DS has asked me (ok I suggested and he didn't say no) help/guidence/advice on his forthcoming USA placement

[bizzey]

DS is due to go in January.
Communication between the 2 unis is not good .
He has got his place accepted.
Modules sorted and stuff ..
But ...no help on visa, insurance, accomodation, guide you int the right way sort of stuff ..
What does he need to start getting his ars into gear with ?
He was trying to do something that wanted USA address ...which he does not have .
I said give uni address ?
Thanks

There should be a study abroad team who will support him with all of this, has he tried getting in touch with them? Or at least a study abroad webpage on the uni website with lots of info and resources.
He will need an ESTA id assume which he’ll apply for himself.
He needs to get a serious crack on with it if he’s due to go in jan - the vast majority of students would have started sorting over summer.

As I said ..any applications so far have needed a USA address .
He does not have one .

Is the uni address enough ?

No, he wouldn’t usually be able to use the uni address. He should have arranged accommodation in America, this is the address he’d use

If he hasn’t arranged accommodation, this should be his #1 priority, alongside any visa needs. Visas are still backlogged so he should get on that immediately in case of delay. He shouldn’t need a US address for a visa.

travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html

The us uni should have a study abroad team, and they should know if they can provide College accomm as the address. Do they offer college accom for these students? If not, ask them what other students have done. I used a family friend nearby I think, but when I was moving to the uk we needed an address for dhs visa and we used our temporary accom that was booked for 2 weeks, with no issues. For bank account application before arriving also.

Make sure he has all appropriate paperwork from his host USA uni asap so he can apply for his visa as there is a massive backlog at UK USA embassies. DS had a place at a US uni and despite him constantly nudging them for relevant paperwork, they sent it too late and he missed out on his year abroad because the visa couldn't be processed in time for him to enrol. It was a waste of hundreds of pounds, hours and hours of paper-chasing and unbelievable stress. He's having a brilliant time at his UK uni this year, thank goodness, butbe warned - the visa process for students who are just on placement rather than full time abroad, is slower than a snail.

Full time students get visa appointments very swiftly. But placement students are way down the pecking order because they are not paying a fortune to study in USA

Which uni is it? DS told me a horror story that friends who had been accepted to UCLA were told they were over booked for accommodation and received emails from the accommodation office recommending students sleep in their cars in the uni car park. Nice way to start your student life!

Thank you everyone .
Really grateful for your time .

Accomodation is a problem in general at a lot of universities because some US semester abroad programmes have been cancelled so more students on campus. And some universities have a constant issue (Berkely for example).

He should contact the international student office at his US university directly. They should be offering him/requiring proof of health insurance and guidance on accomodation.