International Students

With 133 countries represented and 62 native languages spoken by our students, faculty, and staff, there is no better place than LaGuardia for you to explore, experiment, and learn.

We understand that being away from home and studying in a different country can be challenging. Our primary goal is your success. Our Office of International Student Services (ISS) will provide you with advising and support services with immigration, academic, financial, personal, and cross-cultural matters to help your reach your educational goals.

Apply to LaGuardia​

International students follow the same application process as our first-year freshman and transfer applicants. Please review the eligibility & requirements below before you Apply.

If you are interested in taking English as a Second Language as an International Student, please visit The English Language Center (TELC) page for more information.

Eligibility & Requirements

You are considered an international student if you have been admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, either an F-1 (student) or J-1 (exchange visitor in the student category), for the purpose of enrolling in an entire course of study at a U.S. accredited higher education institution.

Please Note: If you are a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident, a permanent resident of the Northern Mariana Islands, or a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or under political asylum or a refugee, you are not considered an International student.

Changing F-1 Status

Please get in touch with LaGuardia’s International Student Services office at fsinformation@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Please note that we no longer process requests for change of status to F-1 students within the United States. If you are a potential F-1 student, we can explain the process of changing your status leaving the United States, and applying for an F-1 visa at the American Embassy. Potential F-1 students must be careful when they decide to apply for a change of status within the United States, as rules and regulations have changed and you could compromise your current Non-Immigrant status.

Applying for I-20

Once you have been granted admission into LaGuardia, you will need to apply for an I-20 form. An I-20 is a form used by LaGuardia to certify to the U.S. government that you are eligible for F-1 student status. This is the form that you will need to apply for an F-1 visa to the United States.

I-20 Application Checklist:

• Completed Application for I-20.
• For complete instructions about the I-20 form and supporting documents, please click here.
• Completed International Student SEVIS Data Information Sheet.
• Completed F-1 Student Transfer Recommendation Form if you have attended any other school in the U.S. as an international student.