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UCLA Summer Sessions welcomes international students from all over the globe. If a student is enrolling in F-1 eligible courses and programs, Form I-20 (also known as Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status) and F-1 visa requirements may apply.

To plan for UCLA Summer Sessions:

• Select a course or program type you are interested in and determine if you are subject to I-20 and F-1 visa requirements.
• Register and enroll.
• If applicable, complete I-20 application by May 1 (courses/programs that start before August 1) or June 1 (courses/programs that start after August 1) and obtain an appropriate visa.
• Make full payment by the deadline.

International students who do not meet the following criteria must satisfy the I-20 requirements (see I-20 and Visa Application below) if enrolling in F-1 eligible courses and programs.

• A U.S. citizen or permanent resident (a Green Card holder); or
• A student currently studying in a school in the U.S. and returning to the same school after attending UCLA Summer Sessions

International students who are subject to I-20 requirements for enrollment in F-1 eligible courses and programs are additionally assessed the service fee, iStart fee, BruinCare, and Health Insurance. For fee details and estimates, see Fees.

If you are taking an ONLINE Summer Course(s) ONLY, you will not be charged the additional international student fees listed above.

Please see the International Payment Methods section of the BruinBill Payment Methods Guide.

Payments via international vendors like Flywire and Alipay may take 1-2 weeks to process. To ensure payments are posted to BruinBill on time and avoid being dropped from courses, make payments at least 2 weeks before the deadline.

Only courses and programs which are held on the UCLA campus and open to UCLA and other college-level students are F-1 eligible.

To qualify for F-1 visas, international students should select the following course and program types:

• Summer Courses
• Summer Intensives
• College/Professional Summer Institutes*
• Summer College Immersion Program

*Certain College/Professional Summer Institute programs do not quality for F-1 visas. Unless otherwise noted on the program page, College/Professional Summer Institute programs are F-1 eligible.

International students enrolling in courses and programs that meet online only or Precollege Summer Institutes, do not qualify for F-1 visas.

• Online Courses: International students who enroll in courses and programs that are offered exclusively online are expected to participate from where they are without traveling to UCLA.

• All components of the Precollege Summer Institute programs are open to high school students only, and enrollment in Precollege College Summer Institutes is not eligible for F-1 visas. Participants should apply for the B-2 tourist visa in consultation with the local U.S. embassy or consulate.

I-20 Application Requirements

• Full-Time Enrollment
• Copy of Valid Passport Photo Page
• Proof of English Proficiency
• Confidential Financial Statement
  • Proof of sufficient funds to support travel to and from the U.S. and Summer Sessions tuition and fees, as well as living expenses for participation in UCLA Summer Sessions (Living expenses are estimated at $1,000 for 1-4 weeks of study, $2,000 for 5-8 weeks of study, and $3,000 for 9-12 weeks of study).
• If Transferring F-1 from another U.S. Institution
  • SEVIS Transfer Form
  • Previous/Current School’s I-20

I-20 Application Deadlines

• Courses and programs that start before August 5: May 1
• Courses and programs that start after August 5: June 1

I-20 and F-1 Visa Steps

• Check for an email from the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars with steps to access the Form I-20 portal and apply for the Form I-20. Students will receive the email in 3-6 business days after successful registration and full-time enrollment (See Full-Time Enrollment below).
• Upload the required documents.
• Allow 3-4 weeks after completing Steps 1 & 2 to receive your Form I-20.
• Upon receipt of the Form I-20, follow the instructions to set up an appointment with a local U.S. Embassy/Consulate to formally apply for the visa.

International students follow the same registration and enrollment steps.

Summer Courses, Summer Intensives, and Summer College Immersion Program

In order to achieve the full-time student status, international students must:

• Enroll in at least the same number of units as the number of weeks in a session, e.g., minimum 6 units if enrolling in Session A6 or minimum 3 units if enrolling in Session A3; and
• Enroll in the next available session if enrolling in more than one session to avoid a gap between sessions, e.g., Session A3 and B, not Session A3 and C3.

To avoid gaps students must avoid the following combinations of sessions:

• Session A3 & Session C3/C6
• Session A3 & Session D
• Session A6 & Session D
• Session B & Session D

College/Professional Summer Institutes

Enrollment in F-1 eligible College/Professional Summer Institutes automatically satisfies the full-time student status.

Online Courses

In order to meet full-time enrollment requirements, international students must ensure that no more than 50% of total unit count is comprised of online courses.

• Examples of compliant full-time enrollment
  • For Session A6 and C6
    • Student is enrolled in 6 total units.  One 4-unit in-person course, and one 2-unit online course.
    • Student is enrolled in 8 total units.  One 4-unit in-person course, and one 4-unit online course.
    • Student is enrolled in 9 total units.  One 5-unit in-person course, and one 4-unit online course.
  • For Session A8
    • Student is enrolled in 8 total units.  One 4-unit in-person course, and one 4-unit online course.

• Examples of non-compliant enrollment
  • For Session A6 and C6
    • Student is enrolled in 6 total units.  One 4-unit online course, and one 2-unit in-person course.
    • Student is enrolled in 9 total units.  One 5-unit online course, and one 4-unit in-person course.

Acceptable Tests and Minimum Scores

Scores that are equal to or higher than the listed minimum scores from the following tests, taken within the past two years, can satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

• TOEFL: 60 (revised PT) or 80 (iBT)
• IELTS: 6.5
• iTEP: 5.0
• CAE: B (CEFR C1)
• CPE: C (CEFR C2)
• TOEIC: 685
• DUOLINGO (DET): 105

While no other type of test score is accepted in general, students who are affected by test center closures may request an exception to submit an alternate test score.

International Baccalaureates (IB) students or students currently enrolled in an academic institution where the primary language of instruction is English may submit an official academic transcript or verification of enrollment from their school as proof of English proficiency.

Exemptions

UCLA Summer Sessions offers a number of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Communication courses to help students with various English proficiency needs. Students enrolling only in ESL courses or Communication 1A and 1B are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency.

Citizens from any of the following countries are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency:

• Australia
• Canada
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• United Kingdom

International students may enroll in UCLA Summer Sessions as students affiliated with the following institutions and organizations that help UCLA Summer Sessions promote the participation of qualified international students. The institutions and organizations listed below are referred to as registration centers, which provide assistance and advice locally.

Australia

• Center for International Studies
• The United States Studies Centre *Admission is currently open only to students at the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and The University of Western Australia.

Brazil

• Intervip
• N & M Intercambios

China

• Any Time Education
• Can Achieve
• CUHK, Shenzhen
• Excel Orange Education & Technology Group Inc. 
• Global Scholar Exchange
• Hangzhou Normal University
• International Study Partners
• Shangdong University
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• The University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST)
• Shinyway International
• Wuhan Ouzhong International Education Communication Ltd.
• Zhejiang University City College
• Zhejiang University, Honors Program

France

• ESU “Enjoy Study” USA

Germany

• College Contact CmgH
• GLS Sprachenzentrum

Hong Kong

• CUHK, Chung Chi College
• CUHK, United College
• Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
• The University of Hong Kong

Italy

• Coming
• UCSC International

Japan

• Meiji University, School of Political Science and Economics
• Ryugaku Journal
• Showa University

Lebanon

• Phoenicia University

Netherlands

• LUC Registration Center

Saudi Arabia

• Misk Foundation

Singapore

• Nanyang Technological University
• National University of Singapore
• Singapore Institute of Management

South Korea

• Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
• Overseas Education and Culture Center of Korea (OECKO)

Spain

• Agencia Where & What
• Club Ivy

Turkey

• Academix Study Abroad Services
• ASBA International Education

Taiwan

• CIEE

United States

• Cyber Ark International Inc.
• Study Abroad Foundation
• Global Dreamer Foundation