Step 4

After you have successfully entered the U.S. on your F-1 visa, you must immediately report virtually to check-In with the Houston Community College Office of International Student Services. 

You will need to provide your HCC ID number, a current local US address, and a US phone, emergency contact information, and prepare to upload copies of the following documents in .PDF:

1. Form I-20* 
2. Passport (photo page)* 
3. F-1 Visa page*(citizens of Canada and Bermuda provide a copy of the passport entry stamp indicating F-1;D/S) 
4. I-94*  Go to https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home > click on Get most recent I-94.  If you receive an error that your I-94 was "Not Found", follow the directions in this document to request a correction to your I-94 record:I-94 Correction Instructions
5. Receipt of online payment for the $50.00 orientation fee – you can pay this with a credit card online through the PeopleSoft / Student Account sign-in. For more information, see International Payment Tutorial (Flywire). Allow pop-ups on your browser.
6. Receipt of SEVIS fee I-901. If you need to retrieve it, go to http://www.fmjfee.com/, and click on “Check I-901 Fee Status’.

*Provide this document for all dependents (spouse/ children) on F-2 visa.

Check-in as a newly arrived student

If you are under 22 years old, submit proof of Meningitis Vaccination to the Admissions office at any HCC campus or scan your documentation and send it via email to vaccine@hccs.edu. There are additional alternatives to submitting the proof on the following website: https://www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/meningitis/

Log onto your student Homepage via https://myeagle.hccs.edu and complete the Checklist items that prevent enrollment: Financial Responsibility; Residency Re-affirmation; Meningitis (if under 22 years of age); On-boarding Checklist: Eagle Launch (web orientation), Testing. Negative holds like Int’l Student Advisement, Bursar's office, and ESL should be cleared before enrollment with the relevant department (read details of the hold).  Positive holds like “F-1 student” do not affect enrollment. For additional information, review the Checklist Completion Video

Meet with Enrollment Services on an HCC campus or via the HCC Virtual Lobby www.hccs.edu/virtual-lobby to receive testing authorization. Pay the testing fee at the cashier’s office on campus or via your HCC portal, and bring the receipt to the testing center on campus to take the exam. Make sure to have a photo ID to present before taking the test. https://www.hccs.edu/resources-for/current-students/testing-services/

You can find more information about Testing and English proficiency on the following website: https://www.hccs.edu/support-services/international-students/foreign-credentials/  Documents with passing English proficiency scores should be sent to HCC as instructed. Evaluated foreign credentials or U.S transcripts should be sent to  Transcripts | Houston Community College - HCC (hccs.edu)

Students placed in ESL/Intensive English levels 0,1 and 2 should contact the ESL department or their Zoom lobby for enrollment/registration. Click to learn more about CE-ESL services and support schedules.

Students placed in ESL/Intensive English levels 3 and 4 and all academic-ready students should meet with an Enrollment Services/Academic Advisor on campus or virtually about the classes they need to take. For help with enrollment, please watch the Class Search and Enroll Video or download the PDF tutorial:  How to search and enroll in classes.

Spring and Fall semesters - F-1 students must enroll in 12 credit hours, of which only ONE (1) class can be 100% online. The remaining classes must be in-person or hybrid classes.

If Summer is the first semester of attendance, F-1 students should enroll in 9 credit hours, of which only ONE (1) class can be 100% online, and the rest must be in-person or hybrid classes. Summer enrollment is not required. It is considered vacation time if you are not enrolled. Students in the Intensive English program will be enrolled in cohort-based courses that do not allow mix-and-match of the classes.

Your sponsors can also pay for your classes from their home countries: International Payment Tutorial for government or third-party sponsored students, go to Payment and Scholarship Information at https://www.hccs.edu/support-services/international-students/faqs/.

You can find more about How to Make a Payment or Set Up Payment plan here.

F-1 international students will be automatically enrolled in HCC’s Student Health Insurance Plan. For more information about the plan and applying for a waiver of coverage, please visit http://www.hccs.edu/support-services/international-students/health-insurance/

Attendance at the International Student Orientation is MANDATORY. Please visit http://www.hccs.edu/support-services/international-students/orientation/ for more information.

Don't wait for the Mandatory International Orientation to enroll in classes! Classes are filling up quickly!