Pre-Arrival Orientation provides new international students with information to help them prepare for life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and resources for ensuring a successful transition to the campus community. Topics covered include immigration, housing, immunizations, student health insurance, transportation, health and wellness, billing and payments, campus safety, cultural adaptable and belonging, and academics.
Pre-Arrival Orientation is offered virtually and in select cities each year. Each session provides identical information and lasts approximately three hours. Students are welcome to bring one family member with them the orientation. Parents are free to register for the virtual events separately from their student.
The invite to participate in orientation will be sent directly to new international students via email in May.
2025 Event Schedule
- June 2 – Virtual
- June 3 – Virtual
- June 4 – Virtual
- June 10 – Seoul
- June 13 – Beijing
- June 15 – Shanghai
- June 18 – Taipei
- June 21 – Mumbai
Presentation Schedule
- Planning for Your Illinois Journey
- Immigration Information
- University Housing
- Immunizations, TB Screenings, & Pre-Arrival Insurance
- Transportation & Arrival to Campus
- Transitioning to Life in Champaign-Urbana
- ISSS Check-In & Orientation
- Insurance, Vaccines, & Your Healthcare Journey
- Campus Safety
- Billing & Payments
- Cultural Adaptation & Belonging
- Ongoing Programming
- Breakout Sessions
- Graduate Academics
- Undergraduate Academics
- Parent & Family Resources
Students who attend in-person will have the option to participate in a student networking reception after the formal presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions: In-Person Sessions
May I bring my family with me to the in-person orientation?
Students may bring one (1) guest to the in-person orientation. We are unable to accommodate more than one guest (no exceptions).
Can I attend more than one in-person orientation?
No. Due to space constraints, you may only attend one (1) of the in-person events.
Is there a dress code for the in-person orientation?
The dress code is casual. You will want to dress comfortably, but remember that you will be meeting with university representatives and your new classmates.
How will the in-person orientation be structured?
Students who registered to attend in-person will receive an email with instructions for how to get to the event venue, event start time, and more one week in advance of the event.
There is not an in-person orientation in my city. How are the locations chosen?
Locations are chosen a year in advance and change each year. Several factors are included in the decision-making process included student population size, availability of venues, previous event attendance, and more.
Is registration limited to students who live in that country?
Registration is not limited to students who reside in that country. If a student wishes to travel to another country to attend an orientation, please be sure to check travel/visa requirements. ISSS is unable to assist with travel/visa requirements or related logisitics.
Frequently Asked Questions: Virtual Sessions
How will I join the virtual orientation?
Students may join the virtual orientation via Zoom or watch via YouTube Live.
Zoom is a video conferencing software that provides meeting and webinar functionality for enhanced learning and collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and research partners. Zoom training is available via QuickStart Guides or Video Tutorials.
Please be advised that all chat messages are public to the hosts (even if you mark the chat as ‘Private’). We encourage you to review Zoom’s legal and privacy policies.
How will I access the virtual orientation?
Students who have registered for the orientation will receive a Zoom invite link and YouTube streaming information for their selected date and time one week in advance of the event via the email they used to register.
How will the virtual session be structured?
Logging In & Start Time
When you log in to Zoom, you will be placed in a waiting room. At the event start time, you will be let into the main room by the event host. Your microphone will be muted and your camera will be turned off upon entry. Please keep your microphone muted and your camera turned off during the event.
If you are watching via YouTube, you will click the link to watch the live stream. No login will be required.
Presentations & Breakout Rooms
Representatives from the university will each present on their topic (see schedule above) covering relevant information for new international students. Students will be broken out into smaller rooms by academic level (undergrad and grad) for academic specific information.
Asking Questions
Participants will be able to utilize the Zoom and YouTube chat features to ask questions of the presenters after each presentation and during the breakout sessions.
Run Time
The event will run for approximately three hours.
I did not receive the email with the session access information. Who do I contact?
If you have registered for the event, you will receive a Zoom invite link and YouTube streaming information for your selected date and time in late May via the email you used to register. First, we ask that you check your spam folder for the message. If you still do not find the email, please contact isss-programs@illinois.edu.
Can I switch to a different date?
If you need to switch your virtual orientation registration, you may simply register yourself for a different date without contacting ISSS. If you are switching your registration for an in-person event, please contact ISSS at isss-programs@illinois.edu.
Contact Us
Please contact isss-programs@illinois.edu with additional questions.