Visiting Students

Due to the popularity of the JFRC program, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The application availability and deadlines are as follows:

*Note: All admission to the JFRC is decided on a rolling basis. Applications are accepted until the deadline or until capacity is reached, whichever comes first.

In order to apply, students must:

• Complete the online Program Application.
• Upload a copy of their passport. Students should upload a scan of the basic information/photo page and signature page of their passport. These are facing pages in U.S. passports, and may be the same page in passports issued by other countries.
  • Note: To be valid, a passport must be signed by the bearer. The passport must also be valid through at least six months after the end date of the term of application. Students who need to renew their passport or apply for a new passport may upload a copy of the passport renewal documentation or application receipt in order to obtain an admission decision. Once accepted, those students must upload a copy of their renewed (or new) passport once it has been received.

• Obtain your study abroad advisor's recommendation. In completing the online application, students will provide the name and email address of their study abroad advisor or director from their study abroad office. A form will be sent to the student's advisor requesting a recommendation, which the advisor will submit directly with the student's online application. Submitted applications are not considered complete until the advisor's recommendation form has been received.
• If applicable, submit a personal statement. Any student whose GPA falls below the minimum 2.75 GPA requirement must email an appeal directly to rome@luc.edu or upload it to their application Status Page (visible upon submission of the application), indicating that they are submitting this personal statement as a supplement to their online application.

Following the submission of the online application:

• Official Transcript: Students should send transcripts from their home institution, and any other colleges or universities they attended previously, to the following address:
  Loyola University Chicago
  John Felice Rome Center
  1032 West Sheridan Road
  Sullivan Center 206
  Chicago, IL 60660

*Note: Applicants sending electronic transcripts should address them to rome@luc.edu

The following requirements must be met before an application will be considered eligible for review. All applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old by program start date
• Have earned at least 12 semester hours of credit at LUC (transfer students who have not yet earned 12 semester hours at the time of application will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale*
• Be in good academic and disciplinary standing at their home institution**
• Be in possession of a valid passport, or a receipt verifying application for a passport (copy uploaded at time of application)***

*Applicants with a GPA that falls below the minimum requirement must submit, along with their application, a personal statement explaining:

1) Why their GPA is below the minimum requirement;
2) Their reasons for wanting to study abroad;
3) How they feel they will benefit academically and personally from the JFRC program.

Preference is given to those students who show an upward trend in their GPA or whose GPA was negatively affected by one or two particularly difficult courses. Students who apply with a GPA below the 2.75 minimum are considered on a case-by-case basis and admission is not guaranteed.

**Once admitted, students must remain in good standing (academic and disciplinary) in order to participate in the program.

***While a receipt verifying application for, or renewal of, a passport may be used to issue a decision about admission to the program, a copy of the actual valid passport must later be uploaded to an accepted student's online application in order for the student to be eligible to register for classes.

Within two weeks of receiving a notification of acceptance via email, a student must submit a non-refundable deposit of $500.00* online by credit card; this deposit will confirm the student's "Intent to Enroll" and secure the student's spot in the JFRC.

Instructions for submitting this deposit will be included in the acceptance email and on each admitted student's Status Page. Should a student fail to submit their deposit within the allotted two-week time frame, they may forfeit their spot in the program.

*This deposit will be deducted from the student's total program cost, and will be reflected in LOCUS.

All U.S. nationals who will reside in Italy for less than 90 days do not need to have a study visa. All U.S. nationals who will reside in Italy for more than 90 days are required to obtain a study visa from an Italian consulate in the U.S. A study visa is not necessary for U.S. students who attend a summer session for less than 90 days. Non-U.S., non-E.U. citizens should check with the Italian consulate to determine if a visa will be required for stays of any length. Failure to secure a study visa prior to your departure for Italy will mean dismissal from the program.

Questions regarding the visa process should be addressed to rome@luc.edu.

Note: Visas for other countries that require them may be obtained either in Rome or in the United States, although it may be easier to obtain such visas before departure from the U.S.

Study Visa Procedure

Before starting the visa application process, please do the following:

• Locate your passport (be sure you have signed your passport; the signature line is on the page above your photo page).
• Purchase your flight, either with the group or independently, and print a copy of your e-itinerary or of the group confirmation letter.
  Obtain a recent passport photo. There are updated specifications about the size of the passport photograph (1.2’’x 1.5’’ = 3x4 cm.); the photograph must be taken professionally for the purpose of the visa application.
• Peruse the guide to Italian consulates in the U.S. It will tell you in which city each consulate is located and which states are under its jurisdiction. It will also tell you where there are branch locations. You can also visit the Italian Embassy website for a list of consulates.
• Decide at which consulate you will apply. You may have two choices. You are always eligible to apply to the consulate having jurisdiction over your state of permanent residence. As a full-time student, you are also eligible to apply at the consulate having jurisdiction over the state in which your home institution is located. YOU MAY ONLY APPLY AT A CONSULATE HAVING JURISDICTION; you cannot apply at just any consulate. Example: You live in northern California but attend university in New York, so your options would be the San Francisco consulate or the New York consulate. But if you live in Tennessee and attend university in Ohio, your only choice is Detroit.
• Check with your home institution to see if your study abroad office will be assisting you in the visa application process. It is possible that a workshop on the visa process and/or a group submission of the visa application may be scheduled, so you may prefer to apply through your home institution rather than on your own.
• If you will be applying on your own, bear in mind that there is an earliest and latest date you can apply for the visa; a law went into effect on February 2, 2020, that sets the start date as 180 days prior to the beginning of the study abroad program. The latest one should apply is approximately one month prior to the program's start date.

Regardless of when you apply, you must schedule your appointment at the consulate well in advance (10-12 weeks beforehand) of the appointment date; the most difficult part of the process is scheduling the appointment. Students who apply individually must forward confirmation of their appointment date and time at an Italian consulate to rome@luc.edu in order to be eligible to enroll for JFRC classes.

Once you have selected the consulate at which you plan to apply, go to its website; just Google "Italian consulate in _________ (name of city)" and you should be able to get the link to its homepage. Once you are on the consulate's homepage, click the link in the upper right-hand corner to change the language to English, then click on "Visas" in the appropriate column.

READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY. All consulates require you to make an appointment; you cannot just walk in and apply for a visa. Schedule your appointment at least 10-12 weeks prior to the date you want the appointment. Do not wait to schedule your appointment; during June, July, and August and October, November, and December, consulates are booked solid. If you cannot get an appointment at the consulate itself, you may also go to one of your consulate's branch locations to have all your documents notarized, then mail everything to the primary consulate for processing, but you will still need an appointment with the consular representative.

Please note that each consulate is different. Students applying for a visa at a consulate other than Chicago should check with the specific consulate at which they are applying to determine if they need additional documentation.

When you are ready to fill out the visa application, locate "Forms" on the consulate's website; select "National Visa Application (Long-Term Visa, more than 90 days)". Complete pages one and two of the form; you may be able to type directly onto the form. You will need both your passport and your itinerary in order to answer specific questions; your passport for questions #13, #14, #15, #16, and your itinerary for questions #23, #29, and #30.

• The answer to question #24: Multiple Entries
• The answer to question #25: Fall = 107 days / Spring = 107 days / academic year = 247 day

The answer to question #31:

"For ... Study, ..., give (school) address in Italy."

• John Felice Rome Center, Via Massimi 114/A, 00136 Rome, ITALY / E-mail: rome@luc.edu / Telephone & fax: (06) 355-881 & (06) 355 88 352

The answers to question #32:

"Name and address of inviting company/organization."

• Loyola University Chicago, John Felice Rome Center, Via Massimi 114/A, 00136 Rome, ITALY / Telephone & fax: (06) 355-881 & (06) 355 88 352

"Name and last name, address, phone, fax and e-mail address of contact person ..."

• Paula DeVoto, Rome Center's Chicago Office, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, Chicago IL 60660 / 773 508-2760 / 773 508-8797 / rome@luc.edu

Once you have completed pages one and two of the visa application form, print off all three pages of the form. Attach the photo to the first page where indicated. When you appear in person either at the consulate or a branch location, you will need to sign and date the application in the presence of the visa officer or the consular representative.

Gather all the documents specified by the consulate. All consular websites should have a visa category called "study" and will have a list of the documents you are required to submit for your visa. This is a list of the basic documents needed, but your consulate may require additional documents (for example, the NY consulate requires a transcript from the home school, a letter from our Rome campus, etc.) so be sure you know what you must bring with you before you go to the consulate for your visa appointment. When in doubt, e-mail the visa officer at the consulate for clarification. BE PREPARED BEFORE YOU GO.

Study Visa Fee

In February 2016, a fee of 50 euros was implemented for the long-term study visa application. This fee must be paid to the "Consulate General of Italy" only by money order in the US dollar equivalent amount set for the quarter of the calendar year in which you will be applying for your study visa. You must check the website for the amount of US dollars and purchase a money order for that amount to submit with your other documents.

Our Chicago office prepares the two copies of the "official letter of acceptance" (lettera d'iscrizione), with the university seal affixed, mentioned in the list of documents. But we cannot prepare this letter without first receiving your round-trip itinerary from you. You must e-mail rome@luc.edu either with your e-itinerary (if you have purchased independent flights) or with the confirmation letter from the travel agency for the group flights. You must allow our office at least two weeks to prepare your letters.

All students must coordinate preparation of their documentation for the study visa with the Rome Center's Chicago office. Consulates require that a student appears in person so it is imperative that visa applicants communicate early and frequently with the Rome Center office to be sure that they are not lacking any documentation before they go in person to the consulate. Many consulates also have satellite locations at which students may present themselves; these are listed on the consulate's website under the "Consular Network."

Non-U.S. Citizens

Any non-U.S. citizens participating in the Rome Center program are advised to obtain all the necessary information concerning visa requirements of countries they plan to visit in addition to Italy. Often the procedures are easier, faster, and more economical if completed in the United States. Updated information is usually available at their consular offices.

A student who does not carry a U.S., Canadian, or E.U. passport should keep in mind that, even when traveling with an officially sponsored Loyola group, he or she may encounter obstacles or be denied permission to travel if the student has not obtained all the necessary visas for his or her particular citizenship status.

Under Italian law, students who are staying between 90 and 150 days must complete a "declaration of presence" for the local police station within eight days of arrival, including a copy of the page of their passport with the visa stamp. The John Felice Rome Center staff will assist students in the application process upon their arrival at the Rome Center.

Students who are staying for more than 150 days, must obtain permission to live in Rome (the permesso di soggiorno) within eight days of arrival. The John Felice Rome Center staff will assist students in the application process upon their arrival at the Rome Center. Upon arrival at the JFRC, be sure to have this documentation with you in order to apply for your permesso di soggiorno:

• Three (3) legible copies of the data (photo) page of your passport. Be sure to include the page above with your signature.
• Three (3) copies of the page of your passport with the visa stamp.
• Three (3) copies of the entry stamp in your passport issued by Passport Control upon entry into Europe (these you will make at the JFRC after your arrival).
• Three (3) copies of the official letter of enrollment (lettera d'iscrizione); this is written in Italian, imprinted with the seal, and notarized by the Italian Consulate. Two copies of the official letter are initially provided to each student to submit with the visa application (Students who apply for their visa through the Italian Consulate of Boston will receive this letter in both English and Italian and should bring copies of both). The Italian Consulate will notarize one and return it with the student's passport and visa stamp. Make photocopies of this notarized letter. Failure to bring this notarized letter may result in dismissal from the program.
• Four (4) passport-sized photos.
• Three (3)copies of your LUC CISI study abroad insurance proof of enrollment.