We will help you with immigration requirements, maintaining F-1 student status and applying for Optional Practical Training. If you live across the border in Southern Ontario, NEXUS will help make your commute across the Peace Bridge much smoother.
Applying to Canisius University
International Student Health - Canadian students are not required to purchase a special health insurance policy for international students. However, if you decide to reside in Buffalo, you may want to purchase this policy. To learn more about purchasing an insurance plan and the services available to foreign students click the link above.
Once You Are Accepted
I-20 form - The I-20 form is an official government document which certifies that a person is eligible to be a non-immigrant student. Only students that will be taking classes on-campus will be issued a form I-20 upon acceptance into the college. Form I-20’s must be signed once a year for students that remain full-time or once a semester for part-time border commuters. Should you have any changes or updates that you need on your Form I-20, please notify the Office of International Student Programs immediately.
Campus Housing - You will need to fill out a housing application and send it back to us by mail, email, or fax. New international incoming freshmen must complete their housing application online through the New Student Portal. Freshmen are required to live in either Bosch or Frisch Hall, our freshmen residence halls. Upperclass students have a choice of which area they prefer, depending upon availability. Graduate students may request the housing areas specifically for our graduate student population. For more information, please see the Graduate Housing website. Please note that the housing costs site only lists housing per semester and per academic year (Fall and Spring). If you plan to stay on-campus for any summer sessions, Bosch Hall is open for summer residents. There are additional costs for summer housing. For more information, please visit the Office of Residence Life website.
Arriving to Canisius
SEVIS Semester Registration – The Office of International Student Programs is required to register international students each semester in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS). If it is your first semester at the college, you will need to stop in to the office with your I-20, passport, and I-94 card during the first week of classes. If you are a returning student and do not need your form I-20 signed yet, you can fill out the SEVIS Semester Registration form electronically on GriffLink which you can access through your Student Portal.
Border-Commuter Students - In 2002, the U.S. Congress passed the Border Commuter Student Act. The Act added a new, F-3 visa specifically for people commuting to the United States from Mexico or Canada in order to study. Students with F-3 visas are referred to as Border Commuter Students. To qualify as a Canadian Border Commuter classification, students must:
- Be a Canadian national with a permanent residence in Canada
- Attend a college or university within 75 miles of the border
- Be matriculated in a full course of study towards a degree, although they may choose to study full-time or part-time
- Get an I-20 renewal each semester before the previous I-20 expires