You are considered an international student if you have been admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, either a F-1 (student) or J-1 (exchange visitor in the student category), for the purpose of enrolling in a full course of study at an U.S. accredited higher education institution.
Please Note: If you are a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident, a permanent resident of the Northern Mariana Islands, or a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or under political asylum or a refugee, you are not considered an International student.
Changing F-1 Status
Please contact LaGuardia’s International Student Services office at fsinformation@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Please note that we no longer process requests for change of status to F-1 students within the United States. If you are a potential F-1 student, we can explain the process to change your status leaving the United States and applying for an F-1 visa at the American Embassy. Potential F-1 students must be careful when they decide to apply for change of status within the United States, as rules and regulations have changed and you could compromise your current Non-Immigrant status.
English Test Requirements
As an International Student you’ll need to submit your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores unless you are from a country where English is the official language.
The recommended minimum scores are:
- TOEFL - Score of 45 (Internet-based exam) and 450 (paper exam)
- IELTS - Score of 5
- Pearson Academic (PTE)- Score of 53
If your TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score is below the recommended minimum you can apply to one of our English Language Center’s programs designed to help you improve your English skills.