International Students

Welcome to a community where your story matters.

Study in the United States at a thriving Christian university dedicated to high-quality academics.

Our international students come from 40+ countries and make their home on Taylor University’s residential campus in Upland, Indiana. We're excited to welcome you to a supportive environment that nurtures both top-tier academic excellence and authentic spiritual growth. We want to help make this process as easy as possible, so please follow the steps outlinedbelow to begin the application process,

A Place to Call Home

The Office of Intercultural Programs (OIP) seeks to reflect the biblical image of Heaven—a multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshiping Christ. We foster a safe, welcoming community and create enriching experiences for all students, faculty, and staff.

Global Community at Taylor

More about Upland, Indiana

Online Application Common Application

How to Come to Taylor as a Foreign Passport Holder

Students who have dual citizenship and a US passport do not need to get an affidavit of support, a student visa, or pay the SEVIS fee, but should use their US passport to travel to the US.

Your first step is to complete Taylor’s online Admissions Application or Common Application. The name you use on your application should match the name on your passport.
Submit your transcripts. It is important that your academic transcripts be translated into English and evaluated by an approved credential evaluation service before being sent to the Admissions Office.
Tell us your story about how you came to faith in Christ and how what God is doing working in your life. You can do this over the phone with your Admissions Counselor or write a short essay.
Submit your English proficiency test scores. You may submit scores from the following tests: TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo.

Once you have been accepted, confirm your intention of attending Taylor by paying your deposit fee.
After you pay the deposit fee, complete the housing form to indicate where you prefer to live on campus.

Fill out the Affidavit of Support form and email it to your admissions counselor, along with a picture of your passport.

Taylor is an SEVP certified school to issue I-20s for F-1 student visas. If you are on a different visa type (other than an F-1), find out if you are eligible to study in the U.S.

Taylor University will send you an I-20 Form.

Pay your Sevis Fee.
- You must pay a $350 SEVIS fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before you can apply for a student visa.
- Payment can be made by credit card, Western Union that offers Quick Pay services with local currency, check, or money order.
- This fee must be paid three business days before your scheduled interview.
- Bring your I-901 receipt with you to your visa interview.

Schedule a Visa appointment with the nearest US embassy.
- To apply, you will need your I-20 form and most likely your visa application form, proof of financial resources, and passport-sized photographs. Contact the U.S. Embassy closest to you for further instructions.

Everything is in order for you to move to campus! We’re excited that you will be joining our community soon. Please prepare to move to campus a week before the semester begins so you can participate in International Orientation.

Reminder: All international students are required to have health insurance.

International students can make payments below via Flywire. Contact Student Accounts with any questions you may have.

International Student Payments

English Proficiency Test Scores

Please note: English proficiency tests are just one part of Taylor's assessment regarding your ESL performance in an immersive academic setting. Taylor takes a individualized approach, looking beyond test scores to consider each student’s unique background, experiences, and potential for success.

This guide is not to be regarded as a final determination in your studies at Taylor. Please contact Giovanna Domene at [email protected] for more information.

TOEFL iBT	IELTS	Duolingo	ESL Designation
95-120	7-9	130-160	No ESL classes required
72-94	6-6.5	105-125	Partial ESL support When English proficiency is in the TOEFL 80-94 range, other measures and factors will be considered to determine whether partial ESL support is required.
50-71	5-5.5	80-100	Full ESL support

Additional Information About F1 Visa and Travel

You will only need to update your I-20 if you’ve changed your major, name and/or country of citizenship. If you need to extend the program end date (noted on your I-20), please make an appointment with the Office of Intercultural Programs before your I-20 expires.

Upon your admission to the United States at a port of entry, you will be issued a Form I‑94. It shows the terms of your admission, including your legal status, length of time you may stay and expected departure date. You can go to the Form I-94 information page to get your most recent I-94.

You must maintain a valid passport at all times. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you enter or re-enter. You may contact the consulate or embassy of your country in the United States to obtain a new passport.

The Visa is an entry document, so an F-1 student is permitted to stay within the United States with an expired visa stamp in his/her passport, as long as the passport, I-94, and I-20 are still valid and he/she is maintaining legal status. If a valid visa is in your old expired passport, you can use it if you have kept the old passport. Present the old passport along with the new passport when you reenter the country. F-1 visa can only be obtained from outside of the US.

Students from Canada and Bermuda are exempt from applying for a visa but must provide SEVIS fee payment verification and their I–20 or DS–2019 Form to an immigration inspector when applying for entry to the United States as an F–1 student.

You cannot enter the U.S. more than 30 days prior to your program start date. You are only authorized to study from the program start date until your program end printed on your I-20.

For students currently studying in the U.S.: ask the DSO at your current school to transfer your SEVIS record to Taylor University. Let us know once you do that and we will prepare an updated I-20 document for you.