International J.D. Applicants

Illinois Tech’s Chicago-Kent College of Law welcomes applications from students who have earned degrees from foreign institutions. International applicants must submit all of the documents required of other applicants (application for admission, personal statement, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score, Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report, and letter of recommendation). Detailed information about the application process, including information on the evaluation requirements for foreign educational credentials, is available in the First-Year Application Procedure. International applicants to the J.D. program are not required to take the English language proficiency TOEFL or IELTS exams, but are encouraged to submit scores if they are available.

Advanced Standing for Foreign Law Graduates

Chicago-Kent may grant advanced standing to applicants who hold a first degree in law from a law school outside the United States. The law school may grant up to 29 credit hours based on the applicant's prior legal study. Advanced standing determinations are made by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs after meeting with each student seeking advanced standing. The extent of advanced standing is based upon review of the transcript from the foreign law school and the credentials report as well as a review of the specific coursework completed in order to ensure that the student's educational experience was sufficient to justify the granting of advanced standing.

Student Visa Information for International Applicants

International students who wish to enter the United States for educational purposes will need to apply for a student visa. Degree-seeking international students at Illinois Tech will receive a Form I-20 to apply for an F-1 student visa. Information about the visa application process is automatically sent to all international students after admission.

We encourage prospective international students to become familiar with the regulations for F-1 visa holders. There are specific regulations concerning employment, practical training, and the length of time you may remain in the United States upon completion of your academic program. In addition most U.S. employers are not willing or able to sponsor F-1 students for H-1B work visas. Although we are convinced that a J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent affords many valuable tools to prepare you for future success, it is important that you understand that successfully completing your degree and obtaining bar admission in any U.S. state is unlikely to result in your ability to remain in the country after the expiration of your student visa.

The following websites may be useful in understanding F-1 visa regulations:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students

Illinois Tech Office of Global Services

www.iit.edu/global-services

For questions about student visas and the visa application process, please contact the Office of Admissions at 312.906.5020 or admissions@kentlaw.iit.edu.