International students are defined as "non-immigrant" visitors who come to the United States temporarily to take classes or take online courses virtually from anywhere in the world. A non-immigrant is someone who meets one or more of the following criteria:
- intends to stay in the US temporarily
- does not have US citizenship or legal permanent resident status (a valid "green card")
- currently is in the US on a non-immigrant visa status (without a valid green card)
- applies for a visa to be allowed entry into the US
Most international students attending UC Berkeley Summer Sessions have an F-1 student visa. Other visa statuses (e.g., H4, L2) may permit study. Please review the Berkeley International Office Do You Need a Student Visa? webpage to determine if you need visa documents from UC Berkeley.
For more information on attending Summer Sessions as an international visitor, join one of our upcoming live virtual information sessions.