Student Resources

All international students (on 'J' or 'F' status) must maintain health insurance and are automatically billed for the university's student insurance program through their tuition. For more details, click here.

Please visit the Academic Health Plans” website for more information about the current plan. Please review the plan benefits and compare with your proposed plan. For questions about insurance coverage or waivers, contact Academic Health Plans at support@ahpcare.com or call 1-855-850-4191.” 

Waivers MAY BE granted based on one of the 3 categories: Category 1:  Home Country Provides US Insurance coverage Category 2:  Fully Sponsored by US or Other organization which provides your health insurance Category 3:  Coverage through a US plan provided as an employee benefit For detailed requirements for each category view the International Waiver Requirements. Please note that submitting a waiver does not mean you are automatically approved for the waiver.

• Please note the waiver deadlines – no exceptions will be granted if these deadlines are missed:
  • Fall Semester: August 31
  • Spring Semester: February 1

The ISSS Office strongly recommends students get either a Driver’s License or State ID while they study at the university. A Driver’s License or State ID can be used as an identification document and is more convenient to carry than your passport. Please read the information below about the steps needed to obtain a Driver’s License or State ID. For more information about obtaining a Driver’s License or State ID, please click here. 

STEPS TO APPLY FOR A DRIVER’S LICENSE/STATE ID (all edited by CHATGPT if needed) 

For Current Students:

Obtain the required documents: All non-U.S. Citizens must present all their immigration documents as well as other supporting documents to Driver’s Licensing personnel. The required documents are: 

• Passport
• Form I-94
• Form I-20/DS-2019
• Social Security Card (insert hyperlink to the Social Security resource page here) or Letter of Ineligibility from the Social Security Administration office.
• Proof of Kentucky Residency (any bill or mail that shows your current address with your name as the recipient and has been processed through the US Postal Service.)
  • If you live on campus, please contact the Housing Office at 502-852-6636 or housing@louisville.edu  to receive instructions on how to show a proof of address.
• Non-US Citizen Driver Licensing and Personal Identification Form (TC 94-159). Valid for 30 days from date signed by DSO.
  • To request this letter form, please submit a ISSS Letter Request in your Terra Dotta Portal.
• Blue Letter ($30) (please make an appointment here.) – unable to find a link!

For Students on OPT: 

• Obtain the required documents:
  • Passport
  • Form I-94
  • Form I-20 with approved OPT status on page 3
  • EAD Card
  • Social Security Card
  • Proof of Kentucky Residency
  • Non-US Citizen Licensing and Personal Identification Form (TC 94-159)
    • To request this letter form, please submit a ISSS Letter Request (hyperlink to the requests page?) in your Terra Dotta Portal.
  • Blue Letter ($30) (please make an appointment here.)  - unable to find a link

You can go to one of the four regional ID centers with all the above-mentioned documents:

• Hurstbourne Office
  • 9112 Leesgate Rd, Louisville KY 40222
• *Bowman Field Office (for Driver’s Licensing and tests)
  • 3501 Roger E Schupp St, Louisville KY 40205
• Dixie Highway Office
  • 4919 Dixie Hwy Suite A, Louisville KY 40216
• Downtown Nia Center Office (this office is the closest to UofL’s campus.)
  • 2900 W Broadway, Louisville KY 40202

Apply for your License or State ID: 

• Your State ID can be obtained right after your Blue Letter appointment, and can be issued at any of the regional ID centers listed.
• For a Driver’s License, you must take a written test if this is your first time applying in the United States. You must make an appointment here. You must pass a written test and a driving test to be granted your permanent driver’s license. 

Renewals

• You can renew your driver’s license 6 months in advance before it expires. You will need to follow the process outlined above.  

Change of Address

• To update your address on your Driver’s License or State ID, please visit here. Remember, you must obtain an updated license/ID with the new address within 10 days of the change. 

Buying a car in Kentucky

• In order to buy a car, you must have a valid driver’s license and proof of Kentucky Automobile Insurance. 

A Car Registered in Another State

• If your car was licensed in another state and needs Kentucky License Plates, please visit here. 

All non-immigrants (F-1 and J-1) who are authorized to work in the U.S. & have a job or job offer for paid employment must have a social security number.

FOR ALL APPLICANTS:
Prepare and present the following to the Social Security office:

1. Letter of Employment Verification (Must be from the hiring department and the letter must be typed on their letterhead)
    
2. Social Security Application form
3. Letter from the International Student & Scholar Services office. Login to your Terra Dotta portal and under Student Requests, click on ISSS Letter Request.
4. Immigration Documents (I-20/DS-2019, visa, passport, I-94)

Normal processing of a Social Security card usually takes about 14 days (2 weeks), from the time that you submit your application at the Social Security office. The Social Security Administration will not accept your application unless you are presenting them with ALL of the above-mentioned documentation. In addition, please note the following conditions depending on your category:

Current Students (F-1 & J-1) applying for a Social Security card:
F-1 and J-1 students must be registered full-time at UofL and must have an on-campus job offer before applying for a Social Security card. Students who pursue CPT or OPT are eligible to apply for a social security number for an off-campus position.

GRA, GTA or Fellowship recipients:
Upon applying for the social security card you will be given a receipt from the office that you have applied and are being processed for your card. Give this receipt letter to your sponsoring department and to the payroll office at UofL. This will temporarily permit the payroll office to pay you while you wait for your social security card to arrive in the mail.

Hours and Directions to Social Security
 Social Security Office is on the first floor in the Gene Snyder Building at 600 West Broadway located at the intersection of 6^th Street and Broadway.

Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Wednesday from 9 am - 12:00pm (noon).

Telephone:  1-800-716-9671

Website: www.socialsecurity.gov

International students and scholars in the U.S. for any part of the previous tax year must file an annual tax return by the next year’s deadline, typically April 15. Nonresidents are taxed only on their U.S. income. U.S. income sources may include on-campus employment, scholarships, fellowships, graduate assistantships, practical or academic training, and compensation for labor. The most common income is wages, with tax withheld from each paycheck as a prepayment for federal and state taxes. Taxable scholarship payments may also have withholding similar to wages. Please note that ISSS staff are not tax professionals. 

HOW TO FILE FOR TAXES: The ISSS Office has a partnership with Sprintax Tax Preparation. Sprintax is for international students to use when filing their Federal taxes. Each year before tax season, the ISSS Office will send an email on the International Student LISTSERV with the free Sprintax access code and instructions. Instructions for requesting the Sprintax code are usually provided to students via the LISTSERV email by late January to mid-February. 

All international students and scholars are required to file taxes with the IRS each year, even if they are not employed.

Incoming international students must submit immunization records. Failure to do so will result in a hold on your account. For more information, click here.