International Admission

SFAI is home to students, faculty and staff from more than 30 countries.

San Francisco Art Institute remains committed to the safety, legal rights, and well-being of its entire community. Our commitment is to implement policies and protocols that ensure the safety of undocumented and underdocumented individuals on our campus, be they students, faculty, staff, or other community members. SFAI was declared a Sanctuary Campus in March 2017. San Francisco is also a Sanctuary City, and, with the January 1 effective date of Senate Bill 54, California became the country’s first Sanctuary State, with measures that prohibit police from asking people about their immigration status during routine interactions and prevent local authorities from acting as immigration agents.

International Applicants are required to submit additional material for admission to SFAI. If you haven’t already done so, please see Undergraduate Requirements or Graduate Requirements for the general application requirements.

Immigration Authorization
English Language Proficiency
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)
Undergraduate International Transcript and Documentation Requirements
Graduate International Transcript and Documentation Requirements

Immigration Authorization

The Global Programs Office is your resource to navigate the rules and regulations related to International Student immigration status for F-1 students and J-1 participant visa holders. We are here to support you throughout your application process and welcome questions about any aspect of student life.

Admitted students that are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents (Green Card holders) are required to obtain U.S. Immigration authorization to enroll at SFAI. SFAI has authorization under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.

For questions or issues, please email the Global Programs Office to make an appointment.

F-1 Student Visas

We strongly recommend reviewing the step-by-step information on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Study in the States website. The Study in the States website is your official U.S. government access point for all agencies involved with international student regulations and policy administration.

Please begin the F-1 student visa application process as soon as possible

J-1 Student Visas

SFAI J-1 participant visas are sponsored through the Institute of International Education (IIE), and an advisor from the IIE San Francisco office is assigned to our students.

Detailed information for J-1 participants may be found at the J-1 Visa Participants website.

English Language Proficiency

SFAI’s rigorous studio and liberal arts curriculum demands substantial mastery of English reading, writing, and verbal skills. If you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or if your primary language is not English or the language of instruction at your previous institution was not in English, you must take either the Duolingo English Test, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Test System (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic). Details on these tests are included below.

DUOLINGO - https://englishtest.duolingo.com/

TOEFL - https://www.ets.org/toefl - SFAI School code: 4036

IELTS - https://www.ielts.org - SFAI accepts the Academic IELTS only.

PTE - https://pearsonpte.com - SFAI accepts the Academic PTE only.

Minimum required scores are as follows:

Undergraduate	BFA	BA
DUO	105	105
TOEFL (iBT)	79	79
IELTS	6.5	6.5
PTE	58	58

Graduate	MFA	Post Baccalaureate	MA	MFA/MA Dual Degree
DUO	120	105	125	125
TOEFL (iBT)	92	79	100	100
IELTS	7.0	6.5	7.5	7.5
PTE	65	58	73	73

If you feel you may be eligible for a waiver, please complete this form and email it directly to your Admissions Counselor and/or to admissions@sfai.edu.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)

Successful completion of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is recognized by most postsecondary educational institutions as equivalent to U.S. high school graduation requirements.

To request official IB diploma and IB examination score report transcripts or certificates, please review the International Baccalaureate Transcripts Request page.

For more information about possible transfer credit for individual IB examinations, please review the SFAI Transfer Credit Guidelines.

Undergraduate International Transcript and Documentation Requirements

International students or students who studied at international schools must submit official sealed copies of original academic documents or transcripts from all secondary and postsecondary schools. These must be issued in their original languages and accompanied by certified English translations. If you have academic experience beyond a four-year bachelor’s degree, those transcripts must also be submitted.

For detailed documentation requirements, please refer to the country in which you attended school (for countries not mentioned, please submit similar documentation).

For questions about documentation requirements, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sfai.edu or 415.749.4500.

Canada	Advanced or General High School Diploma (Alberta and Northwest Territories) Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma (British Columbia and Yukon Territories) High School Graduation Diploma (Manitoba, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island) High School Graduation Diploma/Diplome d'Études Secondaires (New Brunswick) High School Completion Certificate (Nova Scotia) Ontario Secondary School Diploma (Ontario) Diplome d'Études Secondaires (Quebec) Completion Of Grade 12 Requirements (Saskatchewan)
China	Senior Middle School (11 to 12 Year Program) Middle School Teacher Certificate (from a normal college)
France	Diplôme de Bachelier de l’Enseignement du Second Degré Baccalauréat de Technicien/Technologique Professionnel Certificat de Fin d’Études Secondaires Brevet de Technicien Supérieur Examen Spécial d’Entrée à l’Université
Germany	Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife Abitur Reifezeugnis / Zeugnis der Reife Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreife Berufsfachschule / Handelschule Abschlusszeugnis (three years)
Israel	Teudat Bagrut
Mexico	Bachillerato Títulos (from academic secondary school programs) Preparatoria Program
Pakistan	Intermediate Certificate Higher Secondary Certificate Certificate in Industrial Arts Teaching Diploma in Commerce Diploma in Technology Diploma of Associate Engineer
Singapore	Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examination Cambridge School Certificate (Division I or II) Industrial Technician Certificate Certificate in Business Studies
South Korea	Graduation Certificate from an Academic High School Graduation Certificate from a Vocational High School
Taiwan	Certificate or Diploma from a Senior High School Certificate or Diploma from a Senior Vocational High School
Turkey	Devlet Lise Diploması Lise Bitirme Diploması Lise Diploması Devlet Meslek Lisesi Diploması Devlet Teknik Lisesi Diploması Sağlik Meslek Lisesi Diploması
United Kingdom	General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examination Certificate of Secondary Education General Certificate of Secondary Education International General Certificate of Secondary Education

Graduate International Transcript and Documentation Requirements

SFAI requires the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution of higher education. International students or students who studied at international schools must submit official copies of original academic documents or transcripts from all postsecondary schools. These must be issued in their original languages and accompanied by certified English translations. If you have academic experience beyond a four-year bachelor’s degree, those transcripts must also be submitted.

For detailed documentation requirements, please refer to the country in which you attended school (for countries not mentioned, please submit similar documentation). Transcripts and Diploma Supplements for three-year degrees from Bologna Accord countries will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

For questions about document requirements, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sfai.edu.

Argentina	Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
Brazil	Four-year Bacharel or four-year Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
Canada	Four-year bachelor's degree or bachelor's degree from Quebec Official academic transcript
China	Bachelor’s degree Official academic transcript with percentage scores Official degree and graduation certificate
Colombia	Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
France	Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
Germany	Diplom Official academic transcripts for the Vordiplom and Diplom Official academic diploma for the Diplom
Iceland	Bachelor’s degree Official academic transcripts Official academic diploma
India	Four year bachelor’s degree or master’s degree Official university-issued mark sheets Official degree certificate
Israel	Bachelor’s degree Official academic transcript
Mexico	Four-year Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
Pakistan	Four-year bachelor’s degree or master’s degree Official university-issued mark sheets Official degree certificate
Singapore	Four-year university bachelor’s degree Official academic transcript
South Korea	Bachelor’s degree Official academic transcript
Spain	Licenciado or Título Official academic transcript Official academic diploma
Switzerland	Four-year Lizentiat or four-year Diplom Official academic transcripts Official academic diploma
Taiwan	Bachelor's degree Official Academic transcript with percentage scores
United Kingdom	Honours bachelor’s degree or four-year bachelor’s degree (Scotland) Official academic transcript Official academic diploma