Incoming Students

iStart

iStart is our international student portal! 

New International Students:

All new international students must use iStart to complete the Glo-Bull Start checklist. The Glo-Bull Start checklist is designed to guide students through all of the tasks they must complete as a new international student at USF.

You will receive an email asking you to begin your Glo-Bull Start checklist after our office has been notified of your admission. 

CLICK HERE FOR HELP OPENING YOUR GLO-BULL START CHECKLIST

Continuing International Students and Students on OPT:

As a continuing student or a graduate who is still participating in OPT, you will continue to use iStart to submit requests and information updates to our office. 

General iStart Tips

Requests Available Online through iStart:

NOTE: Some E-Forms have limited availability based on student immigration status. If you are unable to see an E-Form when you are logged into iStart that you believe you should be able to view, please contact OIS.

F-1/J-1 Student Services

  • Campus to Campus Transfer
  • Reduced Course Load Request
  • Travel Signature Request
  • Program Extension for F-1 Students
  • Program Extension for J-1 Students
  • OPT Information Update
  • F-1 Transfer Out Request
  • J-1 On Campus Employment Authorization
  • OPT STEM Extension

Immigration Updates

  • Add Dependents
  • Report Change of Citizenship 
    (for students who have become permanent resident aliens)
  • Report Visa Stamp or Status
  • Update Financial Documentation
  • Update Financial Guarantee
  • Update Passport
  • Update Port of Entry Stamp & I-94
  • Update Visa Stamp or Status
  • Upload Updated Dependent Documents

Letter Requests

  • Drivers License
  • Enrollment
  • Expense
  • Invitation
  • Social Security

Other Requests

  • Authorized Early Withdrawal
  • Change of Status F-1/F-2 (Within US)
  • Home Country Form Verification
  • Non-Immigration Form Processing
  • Obtain or Regain F-1/F-2 Status Via Travel
  • Request for Immigration Records
  • Study ot Research Abroad Approval

ISTART TIPS

  • Merging PDFs: If you need to combine multiple pdf files into one pdf you can use various free tools. Adobe provides a free pdf merge tool at https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/merge-pdf.html 
  • File Upload Size: E-form file uploads are limited to a combined size of 20Mbs per e-form. If you receive an error when trying to upload documents make sure you have not exceeded the upload limit. You may need to lower your document resolution or quality settings. 
  • File Name Errors: Make sure your upload files have a proper file extension (Ex. .pdf) and that the filenames do not include any special characters (*,;,%,$, etc)