Info for Departments

This section provides a general overview of the services provided by the Office of International Services (OIS). This information is especially pertinent for faculty and administrators responsible for advising, hosting, or employing international students, scholars, and faculty.   

The OIS is responsible for monitoring and interpreting changes to immigration regulations that affect TC's international students, scholars and visiting faculty. The OIS also serves as the liaison between TC and U.S. government agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, State, and Labor, on all matters concerning non-immigrant student and scholars at TC. Finally, we provide a variety of immigration-related information and services for international students, scholars, visiting faculty, and their dependents.

We work closely with TC's administrative and academic departments to ensure that the members of TC's vibrant international community receives the best possible service, advice, and information while at Teachers College. We strongly encourage departments to review the information on this web site.

In the event of any questions - especially in relation to the sponsorship, hiring and employment, and compensation of foreign nationals - departments should contact the Office of International Services at tcintl@tc.columbia.edu or x3939 for guidance and advice before proceeding.

General Services for Students

The OIS counsels students on student visas on immigration regulations governing full-time study, on-campus employment, off-campus employment, and extensions. We are responsible for issuing certificates eligibility used for visa issuance, travel and re-entry to the United States, and employment applications and authorizations. Our office is also responsible for approving on-campus employment for international students, and facilitating applications for Social Security numbers for those authorized for employment in the United States. 

The OIS provides a host of programming and academic support activities for international students and scholars, including:

• New International Student Orientation, held every fall and spring semester, to introduce newly-arrived international students to the TC community
• Fall Welcome Desk, held during the last half of August and staffed by OIS interns and volunteers, welcoming new fall semester international student arrivals
• Academic Language and Culture, a series of free workshops for international students who are new to U.S. higher education, providing an introduction to U.S. classroom culture, writing and oral presentation skills, and more
• Visa Orientation workshops for new international students
• International Week, a week-long series of events during April celebrating TC's international diversity
• International Education Week, a week-long educational events.

General Services for International Visitors, Research Scholars, and Visiting Faculty

The OIS also works closely with departments on a variety of matters concerning the visit and participation of international visitors, research scholars, and visiting faculty.  More specifically, the OIS supervises the implementation of TC policies governing institutional sponsorship and employment of foreign nationals, including the following categories:

• Visiting Research Scholars and Professors (J-1 Exchange Visitor Visas.)

Departments interested in hosting research scholars / visiting professors should read the TC Visiting Scholar sponsorship policy on the TC General Counsel website and contact the OIS Director for further information. 

Departments intend to hire international faculty or staff, please contact the Office of the General Counsel for TC sponsorship policy:

• Appointments of International Faculty and Staff (H-1 Visas)
• Sponsorship of Permanent Residents