Pre-Arrival Plan
Pre-Arrival Plan
Once you've been admitted to LSU as a student, you'll need to take the following eight steps to prepare for your first semester. Our team will be here to answer questions and to support you every step of the way. We're looking forward to welcoming you to campus!
This page provides information for admitted students who are arriving to LSU on a student visa. If you need information for short-term exchange students, please see our exchanges page. If you need information for US students, please view this admissions page.
Your Pre-Arrival Checklist
First, begin gathering the financial documents listed at the link below. Our International Student Services (ISS) team will email you instructions on adding these documents to your student record.
Once your financial documentation has been added to your student record, ISS can create the certificates you need to apply for your visa. Learn more about the visa process below.
Before you arrive at LSU, you'll need to arrange housing on or near campus and make your travel arrangements. The link below provides recommendations for both.
All LSU students are required to provide proof of immunization against certain diseases and may also be asked for proof of tuberculosis testing. Please follow the steps outlined by the Student Health Center below.
If English is not your first language, you may need to complete an English placement test and/or oral interview once you arrive on campus. These activities are not for a grade and serve only to determine if you are eligible for our English support services. More information on these activities will be provided at orientation.
Typically, you will not register for courses until after you arrive and complete International Student Orientation. However, before you arrive, you can start planning the courses you would like to take by reviewing the course catalog and contacting your academic department / college to ask about advising procedures.
At the link below, you'll learn how to schedule a check-in appointment for a date that falls after your arrival on campus. At this check-in, you'll meet with our International Student Services team to confirm that your immigration paperwork is complete.
Welcome to LSU! Shortly before the start of the semester, you'll attend a mandatory International Student Orientation to help you learn about LSU, the resources available to you as a student, and your immigration status paperwork. Before your in-person orientation, you'll also need to complete a pre-arrival orientation, available at the link below.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us via phone or email or to visit our main office.