International student checklist and welcome

LOUIE account

Activating your LOUIE account is your first electronic step on the NAU campus. You will use your LOUIE login for NAU email, enrolling in classes, applying for on-campus housing, accessing your student financial account, and much more. Your unique NAU User ID and a link to set the password for your account is received from NAU Information Technology Services shortly after your admission. After setting the initial password, you can later change your password. If you have technical difficulty or get locked out of your LOUIE account, please reach out to the Student Technology Center for assistance with regaining access and setting a new password.

Two-step verification

Two-step verification is a required layer of security that helps protect your NAU account from unauthorized access. When you log in to any of NAU’s supported systems (NAU Gmail, LOUIE, BBLearn, etc.) with your NAU User ID and password, you will need to submit secondary confirmation. You can set up your mobile device with push notifications for this purpose.

How to enroll in two-step verification

Two-step knowledge base

Start learning more about NAU and your new home in Flagstaff by completing the pre-arrival International Lumberjack Orientation.  You will login to the modules using your NAU user id and password that you setup in Step #1 above.

• Online Orientation for F-1 Visa Students (Undergraduate & Graduate)
• Online Orientation for J-1 Visa Students (Exchange)

This mandatory virtual orientation includes helpful information about relevant topics for international students:

• an introduction to NAU
• student visas
• maintaining your student visa status
• NAU Campus Living
• living in Flagstaff
• pre-arrival checklist

All new international students are required to complete the modules prior to their arrival at NAU. Submit your certificate of completion to iorientation@nau.edu by July 15 to be entered into our prize raffle for a free t-shirt.

New international students

New international students are required to apply for a non-immigrant F-1 (degree-seeking) or J-1 (exchange) visa to enter the United States for academic study. Review additional information and get assistance with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the visa interview process for new international students.

International transfer students

International students currently attending a secondary or post-secondary institution in the United States will be able to transfer their I-20 from their current institution to NAU. Students must complete the SEVIS Transfer-In Form with their current international advisor or DSO. More information about transfer credit is available through JacksPath.

Form DS-160

All international students (F-1 and J-1 visas) must complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) in order to schedule an appointment at the US Embassy or Consulate in your home country. It is important that you start the visa process as soon as possible. Therefore, we recommend starting the visa application process shortly after you receive the I-20 or DS-2019 immigration documents from NAU.

SEVIS I-901

After you have scheduled a visa appointment, you should pay the SEVIS I-901 fee to the US Department of Homeland Security. Explore a tutorial for paying this fee. The SEVIS I-901 fee must be paid prior to attending your visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.

Visa interview at the US Embassy

Make sure you prepare for your visa interview and bring all required documents with you.

Nearly all undergraduate international students live on campus in one of the many NAU Campus Living communities.  Many international students apply to live at the International House, a dynamic community with students from around the world.

Living on-campus has many benefits including a convenient and safe location, furnished units, roommate matching services, and helpful staff in your building.

The rent costs for NAU Campus Living communities is variable and dependent on room type (shared/private) and amenities.  Rates include all utilities (electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash), high-speed wired and wireless internet, and free laundry.

How to secure a place to live on campus

1. Submit the 2024-2025 Academic Year NAU Housing Application.  Additional information about how to apply for on-campus housing is available on the NAU Campus Living website.
   • On-campus housing capacity is limited. Students interested in living on-campus should apply as soon as possible, including before student visa approval to secure a placement.
   • Exchange students attending NAU for the Fall 2024 semester only (August – December) should still submit the 2024-2025 Academic Year application.  The Center for International Education will work with NAU Campus Living to update the end date of on-campus housing assignments for exchange students who are departing in December.
2. Pay the $100 non-refundable housing application fee on your LOUIE account.
3. Electronically sign that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms and conditions of the housing contract.
4. Pay the $175 housing rent confirmation payment. This payment applies toward your first month’s rent and confirms your intent to live in campus housing.
5. You will be notified of your room assignment prior to your arrival at NAU.

Questions about your NAU housing application or room assignment can be sent to campus.living@nau.edu. 

Meal plans: as part of the NAU Housing Application, you will have the opportunity to select a meal plan for campus dining. All first-year undergraduate students are required to enroll in a meal plan. Meal plans are optional for all exchange, transfer, dual-degree, and graduate students.

Off-campus housing options

Students may apply for on-campus housing as outlined above or may prefer to live off-campus. LOUIE’s List is a resource available to help you with available off-campus housing listings.  Please be wary of online scams on Facebook and Craigslist.  Do not wire money to someone you have never met outside of email.

To safeguard the health of everyone at NAU, all new students are required to provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Students can submit an official immunization record in English to chs.records@nau.edu to satisfy this requirement. Students may submit copies of their original documentation or ask their doctor or health care provider to complete the MMR Immunization Verification Form.

If you have never had the required MMR vaccinations, you can arrange to have the immunization abroad and submit the documentation before your arrival at NAU. If you are unable to obtain the immunization in your home country, the Center for International Education will help you register for an MMR Clinic during orientation.

Failure to submit the required MMR documentation will result in a hold on your account that will prevent you from enrolling in classes. Additionally, students receiving the International Excellence Award will not see those scholarship funds applied to their LOUIE account until after they have cleared the MMR hold.

MMR frequently asked questions

International students should begin the class registration process after visa approval and prior to arrival at NAU.  Please follow the steps below for your particular program to get enrolled in classes.

Program in Intensive English (PIE) students

1. You may submit updated proof of English proficiency test scores (Duolingo, TOEFL, or IELTS) to studynau@nau.edu prior to your arrival on campus.
2.  Your class enrollment will depend on your English proficiency test scores.

Undergraduate first-year and transfer students

1. Email us at iorientation@nau once you have been approved for the F-1 visa.
2. Pay the non-refundable International Enrollment Fee of $325 after receiving your F-1 visa approval.
3. Paying the International Enrollment Fee will matriculate your admission and make you eligible for class enrollment at NAU.
4. Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor making sure to take into account any time differences between your location and Flagstaff, Arizona local time (GMT-7).
5. Complete Priority Enrollment and the Advising Module prior to your advising appointment.
6. You will then meet with an academic advisor on Zoom to discuss your academic degree requirements and build your NAU class schedule.
7. Questions about academic advising can be directed to universityadvising@nau.edu.

Exchange students

1. Follow the steps on the International Exchange Student Enrollment Guide that you received via email.
2. Review NAU course options for the semester of your exchange and identify your preferences.
3. Once you have identified your course preferences, email the NAU Inbound Exchange Coordinator at exchangestudent@nau.edu.
4. The NAU Inbound Exchange Coordinator will enroll you in NAU classes based upon your preferences and class availability.

Graduate students

1. Submit your MMR Immunization records to remove the MMR hold which will prevent you from enrolling in classes.
2. You should consult with the graduate advisor for your academic department to discuss your degree requirements and build your NAU class schedule.
3. You will then enroll yourself in classes through LOUIE.
   • Students in Master’s of Computer Science, Information Technology, and Business Analytics degree programs will not self-enroll in classes. Faculty and staff from your academic department will assist you with class enrollment in your first semester at NAU.

After receiving your F1 or J1 student visa, you should upload a copy of these documents to iNAU, an online system used by International Student and Scholar Services to manage the immigration documents of international students. There are a number of documents you should upload to iNAU prior to arrival at NAU.

iNAU immigration document upload process:

1. Log in to iNAU
2. Locate the “services” menu on the left side
3. Click on “pre-arrival and orientation” and then “immigration doc check-in” from the tasks
4. Submit copies of the following documents:
   • passport
   • I-20 (F-1 visa students)
   • DS-2019 (J-1 visa students)
   • F-1 or J-1 student visa
   • I-94 (available for download after you enter the United States)

The JacksCard is your official NAU student ID. It has many uses including campus dining, at the library, and riding the campus bus. Thus, it is important to have your card available for use as soon as possible. Submit your photo according to the guidelines below and your digital JacksCard will be available via the NAUgo app prior to your arrival to campus.

Photo guidelines

Upload instructions

Adding a Digital JacksCard to Apple Devices

Adding a Digital JacksCard to Android Devices

Download the NAUgo app to your mobile device.

COVID-19 travel policies

International travelers to the USA are no longer required to complete a pre-flight COVID test or show proof of vaccination records in order to board a flight to the USA.

Mandatory date of arrival

NAU Campus Living communities open for new international student move-in on Monday, August 19.  Students who arrive in Flagstaff prior to this date will need to find a hotel or other accommodation at their own expense until NAU Campus Living communities open for move-in.

All new international students should make travel plans that will allow for arrival at NAU no later than Tuesday, August 20 so that they can attend international student orientation. Attendance at international student orientation is mandatory for all new international students according to the terms of your F-1 or J-1 student visa.

Flagstaff airport shuttle

The Center for International Education is providing a free shuttle from the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport to the NAU campus for all flights on Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20.  After you have made your travel arrangements, you can reserve your seat on the shuttle by emailing us your flight information at iorientation@nau.edu. The shuttle provides a drop-off to NAU campus living communities as well as private apartment communities in the city of Flagstaff. The airport shuttle service is not available from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.

Groome Transportation shuttle

Most students who travel from Phoenix by car utilize the Groome Transportation shuttle.  Students are discouraged from booking any late-night  shuttles with drop-off at NAU after 11:00 p.m.  Rather, it is recommended to stay in a Phoenix hotel, and take a morning shuttle the following day.

The shuttle offers a standard drop-off on the NAU campus at the Health & Learning Center. However, many students find it more convenient to pay extra for a drop-off at a specific street address in Flagstaff so they don’t have to walk with their luggage across campus or pay for a taxi or Uber. For students living in a NAU Campus Living Community, it is recommended to get dropped off at the International Pavilion – NAU (1450 Knoles Drive). For students living off-campus, you can use the address for your Flagstaff apartment community. This request for a specific street address drop-off should be done when making the initial reservation and will add additional expenses to the total cost.

All new international students should make travel plans with arrival to the NAU campus in Flagstaff on Monday, August 19 or Tuesday, August 20 to attend international student orientation at the NAU International Pavilion.  Attendance at international student orientation is mandatory for all new students.

At orientation, you’ll enjoy free NAU swag and food, meet other international students, receive support with arrival tasks like move-in and setting up a USA phone number, go on a campus tour, and also learn more about important topics such as student visa regulations, on-campus jobs, health insurance, making payment towards tuition and fees, and how to maximize your time at NAU.

Move-In to NAU Campus Living Communities

All students with an on-campus housing placement with NAU Campus Living will complete check-in and receive keys for their on-campus housing at the International Pavilion. NAU Campus Living check-in is available from 9:00 a.m. – midnight on Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20.

New Student Check-In

Students will complete new student check-in at the International Pavilion.  The check-in process takes approximately 90 minute to complete.

• Monday, August 19
  • 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 20
  • 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Orientation Programming

As part of international student orientation, the Center for International Education will host social events and important meetings with NAU colleagues from across campus to answer your questions and help you maximize your time at NAU.

• Maintaining Your Student Visa Status
• NAU Student Health Insurance & Campus Health Resources
• Making Payment Towards Tuition & Fees
•  How to Apply for an On-Campus Job
• Student Involvement Fair (Clubs & Organizations)
• Orientation with your academic degree program faculty and staff
• International Student Welcome Dinner

We look forward to meeting you at international student orientation in August!  Please reach out to us at iorientation@nau.edu with any questions.