Late Arrivals for New Graduate Students

The University and the ISSS office expect all new students to arrive on campus prior to the first day of classes to attend International Orientation. If you cannot arrive in time to attend orientation, which is scheduled before the first day of classes, we recommend that students defer their admission to a future semester. To defer your admissions, please read the following information:

Requesting a Deferral

Step 1: Email your admitting school representative to request that your admission be deferred to the next semester. For more information, please visit:

Step 2: Deferring your I20/DS2019 document.

  • Please email isss@smu.edu to request an updated I20/DS2019 document.

Please note that you may be asked to provide updated financial documentation.

Late Arrival 

If you are facing an unexpected delay to your arrival but are able to arrive before the 10th day of classes, you MAY request permission for a late arrival. The following outlines the process to request permission to arrive after the first day of classes and no later than the 10th day of classes. Please keep in mind that the ISSS office will not change the program start date on the I-20/DS-2019 for F-1/J-1 for visa interview appointments. The dates listed on the I-20 document are official dates according to the university academic calendar dates.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

  • Arriving late may result in difficulties finding the proper classes that will satisfy students’ enrollment requirements and will also result in missing essential orientation programs designed to help students transition to life at 糖心vlog视频 and Dallas. In addition, the ISSS office will not grant any special accommodations to enrollment requirements due to late arrival.
  • Although Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. airport may permit some students to enter past the program start date, the ISSS Office prefers that students arrive on time in order to attend orientation and attend the first day of classes. In addition, you must keep in mind that CBP officers may deny students entry to the U.S., requiring students to return to their home country.

If late-arrival students are denied entry to the U.S., students are responsible for the costs associated with returning to their home country, deposit, enrollment fees, and/or other costs associated with an attempt to arrive late.

How to Request Consideration for Late Arrival

  1. Email your admitting school representative/program director. 
  2. If your request is approved, you will receive an email from the school and the ISSS Office with additional instructions about the process.
  3. You must arrive on campus and complete your government check-in with the ISSS office before the end of business day on the 10th day of classes.

If Entering Late

  1. Check-in with the ISSS Office
  2. Check-in with the Program Director
  3. Initiate a request for Petition for Enrollment Policy Exception to the University Registrar’s Office.

Please note, that even if you are allowed to arrive late, you may face the following challenges:

  • Limited class availability
  • Late registration fees
  • If students are not able to enroll full-time, students may fail to comply with visa requirements.

Students who arrive late are required to maintain full-time enrollment throughout the semester. The ISSS Office will not approve Reduced Course Load requests due to late arrivals.