• Fill out Application form

Undergraduate or Graduate Student?

If you are in a Bachelor's Program or in the first stage of a Diploma Study Program you are an Undergraduate Student.

You can enroll as a "graduate student" if you have already completed at least one Bachelor's Program (or Master program, etc.) or if you have completed the 2^nd semester after the first diploma examination (“old” diploma study program) before going to study at the UNO.

Undergraduate Students have certain financial benefits on campus, Graduate students pay more tuition and Graduate classes or a bit more expensive. Therefore, consider carefully whether you want to attend as an Undergraduate or Graduate.

• Download Transcript of Records

A complete transcript of records (PDF) from the LFU-Online is required. Only complete transcripts are accepted (all grades must be included, even fails!). If you are a graduate student, the bachelor's certificate must be submitted in English as well.

• Compose Letter of Motivation

Please write a one- to two-page letter of motivation in German or English, stating why a semester or academic year at the UNO is interesting and relevant for you (academic and personal perspective).

• Have doctor fill out Proof of Immunization Compliance

In order to enroll in an American university, you must submit this Proof of Immunization Compliance.

Assistance:
Ask your doctor to confirm your immunization status. It is up to you whether you get vaccinated. With regard to the meningococcal vaccine you normally get one single dose in Europe. If you do not have one or more vaccinations, you need to fill in the “Request for Exemption" and sign the document. After receipt of your student number, you also need to complete the UNO  Online-Waiver .

• Fill out Statement of Financial Support
• Obtain Letter from Bank

In order to enter the US on a non-immigrant visa and to enrol in an American university, you must complete the Statement of Financial Support (Example). In addition, ask your bank or your sponsor's bank to confirm your account balance in English and in Dollar and with the letterhead of your bank on the page.

The amount varies depending on the length of your stay and if you are going as an Undergraduate or a Graduate (subject to change, values from Spring 2020)

Undergraduates 

• for 1 Semester $11.164
  
• for 2 Semester $22.328            

Graduates   

• for 1 Semester $11.430
• for 2 Semester $22.860 
  

 This is not money that you have to pay, this is merely a confirmation of funds.

CAUTION:

Student Information: Enter all your personal information and tick your desired study program at the University of New Orleans (undergraduate or graduate).

Visa Information: Please tick "J-1 Student" and leave all other fields blank unless you are already in the US at the time of application.

Dependent Information: Please leave blank if you are not accompanied by a family member for your entire stay in the United States.

Address Information: Please leave the first box blank and fill in the following information:
Permanent Home Country Address: your address
Telephone: your telephone number
Email: your university email address

I-20 Delivery Information: Please enter the following address – Mail to the following address:

Center Austria, University of New Orleans, 118 International Center, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans LA 70148

Financial Information: Please tick what proof you will submit as confirmation of your financial resources:

Applicant's Personal Funds or Loan: if you are using your own funds

AND/OR
Funding from Parent, Relative, or other Sponsor: also if the letter of confirmation is from a parent or other "sponsor" who guarantees that you have enough funds.

AND/OR

Applicants Government: (scholarship/sponsorship of tuition, fees, and expenses) 

• Scan Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of your stay. If this is not the case a new one must be acquired immediately. Depending on the office a new passport may take weeks to arrive, without a passport your visa application will be denied and in the worst case scenario your stay at UNO will not be possible.

Applications must be submitted in PDF Format via E-Mail to Center New Orleans

The Center New Orleans checks the applications and forwards them to the Center Austria at the UNO. If there is a mistake in your application or there is something missing then the Center New Orleans will contact you. 

• Obtain and hand in Proof of English Proficiency

American universities usually require a TOEFL language test to accept foreign students. These examinations are very time consuming and of course there is a fee. Thanks to the partnership, there is an exception for Innsbruck students at UNO:

Innsbruck students can take a language test at the Language Center. This test costs 65€ for students at the University of Innsbruck however, once you have received an Acceptance Letter for your Study Abroad you are eligible for a refund of 30€ from the International Relations Office.

CAUTION:

This exam too has an application deadline, make sure not to miss it.

• Fill out Online Application

After the Letter of Nomination from CNO arrives, you have to apply one more time on the UNO homepage. Center Austria will send more information on this step via e-mail.

Caution:

Always fill in non degree seeking when asked, that means that the title you are studying towards will nonbe issued by UNO.

The Visa that you are applying for is the J-1 Exchange Visitor/Exchange Student one.

Fill in Innsbruck Incoming under Academic Information/Major, so that UNO knows your exchange happens under the partnership.

Documents needed for a full application:

• Transcript of Records
• Proof of English Proficiency
• Passport
• Statement of Financial Support
• Letter from Bank

Please handle the online application asap, as it is necessary to receive the DS 2019 form necessary for visa application.

• Receive and hand in Letter of Nomination
• Fill out and hand in Announcement of International Mobility
• Pay ÖH-Fee
• Receive Letter of Admission
• Receive Student Number
  

If your application has been received and processed by the UNO and you have been admitted to the program, you will receive a Letter of Nomination from the Rector’s appointee for the partnership with the UNO. Make a copy of it and send the original as well as the Announcement of International Mobility via E-mail to the Admission Department via  E-mail to have your stay abroad registered.

Don't forget to pay the ÖH-Fee for the semester or the year abroad! A copy of the nomination letter is important in case you wish to apply for a scholarship.

If your application at the UNO has been successful, you can print out your Letter of Admission and your UNO Student Number from the UNO application website.

• Attend Info Session

The Center New Orleans will organize an information event. During this meeting, you can meet your fellow IBK-UNO Students and we will give you the DS-2019, which you need to apply for your J1 Visa. Please try to come to this meeting as it is the best opportunity to ask questions and find out about life in New Orleans and previous experiences. We will also provide you with information on accommodation, flight booking and entry and arrival in New Orleans.

• Create Webstar Account

Once you have received your student number, make a Webstar Account. Webstar is similar to the LFU Online and allows you to enroll in courses and check your UNO e-mails. To create the account, the language of the browser must be set to "English"! Otherwise, you will not be able to log in!

Please register for courses only after you have received the OK from the Center Austria, otherwise, you may have a so-called "hold" on your account that needs to be lifted!

• Receive DS 2019 Form
• Make Appointment with Consulate
• Pay all Fees

Once all documents have been reviewed by the UNO and the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) has entered your visa application data, you will receive the form DS-2019 through the Center New Orleans at the information event. You need the form for the visa application, so it is very important that you immediately check all personal data for accuracy, otherwise, the visa application will be unnecessarily delayed and additional costs can arise. Please apply for a visa and make an appointment with the embassy only after you receive the DS-2019 and after receiving all the necessary information from the Center New Orleans!


To apply for a visa, you must make an appointment at the American Consulate in Vienna, Munich or Milan and have certain documents ready.  Austrian and Italian citizens can no longer apply for a visa in Munich but can do so in Vienna (if they have a permanent residency in Austria). Italian Students can also go to Milan. Information on the exact procedure of the visa application, the required forms and fees can be found on the websites of the responsible American consulates:

• American Consulate in Vienna
• American Consulate in Milan
• American Consulate in Munich
  

Follow the instructions for the visa application exactly! If you follow them, a successful visa application will be possible. It is important to pay all the fees. You also have to pay the SEVIS fee and consulate fees (your home consulate and the American embassy will charge fees)!

• Fill out J-1 Insurance Coverage Evaluation Form

For the stay at the UNO, you must have travel and health insurance! Your insurance must meet all criteria stated on the form  J-1 Insurance Coverage Evaluation Form of the UNO. An updated version of the form (if needed) will be handed over to you by the CNO along with the DS-2019. Please fill in this travel insurance form and take it with you to the USA together with a separate insurance confirmation in English. The Insurance Coverage Evaluation Form must be submitted to the OISS no later than five days after arrival at the UNO! It must be exactly this form, otherwise, it will not be accepted! If you omit to submit the document or if you hand in another form or your insurance doesn't cover the required points you might have to take out the UNO insurance, which is more expensive and offers less favourable conditions. 

In general, we advise against travel and health insurance via credit cards as these often don't meet the requirements.

• Obtain Preliminary Notice of Recognition
• Register for Courses

Before you have received a UN student number and have made a Webstar account, you can use the UNO's Course Catalog as a "guest" and become familiar with the courses offered the previous semester. Here is a guide. 

Undergraduate students have to complete at least twelve credits (usually four courses, but not more than six courses). Credit hours are not ECTS! Undergraduates can attend courses up to the 4900 level as long as there is no extra "G" for graduates in the course catalogue.

Graduate students have to complete at least nine credits (usually three courses; a maximum of six courses can be attended). You can attend UG level courses and higher, but no "Capstone courses". The attendance of 6000 level courses by graduate students is also not appreciated, as they are at a high level and the last courses of study.

In any case, you should clarify in advance with the responsible Dean of Studies which courses can be credited to you at the University of Innsbruck. We recommend having a preliminary notice of recognition issued. 

From the moment that the courses for the respective semester are online, all your application documents have been checked, you have made a Webstar account, and all international students have been enabled for course registration (you will be informed by the Center Austria), you should be able to sign up for courses via Webstar. 

• Pay Tuition
• Receive Student ID

On WebStar you will find your "fee bill". Don't be alarmed when the sum adds to more than $ 10,000. That amount still includes the "Non-Resident Fee" and the "Insurance Plan", which you can deduct. The "Non-Resident Fee" is not applicable because of the partnership between the two universities and the "Insurance Plan" is not applicable because you will have your own travel insurance. If the tuition is paid, you can have a student ID issued on-site.

You can pay the tuition fees either at the Bursar's Office in cash (no additional expenses) or online via WebStar with your credit card (works only with Mastercard or American Express). For credit card payments fees of 2.5%  are due. The online payment can be executed in Austria prior to departure.

It is also possible to do a wire transfer, for which you will need the proper paperwork. The (SWIFT) fees for this are about 30$, so make sure you include that amount when you transfer the money.

There will be a deadline for the payment of the tuition fees. If the date is prior to your arrival in New Orleans, the fees have to be paid via credit card or online transfer. (check the Semester Calendar for deadlines). Please be mindful that bank transfers can take up to 5 days to be processed, so please pay ahead of time.

Tuition fees change every year and vary from person to person (depending on the courses you have chosen) so please don't ask us to give you an exact estimate of how much you will have to pay.

Lastly, clarify the credit card limit with your bank at home! You will need a higher limit than banks usually grant, especially in the first few days. If the limit is too low, you may not be able to pay the rent, tuition, etc. It is not possible to withdraw money with a credit card in a bank in the US! Withdrawal at the ATM (Maestro) is possible, but only within the card limit.