New Student Check-In and Arrival Reporting

You will receive an email from the ISSO inviting your to the ISSO Portal 30 days before the start date on your DS-2019 or I-20. Please wait until you have entered the US to access the ISSO Portal.

You will need a pdf version of the following documents:

F-1 Visa Holders (Initial and Transfer)

• Your most recent I-94 (issued to you upon entering the US, can be downloaded from the CBP website)
  • If you changed your status to F-1, please upload your I-797 Notice of Approval
• Your visa stamp (in your passport, Canadian exempt)
• The visa stamps and I-94s for your dependents (if they entered with you)

J-1 Visa Holders (Initial and Transfer)

• Your most recent I-94 (issued to you upon entering the US, can be downloaded from the CBP website)
  • If you changed your status to J-1, please upload your I-797 Notice of Approval
• Your visa stamp (in your passport, Canadian exempt)
• The signed UCSF Insurance Attestation
• The visa stamps and I-94s for your dependents (if they entered with you)

Once you have entered the US and have collected the documents above, you may follow the instructions in the invitation email you have received or visit the ISSO Portal directly by clicking the button below.

Access the ISSO Portal

If you are visiting the ISSO Portal for the first time, follow the link below the Sign In button to register for your ISSO Portal Account. Use the Last Name, Date of Birth, and Country of Citizenship indicated on your DS-2019, I-20 or Passport to complete the registration process.

If any information in the Portal is out of date or no longer accurate, please make any updates.

Your US Address information and US Phone Number will be needed to register your visa. If you are staying in a temporary apartment or hotel, please enter the address for that location and then update the ISSO Portal once you move to your new residence.

If you do not have a US phone number, you may use the phone number for your lab or department. Please update the ISSO Portal once you obtain a US phone number.

Navigate to the Requirements page in the ISSO Portal and go to the Initial Arrival and Check-In section.

Click the ‘Add new document’ button and select the type of document you wish to upload from the drop-down list. For the Document Name, please use a simple name such as your last name.

Select the document you wish to upload from your device and press the ‘Upload’ button.

Continue this process until you have uploaded the required document (see Step 2 above).

After you have uploaded all of the required documents, press the ‘Submit for Approval’ button so the ISSO advisor knows to check your documents.

After you submit you update your personal information in the ISSO Portal and submit the required documents, your ISSO advisor will review the documents to ensure there are no mistakes. If any corrections are needed, you will receive an email indicating which documents need to be re-uploaded and why.

To re-upload a document, enter the ISSO Portal and navigate the to Requirements page. Find the document that was identified as "Declined" and click the ‘Re-upload’ link next to that document. Make any changes you need and upload the correct document then press the ‘Upload’ button. After you have addressed all of the documents your ISSO advisor requested you re-upload, press the ‘Resubmit for Approval’ button.

Once you have successfully provided all of the information and documents needed to complete the check-in process, you will receive an email from the ISSO indicating you have completed all of the ISSO check-in requirements. At this time, your ISSO advisor will request the activation for your visa record.

Once the ISSO has reviewed your check-in documents and approved everything, you will receive an email confirming the process is complete.

If you are a J-1 visa holder, once the ISSO has requested the activation of your J-1 visa record, you will receive an email from SEVIS indicating your J-1 record is now active. You can use this email to calculate when you can apply for your SSN (see below).

Now that you have completed the ISSO check-in process, you are ready to begin your academic program. If you are a UCSF student, the ISSO hold that is on your account will be lifted at this time.