International Student Services Office

ISSO provides essential assistance and support to international students to help them better adapt to life at AUS. Among its many tasks is to help international students comply with immigration regulations during their time at the university.

When To Contact ISS
International students must consult the International Student Services Coordinator when:

• applying to extend or change your visa
• transferring to or from the university
• leaving the university for any reason
• accepting off-campus employment, engaging in summer employment or internships, or applying for an extension of employment authorization
• seeking practical training, curricular training, or extension
• planning to leave and re-enter the UAE while still a student

Student Visas
Documentation Letters
Passport Custody
Orientation
Guidelines for International Students

Student Visas

New International Students with No UAE Residence Visa
Once an international student is accepted by AUS, the Office of Admissions sends the ISSO the Student Visa Request Form (Form 3), which must be submitted along with one passport copy and eight passport-size photographs. ISSO then applies for the student’s residence visa through the Department of Immigration in Sharjah. After the visa has been issued, the ISSO sends a copy of the student's visa to the fax or e-mail that is mentioned on Form 3.

Students are kindly requested to do the following:

Before arrival:

• Make travel reservations to the UAE as soon as possible.
• Notify us of your flight details (flight number, airport, arrival date and time) through e-mail to adarbi@aus.edu or fax +(971) 6 515 2078.
• On your departure, pack all AUS correspondence (letter of admission or transfer evaluation) and items of identification (valid passport and visa copy) in your carry on luggage.
• Present the visa copy at the Visa Collection Counter in the airport where you arrive (whether Sharjah or Dubai Airport ). The original copy will be placed there.

After arrival:

• You MUST visit our office (Main Building, Mezzanine Floor, MM27, Mr. Ashraf Al-Darbi) to submit your original visa and passport in order to stamp the permanent residence on your passport. The visa that you will pick up from the airport is valid ONLY for 60 days from the date of entry.
• Pay the visa fees at the Cashier’s Office (Mezzanine Floor, Main Building) after receiving a form from ISSO.

Visa fees are as follows:

* Students under the age of 18 don’t have to pay the medical test and the insurance certificate fees.

Transfer Students
Students who want to transfer their visa from any other sponsor (parents or company sponsorship) to AUS sponsorship must do the following:

Step 1: Preparing Transfer of Visa Form (TVF)

Requirements:

• Copy of student's passport
• Current sponsor's passport copy (if parents) or details (if company).

Once the above documents are submitted, the Public Relations Department will prepare the transfer of visa form and sign it.

Step 2: Attesting Transfer of Visa Form

Requirements:

• Signature of current sponsor on the TVF
• Attesting from the immigration office in the emirate where your current residency is issued*

* If your current residency is issued from Sharjah, no attesting is needed.

Step 3: Submission of Documents

Once the signing and attesting is done, please submit the following to the Public Relations Department:

• Original passport
• Eight passport photographs
• Attested transfer of visa form
• Form 3 (Student Visa Request Form)
• Visa fees are 720 Dhs for students in Insurance Plan I and 850 Dhs for students in Insurance Plan II.

A medical test will be scheduled, and a notification e-mail will be sent.

Note: The transfer of visa process may take four to six weeks.

LEAP and SIEP Students
LEAP (Learn English in an American Program) students are given a two-month visit visa. The visa request is sent to the Public Relations Department by the Office of the Registrar.

SIEP (Summer Intensive English Program) students are treated as new students. The same procedures as for new international students with no UAE residence visa are followed.

Documentation Letters
ISSO provides international students with copies of their passport when required for different needs, such as

• immigration letters
• traffic letters
• training and internship letters

Letters for embassies may be obtained from Ms. Jinane Khatib, Office of Public Affairs.

Passport Custody
ISSO provides passport custody for students to help them safeguard this important document. All students whose residence permits are sponsored by the university are required to submit their passports to the ISSO for safekeeping. Students who do not have their UAE residency through the university may use the passport custody service if desired.

When students desire to pick up their passports, a permission letter should be sent from their parent or guardian through fax to +(971) 6 515 2078 or e-mail to adarbi@aus.edu.

Students can pick up their passports from ISSO during working hours from Saturday to Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After working hours or on weekends, student can pick up their passports by calling the emergency number +(971) 6 515 2222 and the officer on duty will hand passports to students.

Orientation
In coordination with the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Admissions, ISSO
organizes an orientation for all new international students at the beginning of every academic year.