More Resources for International Students and Scholars - [ Immigration orientation ]

Arrival and Orientation

Your first few days in Starkville will be a busy and exciting time. In addition to meeting with your academic advisors and registering for courses, you will be settling into a new home and tending to your basic needs, including housing, food, health insurance, medical screening, and finances (banking, employment, social security numbers).

The International Services staff will do everything we can to assist you. We strongly recommend that you secure housing prior to arrival. Information on housing options is available at the IS website.

Attention:

Social Security Administration Representative will be available at International Services unit on August 14, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to take applications for the students that have employment or offers of employment and need a SSN card.

Airport Pick-up

The Office of Admissions and Scholarships International Services unit offers ground transportation to campus for newly arriving international students this fall. The airport pick-ups will be available ONLY from Golden Triangle Regional (GTR) airport at Columbus, MS. If you need this assistance, please follow these steps:

Send an email to Ms. Lynette Shivers at los2@msstate.edu and include:
1. (A) Complete name
2. (B) Flight number
3. (C) Date of arrival
4. (D) Time of arrival
5. (E) # Of pieces of baggage
6. (F) Name of on-campus residence hall

More information about the pickup service (pdf).

Immigration Orientation & Check-In

The International Services unit offers orientation sessions for new students on Wednesdays from 3:30 - 5 p.m. at Room 150, Montgomery Hall. New students who have not attended one of the Immigration Orientation session are required to attend one of the sessions.

The orientation and check-in sessions are designed to provide students with important information regarding health insurance and medical requirements, employment opportunities and policies (including obtaining a social security number), and registration procedures.

"Students are requested to attend the earliest session after their arrival. They should bring with them their passport, I-94, and I-20 or DS2019 documents for review and photocopying".