Require an F1 visa and have not completed any college/university
- Declaration Certification of Finances form
- Copy of Passport
How to Access Your Student Portal
Once you have successfully submitted the online portion of your application you will receive a 7-digit identification number called a Panther ID.
With your Panther ID and default password you will be able to login to my.fiu.edu and follow-up with the status of your application, accept admission, enroll in orientation, and register for class.
Be sure to view the How to Access Your Account for the First Time tutorial.
What to Submit
The “To Do List” on the right hand side of your student portal allows you to check for pending documents and items. You can learn about those items by selecting the “more” button on the bottom of the list. Doing so will also offer suggestions on how to submit missing documents.
The Declaration Certification of Finances Activity Guide (DCF) is an online process that proves the applicant has sufficient funds for one academic year at FIU. Once an applicant is approved for admission, they will receive emailed instructions on how to access and complete the DCF Activity Guide. After this is completed and approved, we will then be able to issue your I-20 form.
Do not enter the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 (tourist) visa or visa waiver; students who enter this way are prohibited from enrolling in academic courses. Students will be required to leave the U.S. and reenter on the appropriate F-1 or J-1 visa at their own cost. For more information refer to the pre-arrival information provided by International Student and Scholar Services.
Foreign Transcripts and Evaluation
FIU will require evaluations or translations of transcripts based on the type of applicant you are.
Freshman (FTIC) Applicants: High School transcripts that are not in English will need official translations along with original documents.
Undergraduate Transfer and Graduate Applicants are required to submit an official translated transcript and a course by course evaluation of each post-secondary transcript they have acquired since leaving secondary school. These become the property of FIU and it is expected applicants use a NACES member credential evaluation service.
All applicants must provide one official transcript and/or official certification of degree, with date awarded. If a student has attended more than one college or university, separate transcripts must be submitted. All documents and test scores submitted in support of the student’s application must be official. To be official, transcripts and certificates must bear an original seal and/or signature of the school’s registrar or of the appropriate school official or office. Photocopies are not acceptable.
If circumstances warrant an exception, and applicants receive an offer of admission and decide to enroll, applicants will be required to submit officially attested paper copies of transcript and degree certificate in an official sealed university envelope as a condition of admission. The official documents will be compared to the document applicants uploaded for admission review. Any alterations or omission of information on the transcripts submitted to FIU could be grounds for the cancellation of your application and/or the withdrawal of the offer of admission.
NOTE: Student records, including your transcripts and certification of degree, submitted to the university become the property of the university and cannot be returned to or copied for the student or released to a third party.
The university does not consider documents certified by a notary public or commissioner of oaths to be official.
Coursework completed at one institution but listed on the record of a second institution is not acceptable. A separate copy of the record from the first institution is required.
If these documents are written in a language other than English, a certified translation in English must be provided together with the original language records. Any translated record should be a literal and not an interpretive translation.
If a student is missing any documentation or other required information, an evaluator will contact the student by e-mail to request additional documentation or information. In the case that a student is missing documentation or information, the evaluation process will be placed on hold until the university has received all necessary documentation. All students are advised to submit all required documentation as early as possible so as to not delay the evaluation process.
In the event that the university receives documentation that is questionable, or suspicious in any way, the university will verify authenticity with the issuing institution. If an institution must be contacted for verification, the evaluation process will be placed on hold until the university has received all the necessary information.
All applicants for graduate study at the FIU must hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited or governmentally recognized institution of higher learning. This is a minimum requirement for admission to a graduate program at FIU.
Transcripts and other official documents can be sent to us by mail using the address below:
Office of University Admissions
P.O. Box 659003
Miami, FL 33265-9003
For convenience we have listed several NACES member services below, however, you may choose any NACES credentialed agency outside of this list:
Office | Contact |
Educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES) ERES has a FIU specific evaluation form with discounted rate and works with Refugee designated individuals to offer low-cost services. Please email them directly with any questions related to Refugee statuses. | |
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Consultants Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. has a FIU specific evaluation form. | Hector Pina |
SpanTran Spantran has a FIU specific evaluation form with discounted rate. | Nestor Dominguez |
Current F-1 or J-1 Student Visa Holders
If you are currently holding an F-1 or J-1 student visa and plan to transfer from another U.S. institution to FIU, you must also submit a DCF form with supporting documents as indicated above.
Additionally, your current institution must release your SEVIS record to FIU before your new Form I-20/DS-2019 is issued. Therefore, you need to complete the top section of the F-1 Student Transfer Form and have the international student advisor at your current/previous school or institution complete the bottom section.
Once we have received the F-1 Undergraduate Student Transfer Form and your SEVIS record is released, we start the process of issuing you a new Form I-20/DS-2019. For more information about the SEVIS fee information, click here.
Please be aware that this process takes a few days; SEVIS information must be forwarded electronically to FIU before the new Form I-20/DS-2019 issuance is possible. Your SEVIS record will be released only at the end of the term in which you are currently enrolled.
Please do not plan any international travel without making appropriate arrangements for securing your new I-20/DS-2019 in advance. A minimum of one full week processing time is needed before your I-20/DS-2019 is ready. You must use our courier service, described above, or pick up your I-20/DS-2019 at the Undergraduate Admissions Office if you require your I-20/DS-2019 within a week after being released from your current institution. The Office of Admissions cannot guarantee a faster processing time.
If claiming Florida Residency, make sure to submit all your documents prior to enrolling for Orientation. Missing residency information will prevent you from registering for classes. Visit the residency website for forms and more information.