Student Life

All international students, and dependents over the age of 16, who will be in Michigan for more than four months are eligible to apply for a Michigan driver's license. If you will be in Michigan for more than four months and plan to drive, you must obtain a Michigan driver's license.

If you do not plan to drive but still want official photo ID from the State of Michigan, you can get a State ID Card. Your OU student ID card is not accepted as official photo ID in most circumstances off-campus.

If you are applying for an ID Card rather than a driver's license, you only need to follow Steps 1, 2, and 4 below.

• Step 1: To apply for a driver's license, you must have either a US Social Security Number or a Letter of Ineligibility from the Social Security Administration. If you do not have a Social Security Number, get your social security letter of ineligibility by collecting the necessary documents and calling the Social Security Administration Office at 1-866-299-3777.
• Step 2: Gather all of your required documents.
• Step 3: Before you apply for your driver's license, study the book "What Every Driver Must Know," published by Michigan's Secretary of State. This book contains all the information you will need to pass your driving tests and become a proficient Michigan driver.
• Step 4: Bring all of your documents to the Secretary of State Office in Rochester Hills:
  
  Crooks Corner Plaza
  2250 Crooks Road
  Rochester Hills MI 48309
  
  Hours: Mon-Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 
  You can book an appointment online at the Secretary of State Office
  At the office, you will fill out an application form, take a vision test and a written test, and pay the fee ($25 for a driver's license or $10 for a state ID card). You will receive a Temporary Instruction Permit.
• Step 5: With your Temporary Instruction Permit, you can gain experience driving. Practice driving on Michigan roads to become familiar with lights, signs, right-of-way rules, road markings, and traffic patterns. You may only drive with a Temporary Instruction Permit if a licensed Michigan driver accompanies you. Many companies in the area offer private driving lessons. If you already have a driver's license from your home country in English, or a translation of your driver's license from your home country, you may schedule your driving skills test whenever you feel ready. (You may not translate your national driver's license yourself. You can get it translated by one of the services recommended by the state by visiting Michigan.gov website.) If you do not have a driver's license or a translation, you must wait for at least 30 days before scheduling your driving skills test.
• Step 6: Contact one of the driver's education companies registered with the Secretary of State to schedule your driving skills test. If you pass the test, your instructor will give you a Driving Skills Certificate.
• Step 7: Go back to the Secretary of State office for your second appointment. Book your appointment at the Secretary of State Office Bring all of your required documents, along with your Temporary Instruction Permit and your Driving Skills Certificate. At this appointment, your picture will be taken, and you will be given a temporary paper driver's license. Your official license will arrive in the mail within a few weeks.

Owning a car in the United States has certain responsibilities that every driver must follow. The car must have valid auto insurance, and proof of car registration. Both the vehicle insurance and vehicle registration must be with the automobile at all times, and make a copy of these papers to keep in a safe place at home.  All drivers of the car must have a valid driver's license, and any children under the age of eight need to have a safety seat (car seat or booster seat depending on age). If you are pulled over by a law enforcement officer, and fail to produce a valid driver's license, car registration, or auto insurance card, you may be fined (given a ticket), or your driver's license may be suspended. 

International Oasis, a local nonprofit, offers a car buying guide on their website that our international students often use. They also have volunteers that are willing to go with you to inspect vehicles, either from private sellers, or an authorized dealership.

Oakland University offers a wealth of events, activities and student organizations in which you can get involved and find community outside of class. If you take advantage of the opportunities on this page, you will never be bored during your time at OU.

The City of Rochester, Oakland County, and Southeast Michigan as a whole are diverse, vibrant communities with numerous opportunities for recreation and activities to keep you occupied. Calendars of events for Oakland County and Michigan will inform you of upcoming concerts, festivals, art openings, parades and other festivities. Attractions in the local area include world-class museums, nature reserves, beaches, ski resorts, shopping outlets, and sporting venues.

Oakland County is home to people of more than 150 nationalities and you will find a wide variety of restaurants and markets serving food from every corner of the world, as well as places of worship representing every major faith community.

While public transportation in Oakland County is limited, OU is served by SmartBus route 756. Ride-share services Uber and Lyft are very active in the area, and many students without cars use them regularly. If you wish to volunteer in the local community, OU's Office of Student Involvement will help connect you to an organization or service opportunity that matches your interests and abilities.

OU students, including international students, have the opportunity to study abroad on over 300 programs in 45 countries as part of their degree program. If you are interested in studying abroad, you will work with both ISSO and the International Education Office, which both share an office suite and work together closely as parts of the Global Engagement Office. Students can study abroad for as short a time as 10 days and as long as a full academic year, and programs are available for nearly every major and degree OU offers. Many scholarships for study abroad are available.

First, meet with the International Education Office to identify a program that will work for you and discuss the application process, costs, and available scholarships. When you have a program you are interested in, meet with ISSO to discuss how to maintain your F-1 or J-1 status while you are abroad, determine whether you will need to apply for a new visa as you prepare to return to the United States, and discuss how your employment eligibility will be affected when you return.

It is important for you to maintain paper and electronic copies of your important documents that can demonstrate your visa status or be used to apply for a new visa if necessary. These documents include:

• Your passport and student visa
• Your I-20 or DS-2019, with travel signature
• The Proof of Financial Support you used to get your initial student visa
• OU Enrollment Verification, in the form of an official transcript and Official Full-Time Letter generated by the ISSO
• Your SEVIS Fee Receipt

Be aware that you may need to obtain a student or visitor visa for your destination country, even if American students do not require visas. Various private visa service companies such as Travisa can assist you with getting a visa to the country where you will study abroad.

While you are away, check your OU email address regularly and keep in touch with both ISSO and the International Education Office. To maintain your visa status while you are abroad, you will need to have a valid address and phone number in the United States on file at all times, remain fully enrolled at OU for all terms you are studying abroad, and get travel signatures from ISSO on your I-20 or DS-2019 prior to travel. If you are studying abroad for a semester or more, please email [email protected] at least two months before you return to let us know the date you will be back.

Check your F-1 or J-1 entry visa to ensure it will still be valid when you plan to return, or you will need to apply for a new visa. When you return, present your immigration documents to ISSO as you did the first time you arrived on campus.

All F-1 and J-1 students must maintain valid health insurance coverage through United Healthcare, including while you are studying abroad. You will also be covered by OU's Mercer International Travel Policy, which will cover health care costs incurred outside of the United States.

Research Abroad

If you wish to perform independent research abroad, begin by obtaining a letter of support from your academic adviser or your director of graduate studies. This letter should include:

• The timeframe you will be outside of the United States, including the date you are expected to return to OU
• The purpose of your research
• That you will pursue research on a full-time basis while you are away
• What you will have remaining to do at OU upon your return
• Your expected completion date in your degree program at OU

Bring your letter of support to ISSO and meet with us to discuss further steps.