Support Letters for International Students

International students in F-1 or J-1 status are by definition in the U.S. to study full-time. The maintenance of students’ legal immigration status is based in part on their progress in their academic programs. Academic advisers and program coordinators are best able to verify academic progress. Students may request support letters for various types of applications. The following guidelines will help advisers and administrators write letters that fit the needs of the applications, both for the International Student Services (ISS) and for federal immigration agencies and consular offices.

Students must be able to demonstrate financial ability in order to gain student immigration status. They must provide proof of funds when applying for a visa at U.S. consulates abroad, in applications to Immigration within the U.S., and when requesting updates to their immigration documents from the ISS office. Students who receive departmental funding will need to provide a letter of verification. The letter should include the following information:

• Type of funding (scholarship, fellowship, RA or TA appointment, etc.).
• Length of guaranteed funding—three or four quarters. While it may not be possible to guarantee funding beyond one year due to budget cycles, it may be acceptable for application purposes to verify that if funds continue to be available and the student continues to make good progress, support will likely continue to be provided.
• Funding amount (monthly/quarterly salary, stipend, etc.).
• Explanation of other covered expenses such as tuition waiver, insurance coverage, and miscellaneous fees.
• Indication of whether or not the student is in good standing.

When deciding whether or not to issue a student visa, a U.S. consular officer will have many questions in mind. Is the student making good academic progress? If not, are there legitimate reasons for the delay? Has the student maintained full-time registration? Is the student’s field of study in a sensitive area and on the Technology Alert List, prompting a security clearance check?

A support letter from an academic adviser or program coordinator can be very helpful for visa applications. If a student receives departmental funding, academic and funding information can be included in one letter (see above). Students without funding will benefit from a letter which includes the following information:

• Indication of whether or not the student is in good standing.
• Explanation of registration that may look part-time.
• For instance, graduate students who have completed all course requirements may be registered for 2 credits of thesis or dissertation. A consular officer may be confused by this after a pattern of 10-credit registration quarters, and it is helpful to explain a department’s full-time policy.
• Basic explanation of the graduate student’s research focus if studying in a field that may receive extra scrutiny. The most current version of the Technology Alert List is not available to the public, but previous categories included study related to nuclear technology, rocket and navigation systems, chemical, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, and materials technology, to name a few. The research description should be brief and in general terms that will be understood by someone without a scientific background.

There are two common types of applications that require a support letter from an academic adviser or program coordinator.

CPT, if pre-approved by ISS, permits students in F-1 status to pursue a paid internship or other employment integral to their curriculum. The application for CPT requires a letter from an academic adviser which includes the following:

• Description of the internship or cooperative education program and identification of the work experience within the context of the regular curriculum in the student’s program of study.
• Statement of whether the training is optional or required and, if optional, the course number and number of credits that will be awarded.
• Statement of whether or not the student is considered full-time.
• Name and address of student’s employer.
• Beginning and ending dates of employment.
• Number of hours per week the student will be working.

For more details please see the CPT page.

Academic Training permits students in J-1 status to pursue training experience, paid or unpaid, that is related to their degree program. The application to our office must include a letter from an academic adviser with the following information:

• Description of the goals and objectives of the training program
• Name of employer
• Job location
• Name of training supervisor
• Number of hours per week
• Dates of training
• Description of how the training relates to the student’s major field of study
• Explanation of why it is an integral or critical part of the student’s exchange visitor program.

For more information, click here.