a delay in removing your “Intl. Affairs” registration hold, the ability to register for classes, and the required clearance to begin your on-campus appointment (such as a GRA), if applicable. Your attention to this matter is required and appreciated.
***If for any reason you are unable to enter the U.S. by the program start date indicated on your Form I-20, you must notify OIA so that we may take appropriate action. Failure to notify us in a timely manner could result in your Form I-20 becoming invalid.
If for some reason you are detained or delayed at the U.S. Port of Entry and it is after business hours or on weekends, please contact the Office of International Affairs Emergency Line at 713-500-3085.
We look forward to your arrival. If you encounter any issues with the check-in process, please sent an email to [email protected] with subject line "Canvas Orientation Issues" and include a screenshot of the error you are receiving. Should you have any general questions regarding the Canvas course, please do not hesitate to contact our office, [email protected].
