On-Campus Admission for Non-U.S. Citizens

Students outside the U.S. studying at either the Carlsbad or New York campus enjoy an exciting and rewarding experience. Most students easily make the transition to living in the U.S., but it is your responsibility to be aware of certain rules and regulations that govern your stay in this country and pertain to your enrollment at GIA.

GIA is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (M-1) Student Status – For Vocational Students Form (I-20MN) must be used to obtain an M-1 student visa prior to entering the U.S. Applicants who enter the U.S. under another non-immigrant visa status usually cannot attend GIA’s full-time on-campus programs.

Non-immigrants already in the U.S. on a valid non-immigrant visa status may be eligible to apply for a change of status to the M-1 visa while in the U.S., but there are certain restrictions. Contact the International Student Advisor at intladvisor@gia.edu for further details about changing from your current non-immigrant status to the M-1 visa.

The M-1 visa is required for the following programs: Graduate Gemologist, Graduate Diamonds, Graduate Colored Stones, Graduate Jeweler, Jewelry Design & Technology, Jewelry Design, and Comprehensive CAD/CAM.

For more specific details on enrollment requirements, refer to the Education Catalog.