In-Person Drop-In Advising

Save time -- check the BIO website first!
BIO advising is intended for any necessary further questions and discussions with a BIO advisor only after you have already researched the topic on the BIO website. The answers to most questions international students have can be found on the BIO website, including information about program extensions, travel, applying for a visa/visa renewal, CPT (internships), OPT, and STEM OPT.

In-Person Drop-In Student Advising hours

In-person drop-in advising is available Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.*, with no appointment needed.

*Please note that we may close for new advising sign-ins early to enable our advisors to work through the advising queue before the end of our advising hours. If advising sign-ins close early, we will note this in the Advising Queue sheet, in the large red box at the top.

See the BIO Contact Us page for upcoming holiday closure dates.

There is no student advising on Wednesdays.

Services NOT available in drop-in student advising hours

  • I-20 / DS-2019 travel signatures  - See our Travel Endorsment page for options to request a travel signature.
    (Exception for EMERGENCIES if you are re-entering the US in fewer than five business days)
  • Social Security letters - Email to internationaloffice@berkeley.edu for endorsement.

Where is BIO?

Berkeley International Office is located on Shattuck Avenue just outside of the Downtown Berkeley BART station.

Street map of BIO office location

2150 Shattuck Avenue
Suite 500 (5th floor)
Berkeley, CA 94704

 BIO office building

Meet our International Student Advising Team!

OPT/STEM OPT Document Checks

Applying for OPT or STEM OPT? Attend a BIO Document Check Workshop to make sure your application is complete before mailing it to USCIS. Details can be found on our Events Calendar. 

Please note that advisors can not perform individual document checks during advising hours.