Useful Information

This page contains a miscellaneous collection of topics that may be of interest to international students.

Here is some tips that international students might find useful during their travel to the US.

Always have the right documents

The main document that an airport security officer will ask for is your passport and the I-20/DS-2019. However, it is always advisable to keep the following documents with you during your travels:

1- Passport

2- I-20/DS-2019

3- I-94

4- Academics Transcript and/or proof of Enrollment

5- Contact Information for the Center of Intercultural Advancement

If you are a resident of New York, you will need a New York State driver licence to be able to drive in New York.

To get a New York driver licence, you have to

  • pass a written test
  • complete a 5-hour pre-licensing course
  • pass a road test

In more concrete steps you have to:

1- Determine what license class you need. To know more about about the licence classes, please visit this page.

2- Get a learner permit. Before you get a licence, you have to apply for a learner permit and take a written test. To know more, visit this page.

3- Practice Driving and take a pre-licensing course. You must have a supervised driving practice. You can find a driving school. You also have to take a 5-hour pre-licensing course. To prepare find a course and prepare for the driving test, visit this page.

4- Pass a road test. You have to pass a road test before you become capable of driving in New York. Schedule and take the test.

Finally, you have to know how much fees you will be required to pay. View this chart to estimate how much you may pay.

For more information, please visit New York DMV.

Can international student continue working in the US after their OPT? Yes. However, they have to obtain a new visa called H-1B.

Below are some of the frequently asked questions about the H-1B visa.

What is the H-1B visa?

This visa is informally referred to as the “working visa.” As the USCIS define it, “this nonimmigrant classification applies to people who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation…”

What is the eligibility of the H-1B visa?

There are different criteria for this visa but mostly you will need a job offer from a job that requires a minimum of Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience or certification).

How to apply for the H-1B visa? 

Your employer has to file the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. Afterwards, you need to apply for the the H-1B visa in a US embassy.

There are more details involved in the process that we advise you to read more about on the USCIS website.

What is the H-1B Cap?

There is a limit for the number of H-1B visas that are issued in a single year. This number is 65,000, with an additional 25,000 visas that are issued on behalf of holders of Master’s or higher degree from a US accredited college. So, it might help to obtain a Master’s from a US school to obtain H-1B visa afterwards.

For more information about this visa, please visit the H-1B Specialty Occupations.

 

Study in the States  provides information about the regulations and news about studying in a US school.

US Visas gives up-to-date information about traveling to the US.

USCIS: Working in the US gives an overview of the laws and regulations governing working in the US.

If you do not have a driver’s license, you may still get a New York State ID to prove your residency in New York.

To obtain the ID, you have to apply your papers to a DMV office. To know the papers you need to present in the DMV office, please check this list.

The most common documents that an international student presents are:

  • US Social Security Card
  • Passport (either US or Foreign)
  • College Transcript and College ID

You have to pay a fee which ranges from $0 – $14.

For more information, please visit the New York DMV website.

All international students and scholars in both F-1 and J-1 status have legal tax reporting obligations to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

For students/scholars present in the U.S. during 2024, who made U.S. income

  • You are required to file an income tax return. Wagner College is proud to partner with Sprintax to offer a limited number of codes for international students to file their Federal tax form for free. Contact your International Student Advisor for a code. Without a code, it will cost $51.95 to file the Federal form with Sprintax.
  • While the Federal filing form is free for students/scholars with a Wagner College code, the New York State filing form is not free. The NYS filing fee with Sprintax is $44.95.
  • The 2024 tax year season runs from January 29, 2025–April 15, 2025.
  • You must have been issued your form W-2 before you can begin your tax forms.
  • Academic Scholarships are not taxable

For students/scholars present in the U.S. in 2024, who did not make any income

Completed 8843 Forms must be mailed to the following address before the April 15, 2025 deadline:

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service Center

Austin, TX 73301-0215