Before You Start

Welcome to UIS Global

Soon you will be on the vibrant UIS campus in Springfield, Illinois. Before you arrive, complete the steps below to avoid common issues or delays for international students.

Our dedicated personal advisors make sure all your questions are answered and ensure you have a smooth transition to the university.

If you have any questions about next steps, please contact us at admissions@shorelight.com

Review your conditional offer letter and make sure that you have submitted all documents listed as missing.

Once all your documents are submitted, please submit your I-20 Request Form along with your financial statements as outlined in the Certificate of Finances.

The university will process your I-20 and email it to you as soon as possible – please expect a minimum of 10 business days.

As soon as you have your I-20, please Apply for Your Visa.

After you receive the electronic copy of your I-20, complete the following steps before booking your visa appointment:

  • Schedule a free visa information and preparation session with your personal Enrollment Advisor.
  • Check that the details on your I-20 are correct (including your date of birth) and make sure your name is the same as it appears on your passport.
  • Prepare the documents you will need to take to the embassy when attending your visa interview.

 

After you complete the above steps, you should apply for your visa as soon as possible. It requires an interview with the US Embassy and can sometimes take several weeks to schedule.

  1. Complete your visa application.
  2. Pay your I-901 (SEVIS) fee.
  3. Visit usembassy.gov to learn more about scheduling your visa appointment, what to expect when you arrive, and the documentation you need to take with you.
  4. Notify your personal Enrollment Advisor of the date and embassy of your visa appointment.
  5. Watch these videos to help you apply for your visa and prepare for your interview:

 

How to Apply for Your F-1 Student Visa

Visa Interview Preparation for Students

All students are required to secure their own housing before arrival. On and off campus options are available to all students.

Options available here: 

Instructions on how to apply are available here: 

You will need to complete and submit the following form(s) before your arrival:

  • Immunization Requirement: Complete this mandatory health and immunization requirement prior to your arrival and bring it with you to campus.
  • Enter your visa information on iStart. This must be completed in order to register for classes.

Pay in full two weeks before you arrive to avoid enrollment delays.

Flywire by Peer Transfer: To submit international and domestic ACH payments via UIS Global’s Flywire portal:

  • Flywire payment options include international wires, international credit cards, and other country specific payment options.
  • Flywire guarantees the best exchange rates, offers 24/7 multilingual customer service, and provides payment tracking and an instant payment receipt.
  • Flywire will be accepting U.S. bank accounts.
For student loan information, contact:

There are many things to consider when preparing for university, let alone moving to a new country! To make your transition to the US easier, we’ve put together a list of everyday necessities.

We’ve partnered with campusSIMS to help connect you with mobile phone service. Get your US phone number in your home country and have service that’s ready to use as soon as you land. Click here to get your free SIM card.

campusSIMS helps international students get connected with mobile phone service in the US. Through campusSIMS’ exclusive partner Mint Mobile, students can sign up and get their US phone number while in their home country, and have mobile phone service ready to use as soon as they land.

Students can get low-cost, reliable mobile phone service starting at as low as $15 per month that includes:

  • A free SIM card
  • Unlimited talk and text
  • High speed data
  • Nationwide coverage on the fastest, most advanced network

For more information, visit campussims.com.

International Student Loans

Embarking on your educational journey in the United States shouldn’t come with the roadblock of finding a co-signer for financial aid. Shorelight recognizes this hurdle and has proactively partnered with premier financing organizations such as MPower Financing, and Prodigy Finance. This strategic collaboration eliminates the traditional barriers international students face, such as the need for a co-signer, collateral, or an established US credit history, streamlining your path to securing educational funding.

Find the right loan organization for you on Shorelight.com.

Center for Academic Success

A website with access to virtual tutors, career advisors, and online resources to help you throughout your university studies

Getting ready to study abroad can be challenging! Would you like some help with that? Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success (CAS) has many free resources for you! For example, you can watch a quick webinar on Culture Shock and Mental Health, or take a short eLearning course on Obtaining Your Visa, Understanding Health Insurance, Major & Career Exploration, and so much more.

If you wish you could just ask a real person a question, you can also use the Live Chat button to reach one of our highly-trained support staff, or you can schedule a Zoom session with one of our friendly Student Success Coaches, Professional Tutors, or Career Services staff—all of whom are experts at helping international students with anything from pre-arrival support and campus life to academic subject areas and career guidance.

Don’t wait to activate your free account at CAS—you are eligible as soon as you pay your university deposit.

How to register:

  1. Click here or scan the QR code to find our Home page.
  2. Click the orange “Sign up now” button to request access.
  3. On the signup form, type your given name and family name as you are registered at your university.
  4. Type any email address that your university has on file for you (it can be a personal or university email).
  5. Create a password with at least one special character and 6-50 characters total.
  6. Type your password again. Write it down or save it in your browser.
  7. Type the full name of your university, not the abbreviation. Your status must be checked.
  8. Check the first box to accept the Terms & Conditions (feel free to read those first).
  9. Check the last box if you wish to receive emails from us.
  10. Click the large orange button that says, “Start your learning journey.

After you register:

  • After self-registering, you’ll receive an email within two business days to let you know that your account is approved (or if not, how to fix the problem). Just follow the link to log in!
  • Check your spam folder if you don’t see our email within two days—or just return to the Home page linked above to try logging in with your email and password. If you encounter any trouble, just use the Live Chat button at the bottom of our Home page.

 

If you were pre-registered:

  • Some students may be admin-registered at the request of their university to save you the trouble of signing up.
  • If you get an email from Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success saying that your account has been created, just follow the link to complete your registration. You only need to create your password and check the boxes (Steps 5-10 above).
  • If you are told that you were admin-registered, but you can’t find our welcome email, just go to our Home page, click “Sign up now” and complete Steps 3-10. If you can’t guess the right email or how your name was entered, use our LiveChat to get help.

Career Premium

Career Premium helps international students apply for remote internships and gain real-life work experience to boost their resumes.

  • Certificates and training: Attend online professional bootcamps before your virtual internship starts. Gain hands-on experience once you officially begin by contributing to projects alongside industry experts. If you are interested in certifications, Career Premium now offers unlimited access to training courses that lead to certification in Amazon Web Services, Java, Microsoft Azure, and Python, among many other in-demand skills.
  • Coaching and mentorship: Receive direct guidance from career coaches and industry experts on career exploration, skill training, and professional development.
  • Applying: Work on real-life projects for leading employers and build your portfolio. We work with more than 12,000 multinational companies that have unique projects for you to leverage your new skills, experience, and professional network to land your dream job.

“The tutors are resourceful, and they really helped me while I was applying for internships. I certainly believe I will find a job after graduation.”—Shelley, hired at Tesla

Important Dates

For important dates, including payment and move-in dates, please visit our Shorelight profile page.