Future International Students

Fall Term

• March 26 – Fall Course Schedule Available
• July 1 – On-campus Housing Application
• July 1 – New Students Application Deadline
• August 1 – Transfer Student Application Deadline

Spring Term

• October 15 – New Student Application Deadline
• November 1 – On-campus Housing Application
• January 2 – Transfer Student Application Deadline

International students who only want to take a course or courses online through Otero College will not require immigration documents from Otero College, but will need to complete the following for admission.

If you are currently in the U.S. as an F-1 Student at another institution

• Submit a copy of your current U.S. visa stamp and fact page of your passport to otero-international@otero.edu; if your visa is expired, you will also need to send a copy of your current I-20 to confirm your status.
• Submit a copy of the Notification document signed by the International Student Adviser at your current institution to otero-international@otero.edu. It is important that they know that you are taking a course online through Otero as they are your primary institution.

If you are currently outside of the U.S.

Submit a copy of the fact page of your passport to otero-international@otero.edu

Additional Math & English Placement Criteria

English and Mathematics courses require student to meet placement criteria. There are 3 ways to do this:

1. Remote Testing. Taking the ACCUPLACER at the testing center at your current institution through remote testing. For details, please email otero-international@otero.edu
2. Submit a copy of your transcript showing that you have taken the required developmental or pre-requisite course(s) to otero-admissions@otero.edu. Note: This is the only way to enroll in a course with a pre-requisite course.
3. Submit a signed waiver. Incorrect placement may mean that your time, effort and money are wasted as you are not properly prepared. This form requires the signature of your academic adviser at your current institution and the Vice President of Student Services at Otero College in order to waive placement via testing or transcript into an English or Mathematics course.  Submit to otero-international@otero.edu.

Course with pre-requisites

Any courses with academic course pre-requisites will have to have the pre-requisite course credit transferred into Otero College. This requires an Official Transcript to be sent from the institution to the Otero Registrar’s Office at otero-admissions@otero.edu.

These pieces must be received no later than 12 PM MST on the last day to add in order to allow us to open the enrollment to you.

Once these pieces have been received, you will receive an acceptance email from International Relations Director with instructions on how to log on to the MyOtero Portal and register for your CCCS Online courses, pay for your classes online and much more!

Deadlines: (table out of date)

Downloadable Forms (out of date)

Courses Available Through CCCS Online 

Once you have been admitted to Otero College, you will receive an I-20 form (immigration document for F-1 or M-1 student visas) or a DS-2019 form (immigration document for J-1 scholar visas).

These are the Steps that you should take to get your visa once your immigration document has arrived:

1. Make sure your name and birthdate are correct. Occasionally errors are made and student will write birthdays as day/month/year on their application or we will accidentally spell a name incorrectly. While this is rare, it is important that if a mistake is made you let us know immediately as this could cause a delay or issue with your visa being approved.
2. Read through the form. It is important that you read the form carefully and understand your responsibilities as an international student in the U.S. when you sign the form.
3. Make an appointment with the embassy or consulate. The best way to set an appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you will vary by location. For a complete list of all Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Missions visit the U.S. State Department site at: http://www.usembassy.gov/.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. The SEVIS is a standard fee paid by all international students to cover the costs of maintaining the SEVIS system. The current cost is $200 and the fee must be paid and you should bring the receipt to your visa interview.
5. Complete the VISA application form(s). All applicants will have to complete the visa application form. Most embassies are moving to only accepting online submissions of the visa application DS-160 which combines the old DS-157 and DS-158 forms.
   
   Please check with the Embassy or Consulate where you will be applying to ensure that you are using the correct version of the visa application form.
   
   Pre-interview checklist of forms:
   • A current and valid passport.
   • VISA Applications (DS-160 or DS-156 and DS-157/DS-158 if applicable).
   • Photographs as specified by the Embassy or Consulate.
   • Receipt for I-901 Fee.
   • Receipt or payment for Application and VISA fees as specified by the Embassy or Consulate.
   • I-20 from Otero College or DS-2019 from sponsoring program.
   • Official letter of Acceptance and any academic transcripts if you have studied in the U.S. before.
   • Proof of ability to pay for your education in the United States. You should bring bank statements, letters of sponsorship and affidavits of support with you to demonstrate proof of funds at minimum to cover one year of your education in the United States.
   • Any other documents specifically required by the Embassy or Consulate where your interview will occur.
     
     
6. The VISA interview. The most important thing to remember is to be on time, be brief and be specific when answering the questions of the official conducting your interview as they have just a short time in which to make their assessment. The interview process will vary by Embassy or Consulate, so check ahead to know what to expect.
7. Your VISA is approved! Processing times may vary by Embassy or Consulate, it can take anywhere from a few days to over a month. Please wait until you have your VISA to schedule your flight as you cannot enter as a student without it.

Canadians

If you are a student from Canada, you will not need to go through the VISA Application Process as noted above, nor will you have a VISA stamp in your passport outside of that issued at entry. What this means is that at your port of entry, the immigration official will look at your I-20 and passport. They may also request proof of financial support and the receipt showing payment of the I-901 SEVIS fee. If all checks out, they will stamp you in as an F-1 student.

Note: Do not enter as a B-2 or VISA waiver tourist! You cannot attend school on these visas and you will have to exit and re-enter on the correct visa or apply for a change of status here which can be expensive.